MRI-based transfer function determination for the assessment of implant safety

Purpose: We introduce a new MR-based method to determine the transfer function (TF) for radiofrequency (RF) safety assessment of active implantable medical devices. Transfer functions are implant-specific measures that relate the incident tangential electric field on an (elongated) implant to a scattered electric field at its tip. The proposed method allows for TF determination with a high spatial resolution in relatively fast measurements without requiring dedicated bench setups from MRI images.

Theory and methods: The principle of reciprocity is used in conjunction with the potential to measure currents with MRI to determine TF. Low-flip angle 3D dual gradient echo MRI data are acquired with an implant as transceive antenna, which requires minimal hardware adaptations. The implant-specific TF is determined from the acquired MRI data, with two different postprocessing methods for comparison.

Results: TFs of linear and helical implants can be determined accurately (with a Pearson correlation coefficient R ≥ 0.7 between measurements and simulations, and a difference in field at the tip ΔEtip ≤ 19%) from relatively quick (t < 20 minutes) MRI acquisitions with (several) millimeter spatial resolution.

Conclusion: Transfer function determination with MRI for RF safety assessment of implantable medical devices is possible. The proposed MR-based method allows for TF determination in more realistic exposure scenarios and solid media. Magn Reson Med 78:2449-2459, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.