MR-Tidal: A System for Efficient Respiration Tracking in Clinically Constrictive Environments

Samuel Wilcox, Yue Chen, Alexander T Adams

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Keywords: Sensing, Gas sensing, flow sensing, organ tracking, respiration gated imaging, MRI, radiotherapy, tidal volume

Abstract: Accurate respiratory tracking is essential for targeting dynamic organs during oncology procedures, yet current solutions struggle in constrictive clinical environments like MRI and radiotherapy suites. We propose a novel, low-profile respiratory tracking device using only a nasal cannula and remote flow sensing to overcome these limitations. The system was evaluated in two experiments: a flow distance study confirming signal fidelity across 20 meters of tubing (Pearson correlation = 0.9938 ± 0.0021), and a flow mapping study showing that the cannula captured ~1\% of total respiratory flow and, when scaled, could show the full respiratory cycle. The device was also tested in the MRI suite. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a simple, non-invasive solution for accurate respiratory monitoring in constrained clinical settings.

Track: 1. Digital Health Solutions (i.e. sensors and algorithms) for diagnosis, progress, and self-management

NominateReviewer: Samuel Wilcox: [e-mail]

Submission Number: 70