Ethical, legal, and policy challenges in field-based neuroimaging research using emerging portable MRI technologies: guidance for investigators and for oversight.

Researchers are rapidly developing and deploying highly portable MRI technology to conduct field-based research. The new technology will widen access to include new investigators in remote and unconventional settings and will facilitate greater inclusion of rural, economically disadvantaged, and historically underrepresented populations. To address the ethical, legal, and societal issues raised by highly accessible and portable MRI, an interdisciplinary Working Group (WG) engaged in a multi-year structured process of analysis and consensus building, informed by empirical research on the perspectives of experts and the general public. This article presents the WG's consensus recommendations. These recommendations address technology quality control, design and oversight of research, including safety of research participants and others in the scanning environment, engagement of diverse participants, therapeutic misconception, use of artificial intelligence algorithms to acquire and analyze MRI data, data privacy and security, return of results and managing incidental findings, and research participant data access and control.

Design and realization of a multi-coil array for B0 field control in a compact 1.5T head-only MRI scanner.

PURPOSE: To design and implement a multi-coil (MC) array for B0 field generation for image encoding and simultaneous advanced shimming in a novel 1.5T head-only MRI scanner. METHODS: A 31-channel MC array was designed following the unique constraints of this scanner design: The vertically oriented magnet is very short, stopping shortly above the shoulders of a sitting subject, and includes a window for the subject to see through. Key characteristics of the MC hardware, the B0 field generation capabilities, and thermal behavior, were optimized in simulations prior to its construction. The unit was characterized via bench testing. B0 field generation capabilities were validated on a human 4T MR scanner by analysis of experimental B0 fields and by comparing images for several MRI sequences acquired with the MC array to those acquired with the system's linear gradients. RESULTS: The MC system was designed to produce a multitude of linear and nonlinear magnetic fields including linear gradients of up to 10 kHz/cm (23.5 mT/m) with MC currents of 5 A per channel. With water cooling it can be driven with a duty cycle of up to 74% and ramp times of 500 µs. MR imaging experiments encoded with the developed multi-coil hardware were largely artifact-free; residual imperfections were predictable, and correctable. CONCLUSION: The presented compact multi-coil array is capable of generating image encoding fields with amplitudes and quality comparable to clinical systems at very high duty cycles, while additionally enabling high-order B0 shimming capabilities and the potential for nonlinear encoding fields.

Standalone RF Self-Interference Cancellation System for In-Vivo Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STAR) MRI.

Demonstrated is a standalone RF self-interference canceller for simultaneous transmit and receive (STAR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 1.5T. Standalone STAR cancels the leakage signal directly coupled between transmit and receive RF coils. A cancellation signal, introduced by tapping the input of a transmit coil with a power divider, is manipulated with voltage-controlled attenuators and phase shifters to match the leakage signal in amplitude, 180° out of phase, to exhibit high isolation between the transmitter and receiver. The cancellation signal is initially generated by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO); therefore, it does not require any external RF or synchronization signals from the MRI console for calibration. The system employs a field programmable gate array (FPGA) with an on-board analog to digital converter (ADC) to calibrate the cancellation signal by tapping the receive signal, which contains the leakage signal. Once calibrated, the VCO is disabled and the transmit signal path switches to the MRI console for STAR MR imaging. To compensate for the changes of parameters in RF sequences after the automatic calibration and to further improve isolation, a wireless user board that uses an ESP32 microcontroller was built to communicate with the FPGA for final fine-tuning of the output state. The standalone STAR system achieved 74.2 dB of isolation with a 94 second calibration time. With such high isolation, in-vivo MR images were obtained with approximately 40 mW of RF peak power.

Deep learning of MRI contrast enhancement for mapping cerebral blood volume from single-modal non-contrast scans of aging and Alzheimer's disease brains.

