Electrode Patch Synthesizing 12-Lead ECG for MR Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 12-lead ECG configurations are incompatible with MR imaging due to long electrode wires that induce electrical noise and pose safety hazards, while 3-lead ECGs provide insufficient information for sophisticated cardiac analysis.
Innovation Solution
A system using fewer than ten electrodes, configured in a pattern with a maximum separation of 20-50 centimeters, synthesizes 12-lead ECG signals using an electrode patch and short pigtail wires to minimize conductive loops and interference with MR imaging, allowing for effective 12-lead ECG data acquisition within an MR environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional 12-lead ECG with ten electrodes is used, then comprehensive cardiac information is obtained, but placement time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential electrodes needed for 12-lead ECG acquisition (reducing from 10 to 5-6 electrodes) while removing redundant wiring and connections. This extraction approach maintains the necessary cardiac information capture while eliminating the time-consuming placement and connection procedures associated with conventional 10-electrode configurations.
2Loss of information
If conventional 12-lead ECG with long electrode wires is used, then complete ECG data is acquired, but electrical noise and safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the problematic long electrode wires from the system entirely, extracting only the essential electrical signal acquisition function. By using a wireless or integrated electrode design, it eliminates the conductive paths that create loops and induce electrical currents in the MR scanner's magnetic field, thereby removing the source of electrical noise and safety hazards while preserving complete ECG data acquisition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary signal transmission method that replaces direct wired connections through the magnetic field. This intermediary approach (such as wireless transmission or alternative signal routing) allows ECG data to be acquired completely without creating conductive loops that would otherwise induce harmful electrical currents in the MR environment.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If 3-lead ECG with four electrodes is used, then MR compatibility is achieved, but cardiac analysis capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of both 3-lead and 12-lead ECG systems by combining the MR-compatible electrode arrangement (fewer electrodes, shorter wires) with the comprehensive signal acquisition capability of 12-lead ECG. This merging results in a hybrid configuration using 5-6 electrodes that maintains MR compatibility while restoring full 12-lead ECG analysis capability through sophisticated signal processing and lead synthesis algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the critical parameters of electrode number, wire length, and spatial arrangement from conventional 12-lead ECG specifications to MR-compatible values, while using computational methods to reconstruct the full 12-lead ECG signal set. This parameter transformation allows the system to operate safely in MR environments while maintaining comprehensive cardiac analysis capability.
4Loss of time
If EASI lead configuration with five or six electrodes is used, then placement time is reduced, but MR compatibility is compromised by wire loops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential EASI lead configuration benefits (reduced electrode count and simplified placement) while removing the problematic long wires that create conductive loops. By using short wires or wireless transmission, it eliminates the MR incompatibility while preserving the time-efficient placement advantage of the EASI approach.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the acquisition of conventional 12-lead ECG data without increasing MR workflow complexity or time, providing sufficient information for cardiac analysis while maintaining MR compatibility and safety.
Implementation Method 1
an electrocardiographic instrument operatively connected with the plurality of electrodes and configured to synthesize twelve leads corresponding to a conventional 12-lead electrocardiographic instrument from electrocardiographic signals acquired from the plurality of electrodes
Implementation Method 2
a magnetic resonance scanner configured to acquire magnetic resonance data of a subject disposed in the magnetic resonance scanner
Implementation Method 3
The electrode wires in a 12-lead ECG are long and frequently cross, giving rise to conductive paths and loops that can conduct large induced electrical currents due to interaction with magnetic fields of the MR imaging
Data Source
AI summary
An electrode patch (40, 40′) enables securing five electrodes (E′, A′, S′, I′, N′) or six electrodes (V1′, V6′, LA′, RA′, LL′, RL′) in a predefined pattern. The electrode patch is configured for disposal as a unit on a subject (SUBJ) in a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner (8), and has a maximum electrodes separation (dmax) of at least 20 centimeters and not more than 50 centimeters. The predefined pattern enables 12-lead electrocardiographic signals to be synthesized from signals acquired by the five or six electrodes in the predefined pattern. A method that can use the electrode patch comprises: acquiring magnetic resonance data with a subject disposed in a MR scanner; securing a plurality of electrodes to the subject in the magnetic resonance scanner, the plurality of electrodes comprising fewer than ten electrodes; and synthesizing twelve leads corresponding to a conventional 12-lead electrocardiograph from electrocardiographic signals acquired by the plurality of electrodes with the subject disposed in the MR scanner.