Siemens Magnetom Sola/Altea: replacing the host–tablet USB optical extender
What happened
The USB link between the host computer and the operator tablet runs through an optical extender that crosses the RF filter plate. In this case the original extender had to be replaced with an alternative unit.
What was checked
- Searched for a suitable USB optical extender for the host–tablet link
- Checked the whole link through the filter plate: communication across the Faraday cage and image quality without interference
Cause
The case does not state why the original extender failed. The practical difficulty was that a generic USB extender carries copper power and data lines, which must not pass through a filter plate penetration.
What was done
In this single reported case an inexpensive aftermarket USB optical extender was fitted. Where the cable crosses the filter plate the engineers opened the jacket and removed the copper power and d+/d− conductors so that only the optical fiber passes the penetration; the converter board on the tablet side is powered from the tablet's own USB port. As reported, the link works and the images are free of interference. This is one case, not a rule — any non-standard item through a filter plate is a deviation from the manufacturer's design.
Safety
Never run a copper conductor through an MRI RF filter plate penetration — keep only optical fiber across the barrier, and confirm shielding integrity and artifact-free images before returning the scanner to clinical use.
Lesson: Only optical fiber should cross an MRI filter plate, so when replacing a shielded link, leave all copper conductors on one side of the barrier and re-check images for RF artifacts before the scanner returns to clinical use.
Covered in the course: MRI Service — Level 2: Fault-Finding →
Written from an anonymised case shared by service engineers. It is not a manufacturer instruction and grants no authorisation. Independent note; names are trademarks of their owners.