While MRI contrast agents such as those based on Gadolinium are needed for high-resolution mapping of brain metabolism, these contrast agents require intravenous administration, and there are rising concerns over their safety and invasiveness. Furthermore, non-contrast MRI scans are more commonly performed than those with contrast agents and are readily available for analysis in public databases such as the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). In this article, we hypothesize that a deep learning model, trained using quantitative steady-state contrast-enhanced structural MRI datasets, in mice and humans, can generate contrast-equivalent information from a single non-contrast MRI scan. The model was first trained, optimized, and validated in mice, and was then transferred and adapted to humans. We observe that the model can substitute for Gadolinium-based contrast agents in approximating cerebral blood volume, a quantitative representation of brain activity, at sub-millimeter granularity. Furthermore, we validate the use of our deep-learned prediction maps to identify functional abnormalities in the aging brain using locally obtained MRI scans, and in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease using publicly available MRI scans from ADNI. Since it is derived from a commonly-acquired MRI protocol, this framework has the potential for broad clinical utility and can also be applied retrospectively to research scans across a host of neurological/functional diseases.

Emerging ethical issues raised by highly portable MRI research in remote and resource-limited international settings.

Smaller, more affordable, and more portable MRI brain scanners offer exciting opportunities to address unmet research needs and long-standing health inequities in remote and resource-limited international settings. Field-based neuroimaging research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can improve local capacity to conduct both structural and functional neuroscience studies, expand knowledge of brain injury and neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, and ultimately improve the timeliness and quality of clinical diagnosis and treatment around the globe. Facilitating MRI research in remote settings can also diversify reference databases in neuroscience, improve understanding of brain development and degeneration across the lifespan in diverse populations, and help to create reliable measurements of infant and child development. These deeper understandings can lead to new strategies for collaborating with communities to mitigate and hopefully overcome challenges that negatively impact brain development and quality of life. Despite the potential importance of research using highly portable MRI in remote and resource-limited settings, there is little analysis of the attendant ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI). To begin addressing this gap, this paper presents findings from the first phase of an envisioned multi-staged and iterative approach for creating ethical and legal guidance in a complex global landscape. Section 1 provides a brief introduction to the emerging technology for field-based MRI research. Section 2 presents our methodology for generating plausible use cases for MRI research in remote and resource-limited settings and identifying associated ELSI issues. Section 3 analyzes core ELSI issues in designing and conducting field-based MRI research in remote, resource-limited settings and offers recommendations. We argue that a guiding principle for field-based MRI research in these contexts should be including local communities and research participants throughout the research process in order to create sustained local value. Section 4 presents a recommended path for the next phase of work that could further adapt these use cases, address ethical and legal issues, and co-develop guidance in partnership with local communities.

A simple geometric analysis method for measuring and mitigating RF induced currents on Deep Brain Stimulation leads by multichannel transmission/reception.

The purpose of this work is to present a new method that can be used to estimate and mitigate RF induced currents on Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) leads. Here, we demonstrate the effect of RF induced current mitigation on both RF heating and image quality for a variety of brain MRI sequences at 3 T. We acquired pre-scan images around a DBS lead (in-situ and ex-vivo) using conventional Gradient Echo Sequence (GRE) accelerated by parallel imaging (i.e GRAPPA) and quantified the magnitude and phase of RF induced current using the relative location of the B1+ null with respect to the lead position. We estimated the RF induced current on a DBS lead implanted in a gel phantom as well as in a cadaver head study for a variety of RF excitation patterns. We also measured the increase in tip temperature using fiber-optic probes for both phantom and cadaver studies. Using the magnitude and phase information of the current induced separately by two transmit channels of the body coil, we calculated an implant friendly (IF) excitation. Using the IF excitation, we acquired T1, T2 weighted Turbo Spin Echo (TSE), T2 weighted SPACE-Dark Fluid, and Ultra Short Echo Time (UTE) sequences around the lead. Our induced current estimation demonstrated linear relationship between the magnitude of the induced current and the square root SAR at the tip of the lead as measured in phantom studies. The "IF excitation pattern" calculated after the pre-scan mitigated RF artifacts and increased the image quality around the lead. In addition, it reduced the tip temperature significantly in both phantom and cadaver studies compared to a conventional quadrature excitation while keeping equivalent overall image quality. We present a relatively fast method that can be used to calculate implant friendly excitation, reducing image artifacts as well as the temperature around the DBS electrodes. When combined with a variety of MR sequences, the proposed method can improve the image quality and patient safety in clinical imaging scenarios.

Investigating the physiological effects of 10.5 Tesla static field exposure on anesthetized swine.

