Wireless Protocol for MRI Physiological Data Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication protocols for medical imaging systems, such as MRI and CT scanners, face challenges in reducing motion artifacts caused by cardiac and respiratory motion, and they often suffer from transmission delays and unreliability due to the use of cables and existing wireless communication methods.
Innovation Solution
A wireless transmission protocol is developed that provides high reliability, low latency, and low jitter for transmitting physiological data and trigger signals between wireless devices, using a system with a transmitter and receiver that employ frequency diversity, spatial diversity, and time diversity to ensure accurate and timely data transmission, allowing for synchronized image acquisition based on cardiac and respiratory cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless communication is used to transmit physiological data, then the number of cables is reduced and patient comfort is improved, but transmission delays and reliability issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by buffering physiological data in the transmitter and receiver devices before transmission. This allows the system to prepare and store data locally, then transmit it in batches when wireless connection is stable, reducing the impact of transient connection failures and ensuring reliable data transfer while maintaining patient comfort through cableless operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the receiver acknowledges received data packets to the transmitter. This feedback loop allows the system to monitor transmission quality in real-time, retransmit lost packets, and adjust transmission parameters dynamically, thereby maintaining high reliability despite the wireless medium's inherent vulnerabilities.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If trigger signals are transmitted wirelessly to synchronize image acquisition with physiological cycles, then cable artifacts are eliminated, but transmission latency and jitter increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-buffering trigger signals and physiological data in both transmitter and receiver devices. This allows the system to accumulate data locally and then transmit it in optimized batches, reducing the impact of wireless transmission delays on critical timing synchronization while eliminating cable artifacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies beforehand cushioning by implementing error correction codes, packet acknowledgment mechanisms, and data buffering that compensate for potential transmission delays and losses. These cushioning measures ensure that even if wireless transmission experiences latency or packet loss, the trigger signals remain accurate enough for synchronized image acquisition.
3Speed
If real-time wireless transmission is used for trigger signals, then system responsiveness is improved, but transmission reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by buffering data locally in both transmitter and receiver before transmission. This allows the system to maintain high responsiveness by having data ready for immediate transmission when connection conditions permit, while the buffering mechanism ensures reliability by allowing retransmission of lost packets without compromising overall system responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic action through continuous monitoring of connection quality and periodic attempts to transmit data packets. The transmitter periodically checks whether data can be successfully transmitted and adjusts transmission timing accordingly, maintaining both speed and reliability by transmitting during optimal windows while preparing to retransmit if failures occur.
Data Source
AI summary
A physiologic transmitter manages multiple communications between physiologic data acquisition devices attached to the patient and a receiver attached to an MRI or CT scanner. The transmitter's processor is able to generate waveform data and trigger data based upon the acquired physiologic data and transmit the data to a physiologic receiver attached to the host scanner. The receiver then is able to deliver a trigger signal to the host scanner for imaging the patient during a selected time frame based upon cardiac and/or respiratory cycles of the patient.