Removing Radio Interference from Portable MRI Scans

A method to clean up MRI images by using external sensors to detect and subtract outside radio interference, allowing portable scanners to work outside shielded rooms.

What it covers

Portable MRI machines are sensitive to outside radio noise, like signals from cell phones or power lines, which can ruin an image. This patent describes a system that uses external sensors (like pick-up coils or electrodes) to record this background noise while the MRI is scanning. The system then calculates a mathematical model—a transfer function—to figure out exactly how that noise is affecting the MRI data. By subtracting this interference from the raw scan data, the system produces a clean, usable image even if the scanner is not inside a traditional, heavily shielded hospital room.

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover MRI systems that rely solely on physical RF shielding to block interference.
• —Does not cover interference correction methods that do not use external detectors placed outside the imaging volume.
• —Does not cover hardware-based noise filtering that happens before the data is digitized.
• —Does not cover image reconstruction techniques that rely only on internal MRI data without external noise calibration.

The clever bit

The system uses the 'dead-time' of the pulse sequence—the brief moments when the machine isn't actively collecting image data—to calibrate the noise model in real-time, allowing the correction to adapt to changing interference environments.

Why it matters

Traditional MRI machines require massive, expensive, and permanent copper-shielded rooms to block electromagnetic interference. By enabling high-quality imaging in unshielded environments, this technology could bring MRI diagnostics to ambulances, rural clinics, or emergency rooms where space and infrastructure are limited.

Real-world examples

• 1.Portable MRI scanners in emergency departments
• 2.Bedside imaging in intensive care units
• 3.Field-deployable MRI for military or remote medical use