What is the Arqus MRI?

The Arqus MRI is a specialized motion capture camera engineered for use inside and around MRI environments. Adding optical motion capture to an MRI session opens new research dimensions — capturing precise kinematics of the head, arms, hands, and body simultaneously with functional MRI data, without interfering with the scanner or degrading image quality.

Qualisys designed the Arqus MRI with a fully shielded housing that acts as a Faraday cage, blocking electromagnetic radiation that could otherwise interfere with the sensitive MRI equipment. All cables are shielded, and the camera power supply is positioned outside the scanner room, fed through a filter panel to ensure complete electromagnetic isolation.

Key Features

• Faraday Cage Housing: The camera is fully enclosed in electromagnetic shielding, preventing interference with MRI scanner signals or degradation of imaging results.
• Non-Magnetic Materials: Designed with non-magnetic materials throughout to comply with strict MRI room safety requirements.
• Shielded Daisy-Chain Cables: MRI-shielded cables connect cameras in series, allowing a clean multi-camera installation along the walls of the scanner room.
• MR-Adapted Mounting: Purpose-built mounts allow cameras to be positioned along scanner room walls, enabling full-body or targeted motion capture within the confined geometry of an MRI environment.
• QTM Software Compatible: Works seamlessly with Qualisys Track Manager (QTM) — no specialized MRI-specific software required.
• Multi-Camera System Support: Multi-camera setups cover head, arm, and hand movements simultaneously during scanning.

FAQ

• Does the Arqus MRI interfere with the MRI scanner? No. The camera uses a fully shielded Faraday cage housing with shielded cables, and the power supply is placed outside the scanner room, ensuring zero electromagnetic interference with the scanner.
• How many cameras are needed for a typical MRI setup? A typical installation uses five cameras mounted along the walls of the scanner room, connected via daisy-chained MRI-shielded cables. The exact configuration depends on the anatomical regions being tracked.
• What software does the Arqus MRI use? The Arqus MRI is fully compatible with Qualisys Track Manager (QTM) — the same software used with all other Qualisys cameras.
• What movements can be tracked during an MRI scan? The system captures head, arm, and hand movements during scanning, and has been used for eye movement measurement, force manipulandum tasks, and general upper-body kinematics.