Presentation of the vibrators bench
Pressure-controlled pneumatic vibrators were originally developed by the now defunct company “Mag Design & Engineering”. They are the largest we have at our disposal. Later, they were adapted in a more compact version by the Rematique company.
The vibrators used in the MRI room are perfectly non-magnetic. Pneumatic hoses pass through the Faraday cage via a waveguide and are then inserted, via quick connectors, at the outputs of the control bench.
The control bench is based on the use of pressure regulators, controlled by two independent analog voltage outputs, thus enabling one or the other (or both) vibrators to be driven, the vibration frequency being correlated to the pneumatic pressure, provided that a stable, sufficiently powerful and regulated air source is available. As the bench is placed outside the room, close to the supervision PC, the electro-magnetic compatibility with the MRI is perfect.
The bench has been developed to drive two vibrators. Using a correctly dimensioned analog voltage output system (and a sufficiently powerful air source), it can be easily extended.
The device has been duplicated so that it can also be used and tested “in the lab” by the teams conducting these research projects at the MRI Centre.
Some bibliographical references
This stimulation device (and more widely, its older versions) has been used for many years at the MRI Center for several projects studying the proprioceptive system by mechanical stimulation of neuromuscular spindles.