Abstract #1546

Feedback Control System for Safe and Accurate Control of a Fully MRI-Compatible Hydraulic Treadmill

Mihaela Jekic¹, Eric L. Foster², John Arnold³, Jacob Bender¹, Subha V. Raman⁴, Orlando P. Simonetti⁵

¹Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; ²Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; ³Agricultural Technical Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; ⁴Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; ⁵Internal Medicine and Radiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States

We developed a feedback control system for a fully MRI-compatible water hydraulic treadmill, and tested its performance up to the speed of 5.5 miles/hr and the incline of 11.3, corresponding to stage 6 of the standard Bruce treadmill protocol widely used in cardiac stress testing. Feedback is obtained using fiber optic sensors while the control is performed outside the MRI room using LabVIEW. In addition, we implemented several safety features to ensure the treadmill speed and elevation will remain within specified safety limits. The treadmill was found to perform accurately and safely immediately adjacent to the MRI table.