Kirk Champagne1,2, Tim Hoeppner2,
David Weber2, Ta-Yung Liu1, Mehran Fallah-Rad1,
Mark Alexiuk1,3
1IMRIS, Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada; 2Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of
Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; 3Institute of Industrial
Mathematical Sciences, University of Manitoba, Canada
Intra-operative OR suite designs that employ a high field movable MRI scanner require that safety checks be integrated into the surgical workflow. Existing safety checks may be complemented by a wireless sensor network that monitors the OR for potential safety hazards. We demonstrate the feasibility of such a system using Hall effect sensors. Testing with a movable 1.5T Siemens Espree scanner shows good agreement to magnetometer readings. A standard RF noise test (with the system in operation) showed an elevated baseline signal intensity but no image artifacts. Novelty of this system includes software-based thresholds and enables integrated room control.