Patent ID: 7294785

Claim:
A patient cable for use with magnetic resonance imaging apparatus generating an imaging field in which a patient is placed for imaging purposes, the patient cable conducting a bio-electric signal from a first end of the cable to a second end of the cable, the bio-electric signal being obtained from a patient electrode connectable to the first end of the patient cable and being supplied to apparatus connectable to the second end of the patient cable, said patient cable minimizing attenuation of the conducted bio-electric signal while suppressing the inductive generation of current and an RF antenna resonance effect in the patient cable during imaging thereby to minimize a risk of injury to the patient, the patient cable comprising: a first elongated cable element having a first cable element end and a second cable element end, said first cable element end of said first cable element comprising said first end of the patient cable, said first cable element being in the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus when the patient is placed in the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for imaging; and a second elongated cable element having a first cable element end and a second cable element end, said first cable element end of said second cable element being connected to the second cable element end of said first cable element, said second cable element end of said second cable element comprising the second end of the patient cable, said second cable element being generally outside the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus when the patient is placed in the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for imaging; said second cable element having a total resistance between its first and second ends sufficient to suppress an RF antenna resonance effect in the second cable element but insufficient to suppress inductively generated currents during magnetic resonance imaging, and said first cable element having a total resistance between its first and second ends substantially greater than that of the second cable element to suppress inductively generated currents, the patient cable minimizing both attenuation of the bio-electric signal and injury risks to the patient.