Detection of vital signs with Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors ‘integrated’ in the MR-scanner

Motivation: Detection of vital signs in MRI is hampered by the harsh environment of the MR-scanner and requires setup time. Goal(s): Use integrated (i.e. no setup time) sensors that are fully MR-compatible and provide reliable cardiac and respiratory signals. Approach: Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) based sensors (optical sensors) are integrated into the headrest of an MR-coil and the MR-bed for detection of heart beat and respiratory cycle. Results: MR-system integrated FBG sensors pick up cardiac and respiratory signals. The challenge lies in the realtime filtering of these signals to be able to use them for triggering of the scanner. Impact: Patient setup time can be reduced for exams requiring cardiac and/or respiratory signals by using MR-system integrated FBG sensors.