MRI Displays / BOLDscreen 3D LCD for fMRI
Made for fMRI by Cambridge Research Systems
Superior image quality
BOLDscreen 3D is a high definition LED LCD monitor which is designed to display dichoptic visual stimuli for stereoscopic and binocular vision experiments using fMRI. We use the latest FPR technology to deliver bright, flicker free dichoptic stimuli to an experiment observer wearing lightweight, MR Safe, passively polarised glasses. When the glasses are not worn, the monitor operates as a standard 2D display.
The monitor has a digital DVI input and can be driven just like the LCD monitor on your desk, with standard software tools. Simply run the provided 20m optical fibre DVI cable through the waveguide and plug into your control room host computer, for high fidelity, noise-free displays.
We have designed BOLDscreen 3D with custom electronics which deliver your stimulus direct to the screen - output is lag free and synchronous to the input video signal. Other "MRI Compatible" LCD displays designed for patient entertainment in MRI typically use TV technology and video scan conversion which deliberately interpolate the input, producing an image which may look easy on the eye, but is unsynchronised and smeared with respect to the input, and therefore of limited use for precision scientific applications.
BOLDscreen 3D incorporates a high resolution 1920 x 1080 LCD panel with LG FPR technology providing true-colour 16.7 million colour displays and contrasts of up to 1000:1.
Unlike other "MRI Compatible" displays, with BOLDscreen 3D, what you put in is what you get out!
Dichoptic & stereo displays
BOLDscreen 3D provides its dichoptic display function using polarised light. This allows independent images to be delivered to each eye at the same time, for example for studies using binocular rivalry or stereoscopic stimuli. There are no electronics or active shutter glasses inside the coil. Instead a Film Pattern Retarder (FPR) layer is bonded directly to the LCD panel; this extra transparent layer produces oppositely polarised light on alternate video lines (i.e. odd video lines are encoded in one polarisation direction and even video lines are encoded in the opposite direction). When the monitor is viewed normally this has no impact on regular 2D displays because the human visual system does not decode polarised light. However when the observer wears appropriately circular polarised glasses, the left eye will only be able to see odd video lines and the right eye only even video lines. Unlike traditional alternate frame presentations and active shutter glasses, the left and right eye images are delivered at the same time.
The example below shows a continuous flash suppression stimulus. The stimulus is constructed so that the coloured Mondrian-like pattern is delivered to the left eye and the target greyscale face pattern to the right. Each frame in the sequence contains both components. The image sequence was provided by Dr Johan Eriksson at Umeå University.
Easy to install and integrate
Our in-the-room approach is significantly easier to setup, calibrate and maintain than a projector or goggle system. The BOLDscreen 3D 23" display is designed to provide a large field of view when sited at the rear of the bore and viewed via headcoil mounted mirrors. The image can be automatically left-right flipped to cancel the flip caused by the mirror. The low voltage DC power supply is safe to install within the scanner room, and the fibre optic DVI video input passes through the waveguide, to your computer in the control room.
An adjustable tripod is supplied as standard, and other styles of stand are available. The VESA compatible mounting points also enable fixed installation on the wall of the scanner room.
BOLDscreen 3D can be used in conjunction with equipment form various other manufacturers, and integrates neatly with our eyetracker, audio system, response boxes and other Made for fMRI accessories.
No interference with scan
We are the only manufacturer and vendor that provides an "MRI Compatible" MR Safe LCD monitor that you can site anywhere inside the MRI room, even directly at the exit of the rear of the magnet bore so that you can maximise the visual field of view.
BOLDscreen 3D has no observed effect on functional and structural MRI scans at 3T, even when located at directly at the exit of scanner bore, and no effect on displayed image whilst scanning.
60 days to try before you buy...
We want all of our customers to be very happy with the equipment we supply. Please contact us to discuss your requirements, and we will help you to assess whether BOLDscreen 3D is the best solution for your research.
If you're still not sure, ask us for a 60 day trial: you place an order for BOLDscreen 3D in the normal way, then you have 60 days to try it out with your scanner, with the option to cancel if you decide that it's unsuitable in any way.