ELECTROCARDIOGRAM ACQUISITION DURING MR EXAMINATIONS FOR PATIENT MONITORING AND SEQUENCE TRIGGERING

We have developed a method for measuring the electrocardiogram (ECG) c ontinuously during MR examinations. In contrast to ECG acquisition by wires, our new method is to amplify and convert the ECG into an optica l signal directly above the patient's heart. The optical signal is tra nsmitted out of the magnet bore by optical fiber. The small and fixed dimensions of the ECG amplifier avoid interactions with the MR system because of shorter electrical structures and smaller enclosed areas. T ests of the proposed device in a 1.5 Tesla MR system show that continu ous and reliable ECG monitoring and sequence triggering are possible.