Imris, Inc.

Michael Lang

Haoqin Zhu

Labros Petropoulos

John Saunders

Mark Alexiuk

Wayne Schellekens

Mehran Fallah-Rad

Labros Petropolous

Wayne Schelllekens

For use in MR imaging of a patient a plurality of surface electrodes such as ECG or defibrillator are provided for obtaining electrical signals for determining electrical activity within the body of the patient and remain in place during the MR imaging. The surface electrodes include a quick disconnect wire for carrying the signals to a signal processing system to be removed during the MR imaging to prevent heating. Each electrode comprises a conductive layer divided by slits into separate side by side sections to reduce eddy currents which are induced in the surface electrodes when they are exposed to variations in the magnetic field. The sections all are connected through the layer to the conductive location to allow the signal therefrom to be connected to the communication conductor.

Surface electrode design that can be left in place during MR imaging

The receive coil arrangement includes an inner local volume coil adjacent the part to be imaged so as to maximize the received MR signal and an outer coil, which may be the built in body coil of the magnet, connected by cable to the signal processing system. Both the coils are individually tuned to the common resonant frequency and the local volume coil include an arrangement to halt current flow therein during the transmit stage. The local volume coil has no cable and is arranged to communicate the MR signal therein to the signal processing system through the outer coil by inductive coupling to the outer coil. Despite inherent losses by interfering with the tuning of the loops and in the inductive coupling this magnifies the MR signal and makes the local volume coil wireless.

Magnetic resonance signal detection using remotely positioned receive coils

Growing community of inventors

Winnipeg, Canada

Michael Lang