# 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.

- **Patent:** US 12189012
- **Original title:** System and method for electromagnetic interference mitigation for portable MRI systems
- **Owner:** General Hospital Corp
- **Granted:** 2025
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 0
- **Field:** consumer_electronics, medical_devices, telecommunications

## What it does

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 does NOT 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.

## 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

## 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.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Removing Radio Interference from Portable MRI Scans cover?

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.

### Who owns patent US 12189012?

General Hospital Corp owns this patent, granted in 2025.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent is expected to expire on January 7, 2045, when the invention enters the public domain.

### What problem does this patent solve?

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.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover MRI systems that rely solely on physical RF shielding to block interference.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12189012/eva-suit

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US12189012

---

_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._