UNIVERSAL INTERFACE SYSTEM FOR MRI APPLICATIONS

• US 20150200996A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Resonance Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Resonance Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Ziarati, Mokhtar
• Granted Patent: US 9,787,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0046 Arrangements of imaging apparatus in a room, e.g. room provided with shielding or for improved access to apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/001 Constructional or mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0054 specially adapted for display applications

Abstract

An interface system for providing a signal interface between devices in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnet room and devices in the outside environment to the magnet room. An exemplary embodiment includes a signal transmission link between the MRI magnet room and the outside environment, the link including a wireless local area network. A controller system is located in the outside environment and connected to the devices in the outside environment. A transducer system is located in the MRI magnet room and connected to the devices in the MRI magnet room.

Claims

1. A universal interface system for interfacing between the outside environment and an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) magnet room, configured to allow communication with different devices in the magnet room, comprising:

a high speed digital data signal transmission link between the MRI magnet room and a control space or room outside the MRI magnet room;

a signal transducer system disposed within the magnet room, the signal transducer system configured for communication with the digital data signal transmission link, and comprising a plurality of transducer connectors configured to connect to corresponding device connectors of a set of the different devices in the magnet room;

the signal transducer system configured to translate digital signals received through the digital data signal transmission link into signals delivered through at least some of said plurality of connectors of a corresponding format and protocol for corresponding ones of said different devices in the magnet room, the signal transducer system further configured to translate signals received through at least some of the transducer connectors from one or more of the corresponding different devices in the magnet room into digital signals for transmission over the digital data transmission link;

a controller system disposed in the control space or room, and configured for communication with the high speed digital data transmission link, the controller system having a plurality of controller connectors configured to connect to control space device connectors of a plurality of different devices in the control space or room, the plurality of control room different devices arranged to deliver video, audio, status or control signals for utilization by one or more of the magnet room devices;

the controller system configured to translate signals received through at least some of the controller connectors from one or more of the corresponding control room different devices into digital signals for transmission over the digital data transmission link to said transducer system, and is further configured to translate digital signals received through the digital data signal transmission link from the transducer system into signals delivered through at least some of said plurality of controller electrical connectors of a corresponding format and protocol for corresponding ones of said control room different devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the devices in the magnet room include a plurality of different devices selected from the group including a patient monitoring camera, audio headphones for the patient, a patient input device, an audio speaker, a patient eye-tracking camera, and a television.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different devices in the control space or room are selected from the group including a television, a radio, a camera, a patient speaker, a patient monitor, a technologist remote control, a stimulus and patient response recording computer, an audio-video player, a control room speaker and an eye tracking computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transducer system disposed within the magnet room comprises an input/output data processor configured to pack data received from the different devices in the magnet room into a single stream of data and transfers the data to a data encoding function for subsequent transmission over the digital data signal transmission link, and to unpack decoded video and audio data received from the digital data signal transmission link into a parallel format.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital data signal transmission link is a wireless local area network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital data signal transmission link includes an optical fiber digital data transmission link.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said transducer system includes a transducer housing mounting said transducer connectors on a housing surface, and said controller system includes a controller housing mounting said controller electrical connectors on an controller housing surface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the controller system further includes a controller serializer/deserializer function configured to serialize different data and signal types received from the controller space devices for signal transmission over the signal transmission link and to deserialize signals received through the signal transmission link from the transducer system for transmission to corresponding ones of the devices in the outside environment;

the transducer system including a transducer serializer/deserializer function to serialize different data and signal types received from said set of devices in the magnet room for signal transmission over the signal transmission link and to deserialize signals received through the signal transmission link from the controller system for transmission to corresponding ones of the devices in the magnet room.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital data signal transmission link includes a wireless local area network and an optical fiber data transmission link, and the controller system includes a first switch for switching signal transmission between the wireless local area network and the optical data transmission link, and the transducer system includes a second switch for switching signal transmission between the wireless local area network and the optical data transmission link.

10. An interface system for providing a signal interface between devices in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnet room and devices in the outside environment to the magnet room, comprising:

a signal transmission link between the MRI magnet room and the outside environment, the link including a wireless local area network;

a controller system located in the outside environment and connected to the devices in the outside environment, and to the signal transmission link;

a transducer system located in the MRI magnet room and connected to the devices in the MRI magnet room;

the controller system including a serializer/deserializer function to serialize different data and signal types received from the devices in the outside environment for signal transmission over the signal transmission link and to deserialize signals received through the signal transmission link from the transducer system for transmission to corresponding ones of the devices in the outside environment;

the transducer system including a serializer/deserializer function to serialize different data and signal types received from the devices in the magnet room for signal transmission over the signal transmission link and to deserialize signals received through the signal transmission link from the controller system for transmission to corresponding ones of the devices in the magnet room.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the devices in the magnet room include a plurality of different devices selected from the group including a patient monitoring camera, audio headphones for the patient, a patient input device, an audio speaker, a patient eye-tracking camera, and a television.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of different devices in the control space or room are selected from the group including a television, a radio, a camera, a patient speaker, a patient monitor, a technologist remote control, a stimulus and patient response recording computer, an audio-video player, a control room speaker and an eye tracking computer.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the signal transducer system comprises an input/output data processor configured to pack data received from the different devices in the magnet room into a single stream of data and transfers the data to a data encoding function for subsequent transmission over the digital data signal transmission link, and to unpack decoded video and audio data received from the digital data signal transmission link into a parallel format.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller system comprises an input/output data processor configured to pack data received from the different devices in the outside environment into a single stream of data and transfers the data to a data encoding function for subsequent transmission over the digital data signal transmission link, and to unpack decoded video and audio data received from the digital data signal transmission link into a parallel format.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the signal transmission link further includes an optical fiber data transmission link, and the controller system includes a first switch for switching signal transmission between the wireless local area network and the optical data transmission link, and the transducer system includes a second switch for switching signal transmission between the wireless local area network and the optical data transmission link.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the transducer system includes a transducer housing structure to which are fitted connectors for electrically or optically connecting to connectors for each of the devices in the magnet room, and the controller system includes a controller housing structure to which are fitted connectors for electrically or optically connecting to connectors for each of the devices in the outside environment.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the transducer system includes a video processor configured to convert signals from the signal transmission link into video signals for a display in the magnet room, and an audio processor configured to convert signals from the signal transmission link into audio signals for an audio headphone or speaker system in the magnet room.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller system includes a video processor configured to convert signals from a video source into digital video signals for transmission over the data transmission link, and an audio processor configured to convert signals from an audio signal source into digital audio signals for transmission over the data transmission link.