The Non-Metallic Pneumos consist of two plastic end pieces connected by a rubber convoluted tube. The pieces are also connected internally by a rubber band. A connecting tube of various lengths is attached to the pneumograph assembly. These tube lengths can be 7, 10, 12, or 14 feet or 89 inches depending on customer specifications. The entire assembly is non-metallic so that that it can be used safely in an MRI environment. The Pneumograph is used as respiration sensor. The convoluted tube is attached around the upper or lower torso of the patient and is held in place with a Velcro strap. As the patient breathes, the tube expands and contracts which varies the pressure inside the tube in direct correlation to the breathing pattern. When attached to a pressure sensor, the breathing pattern of the patient can be sensed and recorded. The pneumograph is used as a gating sensor for MRI machines to sense the patient’s breathing pattern. The image acquisition of the MRI is triggered at the bottom of the patient’s breathing cycle when there is minimal movement of the chest cavity.
A physiological monitoring unit used as a component of a diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, that produces a signal which enables image formation or data collection to be synchronized with a specific measurable physiological parameter, e.g., the beginning of a patient's respiratory or cardiac cycle. It is primarily used for the purpose of artifact reduction or enhancement of signal-to-noise ratios in various real-time or dynamic MRI applications. It is sometimes referred to as a gated imaging accessory or trigger.
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