Patient Distraction and Entertainment System for Magnetic Resonance Imaging using Visual Effects Synchronized to the Scanner Acoustic Noise

摘要

Acoustic noise is a major source of discomfort for patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. Loud noise is generated from fast gradient switching during MRI scanning. The noise level is reduced by wearing hearing protection devices, but the noise cannot be entirely avoided. Patient distraction techniques can shift the attention away from the annoying noise. We implemented a simple and low-cost system for patient distraction using visual effects that are synchronized to the gradient acoustic noise. This multisensory approach for patient distraction is implemented on a 3.0T scanner and tested in six healthy adult volunteers. After the scan was completed, the volunteers were asked about their scan experience with visualization, rating their preference on a 0-10 scale. The images were visual inspected for any artifacts. All volunteers indicated improved experience with the proposed visualization system with an average score of 6.3. The image quality was not affected by visualization.