MRI Bore Illumination Control for Subject Anxiety Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems face challenges in appropriately controlling illumination within the hollow bore of a gantry, which can lead to anxiety for subjects due to darkness and potentially excessive brightness.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a first illuminating unit within the gantry, controlled by a processing circuitry that identifies the position of a subject's set region and adjusts the illumination intensity accordingly, ensuring appropriate lighting conditions within the hollow bore.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If illumination is provided in the hollow bore to reduce darkness, then subject anxiety is alleviated, but excessive brightness may occur causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system provides different illumination intensities to different regions within the hollow bore. The head portion receives higher illumination intensity to reduce subject anxiety, while other regions receive lower illumination intensity to avoid excessive brightness discomfort. This spatial variation in illumination quality resolves the contradiction between alleviating anxiety and preventing over-illumination.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination intensity is dynamically adjusted based on the subject's position and the imaging sequence phase. The system changes illumination levels in real-time, providing higher intensity when the subject needs reassurance and lower intensity during imaging to prevent discomfort. This dynamic control allows the system to adapt to changing conditions and resolve the brightness contradiction.
2Illumination intensity
If uniform illumination is provided throughout the hollow bore, then darkness is reduced, but the subject may experience excessive brightness in certain areas
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform illumination, the system applies localized illumination quality variations. The head portion area receives enhanced illumination to ensure visibility and reduce anxiety, while other areas receive reduced illumination to prevent discomfort. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between providing sufficient overall illumination and avoiding excessive brightness in specific regions.
3Ease of operation
If high illumination intensity is used to ensure visibility, then subject anxiety is reduced, but it may cause excessive brightness and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides high illumination intensity specifically in the head portion area where healthcare professionals need to monitor the subject, while maintaining lower illumination intensity in other regions. This localized approach ensures adequate visibility for monitoring operations without causing excessive brightness discomfort to the subject throughout the entire hollow bore.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system is segmented into multiple independent illumination units that can be controlled separately. One unit targets the head portion for monitoring visibility, while another unit illuminates other areas at lower intensity. This segmentation allows the system to achieve good visibility where needed without subjecting the entire subject to excessive brightness.
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
This solution effectively alleviates subject anxiety by providing adequate illumination, reduces the likelihood of excessive brightness, and enables healthcare professionals to monitor the subject's state more effectively during MRI procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a first illuminating unit 1023 that illuminates a hollow bore 1021
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a gantry, a first illuminating unit, and processing circuitry. The gantry has a hollow bore. The first illuminating unit illuminates the hollow bore. The processing circuitry identifies the position of a predetermined region of the subject inside the hollow bore, and controls the illumination state of the first illuminating unit based on the identified position of the predetermined region.