Reducing of gradient induced artifacts on the ECG signal during MRI examinations using Wilcoxon filter

Abstract The electrocardiogramm (ECG) is the state-of-the-art signal for gating in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and patient monitoring. Using the ECG for gating and monitoring during the magnetic resonance imaging examination is a high challenging task due to the superimposition of the magnetohydrodynamic effect, radio-frequency (RF) pulses and fast switching gradient magnetic fields. The gradient induced artifacts hamper the correct QRS detection which is needed for correct gating and heart rate calculation and ECG displaying for patient monitoring. To suppress the gradient artifacts from the ECG signal acquired during MRI, a technique based on the Wilcoxon filter was developed. It was evaluated using ECG signals of 14 different subjects acquired in a 3 T MRI scanner. It could be shown reliable results for reducing gradient induced artifacts in the ECG signal in real-time.

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