Fiber-Optic Cardiorespiratory Monitoring and Triggering in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

During the last decades, fiber-optic technology has become very popular tool for vital signs monitoring. Thanks to its advantageous properties, such as non-invasiveness, biocompatibility, and resistance to electromagnetic interferences, this methodology started to be explored under the conditions of a Magnetic Resonance (MR) environment. This review paper presents the motivation and possibilities of using the fiber-optic sensors (FOS’s) in the MR environment and summarizes the studies dealing with experimental validation of their compatibility with MR. Several aspects of the presented issue are highlighted and discussed, such as suitability of the fiber-optic approach for the MR triggering, precision of the vital sign detection, development of the sensor designs, and its application to the patient’s body. From the literature review, it can be concluded that FOS’s have promising future in the field of cardiorespiratory monitoring in the MR environment. This is mainly due to their advantages originating from sensing mechanical signals instead of electrical ones, which makes them resistant to MR interference and extrasystoles. Moreover, these sensors are easy-to-use, reusable, and suitable for combined monitoring. However, there are several shortcomings that should be solved in future research before introducing them to clinical practice, namely the signal’s delay or the optimal placement of the sensors.