MRI-Safe Touchscreen Tablet with Shielded Receiver Board
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current MRI technologies cannot capture brain images simultaneously with visually guided motor activities due to the inoperability of electronic devices in strong magnetic fields, limiting the study of neurological activity and motor actions like handwriting.
Innovation Solution
A tablet system with a touchscreen display and shielding layers, housed in an encasement material that reduces RF interference, allowing for real-time video display and touch interface operation within an MRI machine's bore, enabling simultaneous brain imaging and motor activity recording.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a touchscreen display is placed within the MRI bore to enable visually guided motor activity recording, then the ability to study brain activity during motor actions is improved, but RF interference from the MRI machine disrupts the operation of the touchscreen and receiver board
Solution Approach 1:
A cable system with transmitter board (outside bore) and receiver board (inside bore) serves as an intermediary to transmit signals while isolating the sensitive receiver board from direct RF exposure. The cable acts as a protected transmission medium that bridges the safe zone and the MRI bore environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver board is designed as a disposable component that can be replaced after each use. This approach is economically viable because the board is destroyed or degraded by the MRI's RF fields, and replacement is cheaper than repair or shielding modifications.
2Device complexity
If standard electronic devices are used in the MRI bore, then the device complexity is reduced, but the devices become inoperable due to the strong magnetic fields
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate parts: a transmitter board located outside the MRI bore where complex electronics can operate normally, and a simplified receiver board inside the bore that only needs to receive signals. This segmentation allows standard electronics to be used outside while maintaining reliability inside the magnetic field.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensitive receiver board is extracted from the standard tablet design and placed inside the bore as a separate, dedicated component. The main processing and control electronics are taken out and placed outside the bore in the interface box, leaving only the essential signal reception function inside the magnetic field environment.
3Ease of operation
If a tablet with touchscreen display is mounted in the MRI bore, then real-time visual feedback during motor activity is enabled, but the housing and components are susceptible to RF interference
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system with transmitter board (outside bore) and receiver board (inside bore) serves as an intermediary to transmit signals while isolating the sensitive receiver board from direct RF exposure. The cable acts as a protected transmission medium that bridges the safe zone and the MRI bore environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver board is designed as a disposable component that can be replaced after each use. This approach is economically viable because the board is destroyed or degraded by the MRI's RF fields, and replacement is cheaper than repair or shielding modifications.
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 researchers to study brain activity associated with visually guided motor actions by providing a safe and functional touchscreen interface within the MRI machine, allowing for the capture of correlated brain and motor data.
Implementation Method 1
the housing being formed of an encasement material that reduces RF interference with the touchscreen/display and the receiver board
Implementation Method 2
a first shielding layer disposed over the touchscreen display and spanning the first opening, a second shielding layer disposed between the first shielding layer and the touchscreen display
Data Source
AI summary
A system for recording visually guided motor activity within a bore of an MRI machine, comprising a tablet configured for mounting within the bore of the MRI machine, the tablet comprising a shielded housing, a touchscreen display mounted within the housing, and a receiver board, an interface box coupled to a controller configured to control operation of the touchscreen display, the interface box being located remotely from the bore and comprising a transmitter board for processing signals from the controller and transmitting processed signals to the receiver board of the tablet, and a cable connected between the tablet and the interface box, the cable comprising a plurality of conductors to carry signals between the receiver board and the transmitter board.