Entertainment system for use during the operation of a magnetic resonance imaging device

• US 8,363,861 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Hughes
• Original Assignee: Brian Hughes
• Inventors: Hughes, Brian, Hughes, Ryan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bengzon, Greg C
• Application Number:
  US12/724,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20100238362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 381/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0033 Features or image-related aspects of imaging apparatus classified in A61B5/00, e.g. for MRI, optical tomography or impedance tomography apparatus; arrangements of imaging apparatus in a room image data processing or generation G06T
• 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: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/414 Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

An entertainment system for use with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device that includes video glasses and headphones. A Faraday shield encloses the entertainment system to reduce adequately RF signals from entering or leaving the entertainment system. The entertainment system may have non-ferromagnetic RF low-pass filters between parts of the system, such as the control unit and the video glasses, to reduce higher RF signals from entering or leaving those parts. To replace the battery and or entertainment media, a person opens the entertainment system'"'"'s Faraday shield when not MRI imaging or outside the MRI magnet room. The door has an Faraday shield overlapping the system Faraday shield and making low resistance RF contact. The entertainment system has a minimal amount of ferromagnetic material so that it may operate within the high magnetic field of the MRI magnet bore with minimal performance degradation. The entertainment system uses non-ferromagnetic speakers in the headphone. Passive ear protection and noise cancellation reduce the loud noise of the MRI system heard by the patient to a level where the patient can hear the entertainment. The entertainment system includes a charger for the rechargeable batteries.

Claims

1. An entertainment system for use with by a patient in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device comprising:

a. an audio component for producing audible sound waves from an electrical signal;

b. a video component for producing a video image from an electrical signal;

c. a control unit configured to generate the electrical signal for driving the audio component, the video component, or both, the control unit including;

(i) an electronic storage medium, wherein the electrical signal is generated from media stored in the electronic storage medium, the electronic storage medium being free of magnetic components or ferromagnetic components;

(ii) a battery for providing power to the audio component, the video component, and the control unit; and

(iii) one or more shielding layers at least partially encapsulating the control unit to reduce or prevent RF signals from entering, being emitted from, or both the control unit;

d. one or more cables extending from the control unit and battery to the audio component and the video component for electronic communication and providing power therebetween, the one or more cables including a shielding layer to reduce or prevent RF signals from entering, being emitted from, or both the one or more cables;

wherein the system includes less than about 20 grams by weight of ferromagnetic material per Tesla of the MRI;

wherein the shielding layers comprise about 2 to about 5 layers of conductive metal mesh which includes a network of elongated wires that define a plurality of openings therethrough having between 15 and 200 wires per inch; and

wherein the control unit may be disposed within a magnetic bore of the MRI device during the operation thereof;

wherein the cable allows control unit and battery to be placed outside the MRI imaging area during operation thereof to reduce MRI imaging anomalies.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the video component includes a video display for displaying a video image of the electrical signal, at least one lens for focusing the video image for one or both eyes of the patient, and one or more shielding layers at least partially encapsulating the video component to reduce or prevent RF signals from entering, being emitted from, or both the video component.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more shielding layers of the control unit, the video component, or both includes at least two generally opposing conductive meshes separated by a spacer layer that resists any displacement that would bring the two opposing meshes into direct contact with each other.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a housing wherein the housing is encased with one of the shielding layers, and one or more doors for changing, or recharging, the power source and changing the entertainment by replacing media or uploading data, wherein the one or more doors comprise one or more of the shielding layers, wherein the shielding layers of the housing unit and the one or more doors surround the control unit and the shielding of the one or more doors and the control unit overlap by at least 0.25 cm complete around the opening in the control unit for the door and make electrical contact with an RF resistance of less than 0.1 ohm.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit further includes the user interface and the one or more activators include an on activator, and off activator, a play activator, a pause activator, a volume adjustment activator, or any combination thereof for operation of the system by the patient during the operation of the MRI while located in the MRI bore.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic stage medium includes a solid-state storage device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit further includes a controller board for controlling the operation of the video component, the audio component, the electronic storage medium, the user interface, and the power source, the controller board having at least one non-ferromagnetic inductor to reduce or prevent RF signals from being transmitted from the power source and along the one or more cables.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the video glasses and the control unit further include a generally solid housing, each housing having a first portion formed of a conductive or resistive material and a second portion formed of the one or more shielding layers so that the first portion at least partially surrounds the second portion.

