Magnetic Resonance Safety in the 7T Environment

Andrew J Fagan; Kimberly K Amrami; Kirk M Welker; Matthew A Frick; Joel P Felmlee; Robert E Watson Jr

doi:10.1016/j.mric.2020.07.002

Magnetic Resonance Safety in the 7T Environment

Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2020 Nov;28(4):573-582. doi: 10.1016/j.mric.2020.07.002. Epub 2020 Sep 17.

Authors

Andrew J Fagan¹, Kimberly K Amrami², Kirk M Welker², Matthew A Frick², Joel P Felmlee², Robert E Watson Jr²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Electronic address: Fagan.Andrew@mayo.edu.
² Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

PMID: 33040997
DOI: 10.1016/j.mric.2020.07.002

Abstract

The arrival of 7T MR imaging into the clinic represents a significant step-change in MR technology. This article describes safety concerns associated with imaging at 7T, including the increased magnetic forces on magnetic objects at 7T and the interaction of the 300 MHz (Larmor) radiofrequency energy with tissue in the body. A dedicated multidisciplinary 7T Safety team should develop safety policies and procedures to address these safety challenges and keep abreast of best practice in the field. The off-label imaging of implanted devices is discussed, and also the need for staff training to deal with complexities of patient handling and image interpretation.

Keywords: 7T MR imaging; Bioeffects; Image artifacts; Local specific absorption rate; Parallel transmit; Simulations; Vestibular activation.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Equipment Design
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / adverse effects
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Patient Safety*
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Prostheses and Implants*