Method and apparatus for acquiring and transmitting electrophysiological signals, and apparatus for recording an MRI image

• US 20040106876A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Schiller AG
• Original Assignee: Schiller AG
• Inventors: Felblinger, Jacques, Abacherli, Roger, Schmid, Johann-Jakob
• Application Number:
  US10/703,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20040106876A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/301 providing electrical separation, e.g. by using isolating transformers or optocouplers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/308 for electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period

Abstract

To transmit electrophysiological data from an interference region (S) of an MRI arrangement (20) to an evaluation and/or display unit (10) a signal is handled in a recording arrangement (1) arranged within the interference region (S). The ECG signal (E) is first subjected to analogue above-linear compression, is then digitized and is transmitted as a digitized signal (D) to an evaluation and/or display unit (10). The digital signal (D) is subjected to above-linear digital expansion in the evaluation and/or display unit (10).

Claims

1. A method for acquiring electro-physiological data in a recording arrangement and for transmitting the data to an evaluation and/or display unit, said method comprising steps of:

acquiring a signal in the recording arrangement, above-linear compressing of the signal in order to form a compressed analogue signal,

converting the compressed analogue signal into a digital signal,

transmitting the digital signal to the evaluation and/or display unit, and

expanding the digital signal digitally into a expanded digital signal,

displaying and/or processing the expanded digital signal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the signal is compressed logarithmically.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the electrophysiological data are acquired and transmitted at the same time that an MRI diagnosis is being performed on a patient, with the recording arrangement being situated within and the evaluation and/or display unit being situated outside an electromagnetic interference region of an MRI arrangement for performing the diagnosis.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the analogue signal is converted into the digital signal in a processor which is mounted directly on an electrode of the recording arrangement.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the digital signal is transmitted to the evaluation and/or display unit optically.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the digital signal is transmitted to the evaluation and/or display unit electrically via a shielded connecting line.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the digital signal is transmitted to the evaluation and/or display unit wirelessly by radio.

8. An apparatus for acquiring and transmitting electrophysiological data, in a method according to claim 1, said apparatus comprising:

a recording arrangement for producing at least one signal,

an evaluation and/or display unit for treating and/or displaying electrophysiological data,

transmission means for transmitting data from the recording arrangement to the evaluation and/or display unit,

the recording arrangement having means for above-linear compression of the signal for forming a compressed analogue signal and an A/D converter for converting the compressed analogue signal into a digital signal, and

the evaluation and/or display unit has means for digitally expanding the digital signal.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for compressing the signal logarithmically compresses the signal.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for compression are formed by a computer arrangement arranged directly on an electrode of the recording arrangement.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the A/D converter is also formed in the computer arrangement arranged directly on an electrode of the recording arrangement

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the transmission means are optical transmission means.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the transmission means are formed by a shielded cable.

14. An apparatus for performing an MRI diagnosis in combination with an apparatus for simultaneously acquiring electro-physiological data according to claim 8.