12. A method for media playback using a self-contained entertainment system within a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device during the operation thereof comprising the steps of:

providing the self contained entertainment system according to claim 1

mounting the video glasses and the headphones to the head of a patient through tension generated by the support arms of the first and second earpieces such that the at least one lens generally oppose one or both eyes of the patient and each earpiece is generally disposed over an ear of the patent;

positioning at least a portion of the patient within a magnetic bore of the MRI such that the self-contained entertainment system is located therein;

selecting one or more conditions of the user interface; and

generating electrical signals by the control unit based on the selected one or more conditions for driving the video component, the audio component, or both;

wherein the self-contained entertainment system is worn by the patient inside the magnet bore of the MRI during the operation of both the system and the MRI.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more cables extending from the control unit to the audio component and the video component have a length of from about 1 to about 15 feet.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the shield surrounds the control unit including a storage medium door and power source door and the audio electronics and the video component are inside conductive shields and shielded cables connect the control unit, audio component and video component.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the ratio of grams of magnetic material in the system to the magnetic field of the MRI bore in Tesla is 15:

1 or less.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the shielding layer completely encases the control unit and is in direct contact with the shielding of the one or more cables extending from the control unit to the audio component and the video component.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit comprises a housing and at least a shielding layer integrated into the housing.

18. The system of claim 8 wherein the activators comprise a mechanical button on the outside of the control units and a corresponding electrical button inside of the control unit wherein a shielding layer is disposed between each corresponding electrical button and mechanical button wherein the shielding layer is flexible and electrically continuous.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the shielding layer on the housing comprises a patterned conductive layer on the surface of the housing.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the conductive shielding comprises a conductive mesh printed onto one or more of the system components.

4. An entertainment system for use with by a patient in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device comprising:

a. an audio component for producing audible sound waves from an electrical signal;

b. a video component for producing a video image from an electrical signal;

c. a control unit configured to generate the electrical signal for driving the audio component, the video component, or both, the control unit including;

(i) an electronic storage medium, wherein the electrical signal generated from media stored in the electronic storage medium, the electronic storage medium being free of magnetic components or ferromagnetic components;

(ii) a power source for providing power to the audio component, the video component, and the control unit; and

(iii) one or more shielding layers at least partially encapsulating the control unit to reduce or prevent RF signals from entering, being emitted from, or both the control unit;

d. one or more cables extending from the control unit to the audio component and the video component for electronic communication and providing power therebetween, the one or more cables including a shielding layer to reduce or prevent RF signals from entering, being emitted from, or both the one or more cables;

wherein the system includes less than about 20 grams by weight of ferromagnetic material per Tesla of the MRI;

wherein the control unit may be disposed within a magnetic bore of the MRI device during the operation thereof;

wherein the video component includes a video display for displaying a video image of the electric signal, at least one lens for focusing the video image for one or both eyes of the patient, and one or more shielding layers at least partially encapsulating the video component to reduce or prevent RF signals from entering, being emitted from, or both the video component wherein the or more shielding layers of the control unit, the video component or both includes at least two generally opposing non-magnetic meshes separated by a spacer layer that resists any displacement that would bring the two opposing meshes into direct contact with each other;

wherein the spacer layer includes an insulating layer having a dielectric strength of at least about 500 volts.

6. An entertainment system, for use with by a patient in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device comprising:

a. an audio component for producing audible sound waves from an electrical signal;

b. a video component for producing a video image from an electrical signal;

c. a control unit configured to generate the electrical signal for driving the audio component, the video component, or both, the control unit including;

(i) an electronic storage medium, wherein the electrical signal is generated from media stored in the electronic storage medium, the electronic storage medium being free of magnetic components or ferromagnetic components,

(ii) a power source for providing power to the audio component, the video component, and the control unit; and

(iii) one or more shielding layers at least partially encapsulating the control unit to reduce or prevent RF signals from entering, being emitted from, or both the control unit;

d. one or more cables extending from the control unit to the audio component and the video component for electronic communication and providing power therebetween, the one or more cables including a shielding layer to reduce or prevent RF signals from entering, being emitted from, or both the one or more cables;

wherein the system includes less than about 20 grams by weight of ferromagnetic material per Tesla of the MRI;

wherein the control unit may be disposed within a magnetic bore of MRI device during the operation thereof;

wherein the video component includes a video display for displaying a video image of the electric signal, at least one lens for focusing the video image for one or both eyes of the patient, and one or more shielding layers at least partially encapsulating the video component to reduce or prevent RF signals from entering, being emitted from, or both the video component wherein the one or more shielding layers of the control unit, the video component, or both includes at least two generally opposing non-magnetic meshes separated by a spacer layer that resists any displacement that would bring the two opposing meshes into direct contact with each other;

wherein the one or more shielding layers of the video component further includes a transparent conductive film at least partially covering the at least one lens to reduce the formation of eddy currents, to increase RF shielding, or both while providing a visual transmittance between about 75% and about 95% and a surface resistance between about 2 and about 16 ohms per square.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one lens further includes a transparent protective layer covering the transparent film, the protective layer (e.g., polycarbonate) having a compression strength of at least about 50 MPa.