Ultrasonic device for detecting the heartbeat of a patient

A system comprising:

• a magnetic resonance tomography magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus;
• and
• a device for detecting a heartbeat of a patient, comprising
• i. a transmitter which is configured to provide ultrasonic waves,
• ii. a receiver configured to receive Doppler-shifted ultrasonic waves, and
• iii. a computer hardware analyzing apparatus coupled to the receiver and configured to evaluate a particular moment of the heartbeat of the patient based on a time-dependent signal obtained from the receiver, wherein the computer hardware analyzing apparatus comprises:
• a spectrum analyzer configured to extract at least one time-varying frequency component from the time-dependent signal provided by the receiver, and
• a processing module which configures the computer hardware analyzing apparatus to evaluate the particular moment of the heartbeat based on a variation of the at least one frequency component in time, and
• iv. a transceiver apparatus including at least one further transmitter and a plurality of further receivers, wherein:
• each of the further receivers has a first output terminal and a second output terminal,
• each of the first output terminals of at least two of the further receivers is connected by a first branch line to a first common bus, and
• each of the second output terminals of the at least two of the further receivers is connected by a second branch line to a second common bus,
• wherein a signal path between at least one of the further receivers and the spectrum analyzer comprises at least one standing wave trap configured to substantially block a radio frequency of the MRI apparatus, and
• wherein the processing module configures the computer hardware analyzing apparatus to determine (i) a window of interest (WOI) in time from the variation of the at least one frequency component in time, and (ii) a moment when the time-dependent signal provided by the receiver assumes a maximum within the WOI as the particular moment of the heartbeat, and
• wherein a trigger input of the MRI apparatus that triggers an image acquisition is coupled to the processing module of the device to receive the particular moment of the heartbeat of the patient, so that image acquisition is triggered at that moment.

A device for detecting a heartbeat of a patient, comprising

• a transmitter which is configured to provide ultrasonic waves;
• a receiver configured to receive Doppler-shifted ultrasonic waves;
• and
• a computer hardware analyzing apparatus coupled to the receiver and configured to evaluate a particular moment of the heartbeat of the patient based on a time-dependent signal obtained from the receiver, wherein the computer hardware analyzing apparatus comprises:
• a spectrum analyzer configured to extract at least one time-varying frequency component from the time-dependent signal provided by the receiver, and
• a computer processing module which configures a computer to evaluate the particular moment of the heartbeat based on a variation of the at least one frequency component in time,
• wherein the computer processing module configures the computer hardware analyzing apparatus to determine (i) a window of interest (WOI) in time from the variation of the at least one frequency component in time, and (ii) a moment when the time-dependent signal provided by the receiver assumes a maximum within the WOI as the particular moment of the heartbeat, and
• wherein the processing module configures the computer hardware analyzing apparatus to determine:
• a further moment when the at least one frequency component assumes a further maximum as the particular moment of the heartbeat, and
• the WOI as at least one of (i) a window of pre-set length around the further moment where the at least one frequency component assumes the further maximum, or (ii) a window that extends between at least two additional moments when the at least one varying frequency component assumes a minimum.

A device for detecting a heartbeat of a patient, comprising

• a transmitter which is configured to provide ultrasonic waves;
• a receiver configured to receive Doppler-shifted ultrasonic waves;
• a computer hardware analyzing apparatus coupled to the receiver and configured to evaluate a particular moment of the heartbeat of the patient based on a time-dependent signal obtained from the receiver, wherein the computer hardware analyzing apparatus comprises:
• a spectrum analyzer configured to extract at least one time-varying frequency component from the time-dependent signal provided by the receiver, and
• a computer processing module which configures a computer to evaluate the particular moment of the heartbeat based on a variation of the at least one frequency component in time;
• and
• a transceiver device including at least one further transmitter and a plurality of further receivers, wherein:
• each of the further receivers has a first output terminal and a second output terminal,
• each of the first output terminals of at least two of the further receivers is connected by a first branch line to a first common bus, and
• each of the second output terminals of the at least two of the further receivers is connected by a second branch line to a second common bus,
• wherein the transceiver comprises a plurality of further transmitters, and wherein the processing module comprises a tracking module which configures the computer hardware analyzing apparatus to determine which of at least one of the further transmitters or the further receivers cover a present position of the heart of the patient, so that the Doppler-shifted ultrasonic waves are registerable by at least one of the further receivers and evaluated using the processing module;
• and
• wherein the computer processing module configures the computer hardware analyzing apparatus to determine (i) a window of interest (WOI) in time from the variation of the at least one frequency component in time, and (ii) a moment when the time-dependent signal provided by the receiver assumes a maximum within the WOI as the particular moment of the heartbeat.

A device for detecting a heartbeat of a patient, comprising

• a transmitter which is configured to provide ultrasonic waves;
• a receiver configured to receive Doppler-shifted ultrasonic waves;
• and
• a computer hardware analyzing apparatus coupled to the receiver and configured to evaluate a particular moment of the heartbeat of the patient based on a time-dependent signal obtained from the receiver, wherein the computer hardware analyzing apparatus comprises:
• a spectrum analyzer configured to extract at least one time-varying frequency component from the time-dependent signal provided by the receiver, and
• a computer processing module which configures a computer to evaluate the particular moment of the heartbeat based on a variation of the at least one frequency component in time,
• wherein the computer processing module configures the computer hardware analyzing apparatus to determine (i) a window of interest (WOI) in time from the variation of the at least one frequency component in time, and (ii) a moment when the time-dependent signal provided by the receiver assumes a maximum within the WOI as the particular moment of the heartbeat, and
• wherein at least part of the processing module is shielded by a housing that comprises a conductive carbon fiber.