• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.244-252
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• 2014

Purpose : We proposed a multi-physiological signals based real-time intelligent triggering system(MITS) for Cardiac MRI. Induced noise of the system was analyzed. Materials and Methods: MITS makes cardiac MR imaging sequence synchronize to the cardiac motion using ECG, respiratory signal and second order derivative of $SPO_2$signal. Abnormal peaks due to arrhythmia or subject's motion are rejected using the average R-R intervals and R-peak values. Induced eddy currents by gradients switching in cardiac MR imaging are analyzed. The induced eddy currents were removed by hardware and software filters. Results: Cardiac MR images that synchronized to the cardiac and respiratory motion are acquired using MITS successfully without artifacts caused by induced eddy currents of gradient switching or subject's motion or arrhythmia. We showed that the second order derivative of the $SPO_2$ signal can be used as a complement to the ECG signals. Conclusion: The proposed system performs cardiac and respiratory gating with multi-physiological signals in real time. During the cardiac gating, induced noise caused by eddy currents is removed. False triggers due to subject's motion or arrhythmia are rejected. The cardiac MR imaging with free breathing is obtained using MITS.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.63 no.7
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• pp.945-949
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• 2014

In cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI), heart and respiratory motions are one of main obstacles in obtaining diagnostic quality of images. To synchronize CMRI to the physiological motions, ECG and respiratory gatings are commonly used. In this paper multi-biological signal (ECG, respiratory, and SPO2) based smart trigger system is proposed. By using multi-biological signal, the proposed system is robust to the induced noise such as eddy current when gradient pulsing is continuously applied during the examination. Digital conversion of the multi-biological signal makes the system flexible in implementing smart and intelligent algorithm to detect cardiac and respiratory motion and to reject arrhythmia of the heart. The digital data is used for real-time trigger, as well as signal display, and data storage which may be used for retrospective signal processing.