NMR pickup device delivering a signal representative of breathing of a patient

In a detector device for delivering a signal representative of the respiration of a patient, adapted to be used in a charged and sensitive electromagnetic environment, adjacent or within a nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus, and by a patient within the tunnel of the magnet of an MRI, the improvement wherein the device comprises:

• at least two non-metallic electrodes mounted on a base of a support body of a non-magnetic material and adapted to be applied against the skin of the patient in the cardiac region;
• a processing unit for processing electrical signals emitted by the heart, comprising a first module for acquiring and shaping cardiac electric signals, a second module for extracting the respiratory signal, and a third module for electro-optical conversion of the respiratory signal, said processing unit being disposed in a shielded casing forming a Faraday cage and carried by the base;
• and an optical connection means connecting said casing to at least one other apparatus located outside the charged and sensitive electromagnetic environment.