Patient headphones with integrated sensor system

Abstract

Patient headphones () for use in a medical scanning modality, comprising a frame member (), two ear cups () that, in an operational state of the patient headphones (), are arranged to be in contact with one of the patient's ears, and a sensor system (), the sensor system () including optical emitters () that are configured for directing electromagnetic radiation to a portion of the patient's skin, and optical sensors () that are configured for receiving the electromagnetic radiation being returned from the portion of the patient's skin, and for providing an output signal that corresponds to the received electromagnetic radiation, wherein the output signal is indicative of at least one physiological parameter of the patient and serves as a basis for determining the at least one physiological parameter of the patient; —a patient headphones system () for use in a medical scanning modality (), comprising an embodiment of such patient headphones () and a data acquisition and analysis unit () that is configured to acquire output signals of the optical sensors () and to analyze the acquired output signals by applying pre-determined criteria related to the output signals, and to provide a trigger output signal () if one of the pre-determined criteria is fulfilled; —a medical scanning modality () that is configured for contact-free acquisition of scanning data of at least a portion of a subject of interest (), in particular a patient, comprising an embodiment of such patient headphones system (), wherein the medical imaging modality () is in particular formed as a magnetic resonance imaging system.