New sensor for MRI scanners

Research which could eliminate heat discomfort for patients inside Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) scanners is being carried out at Nottingham Trent University.

Experts at the university are looking at developing technology to monitor patients’ body tissue temperature, which can increase dramatically inside the scanner.

MRI scanners use magnetic fields to build up a picture of the inside of the body – the stronger the magnetic resonance, the more accurate the image. The downside, however, is the higher the strength, the higher the inducement of heat into the body tissue.

The team, from the university’s Optoelectronics and Displays Research Group, is investigating the possibility of using an optical laser-based sensor to observe temperature and oxygen concentration levels in the body. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is funding the project by almost £125,000.

By knowing the temperature of the patient undergoing the scan, the system’s power could be adjusted as necessary to make it more comfortable. Rather than someone standing nearby continually asking the patient if they are happy, an automatic feedback could be used to control the strength and keep them at a suitable temperature.