fMRI-Compatible Hand Controller for Subject Interaction

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Description (provided by applicant): As the usage of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for the purpose of tracking neurological activity increases, the spectrum of experimental and research applications of this technology is destined to diversify. For fMRI to achieve its potential, it is essential for the interaction between the subject and the stimuli to become more sophisticated. A user-interface device that enhances the spectrum of responses a subject may make and that may be recorded and analyzed will (1) simplify the procedure of measuring and interpreting response times, (2) permit complex responses to be studied, and (3) make IMRI more useful from a clinical standpoint. It is the intent of this research project to develop a set of user-interface equipment to increase the breadth of fMRI research. Current devices used for complex subject interaction with a presented stimulus or virtual environment in fMRI experiments suffer from two short-comings that may affect both subject safety and the quality of the acquired data. The first short-coming of these devices (including commercially available "MRI-compatible" devices) is that they typically contain significant quantities of electrical components that require shielding for proper operation in the high magnetic field environment. The second short-coming, primarily affecting image quality, is that typical user-input devices require non-trivial physical movements on the part of the subject to achieve a particular task. This research project will develop a compact hand-controller device for use in fMRI experiments that (1) has essentially no interaction with the magnetic fields required for imaging, and (2) permits a significant number of inputs through which the subject, using limited physical movement, may interact with a stimulus. The construction of the physical device will require novel engineering solutions to provide robust operation of both binary and analog inputs. It is anticipated that it will be possible to construct a refined version of the hand-controller and associated software such that this device may be made readily accessible to the fMRI research community. The availability of a hand-controller that limits possible interference with the imaging process, is easy to use, and provides a significant variety of subject responses (particularly when hand-controllers are utilized in both hands) will increase the ease and accuracy of future experiments requiring subject feedback and interaction.