PURPOSE: In this work, we investigated the relative effects of static magnetic field exposure (10.5 Tesla [T]) on two physiological parameters; blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). METHODS: In vivo, we recorded both BP and HR in 4 swine (3 female, 1 male) while they were positioned within a 10.5T magnet. All measurements were performed invasively within these anesthetized animals by the placement of pressure catheters into their carotid arteries. RESULTS: We measured average increases of 2.0 mm Hg (standard deviation [SD], 6.9) in systolic BP and an increase of 4.5 mm Hg (SD, 13.7) in the diastolic BPs: We also noted an average increase of 1.2 beats per minute (SD, 2.5) in the HRs during such. CONCLUSION: Data regarding changes in BP and HR in anesthetized swine attributed to whole-body 10.5T exposure are reported. Magn Reson Med 79:511-514, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Radiofrequency heating studies on anesthetized swine using fractionated dipole antennas at 10.5 T.

PURPOSE: To validate electromagnetic and thermal simulations with in vivo temperature measurements, and to demonstrate a framework that can be used to predict temperature increase caused by radiofrequency (RF) excitation with dipole transmitter arrays. METHODS: Dipole arrays were used to deliver RF energy in the back/neck region of the swine using different RF excitation patterns (n = 2-4 per swine) for heating. The temperature in anesthetized swine (n = 3) was measured using fluoroscopic probes (n = 12) and compared against thermal modeling from animal-specific electromagnetic simulations. RESULTS: Simulated temperature curves were in agreement with the measured data. The root mean square error between simulated and measured temperature rise at all locations (at the end of each RF excitation) is calculated as 0.37°C. The mean experimental temperature rise at the maximum temperature rise locations (averaged over all experiments) is calculated as 2.89°C. The root mean square error between simulated and measured temperature at the maximum temperature rise location is calculated as 0.57°C. (Error values are averaged over all experiments.) CONCLUSIONS: Electromagnetic and thermal simulations were validated with experiments. Thermal effects of RF excitation at 10.5 Tesla with dipoles were investigated. Magn Reson Med 79:479-488, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Toward imaging the body at 10.5 tesla.

PURPOSE: To explore the potential of performing body imaging at 10.5 Tesla (T) compared with 7.0T through evaluating the transmit/receive performance of similarly configured dipole antenna arrays. METHODS: Fractionated dipole antenna elements for 10.5T body imaging were designed and evaluated using numerical simulations. Transmit performance of antenna arrays inside the prostate, kidneys and heart were investigated and compared with those at 7.0T using both phase-only radiofrequency (RF) shimming and multi-spoke pulses. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) comparisons were also performed. A 10-channel antenna array was constructed to image the abdomen of a swine at 10.5T. Numerical methods were validated with phantom studies at both field strengths. RESULTS: Similar power efficiencies were observed inside target organs with phase-only shimming, but RF nonuniformity was significantly higher at 10.5T. Spokes RF pulses allowed similar transmit performance with accompanying local specific absorption rate increases of 25-90% compared with 7.0T. Relative SNR gains inside the target anatomies were calculated to be >two-fold higher at 10.5T, and 2.2-fold SNR gain was measured in a phantom. Gradient echo and fast spin echo imaging demonstrated the feasibility of body imaging at 10.5T with the designed array. CONCLUSION: While comparable power efficiencies can be achieved using dipole antenna arrays with static shimming at 10.5T; increasing RF nonuniformities underscore the need for efficient, robust, and safe parallel transmission methods. Magn Reson Med 77:434-443, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

In vivo MR imaging with simultaneous RF transmission and reception.

PURPOSE: To present a practical scheme of a simultaneous radiofrequency (RF) transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) (STAR) system for MRI, discuss the challenges and solutions, and show preliminary in vivo MR images obtained with this new technique. METHODS: A remotely controlled STAR system was built and tested with a transverse electromagnetic head coil on a 4T (Oxford, 90 cm-bore) MRI scanner equipped with an Agilent DirectDrive console (Agilent, Santa Clara, CA). In vivo head images have been acquired using continuous sweep excitation and acquisition. RESULTS: The bench test and MR experimental results show our STAR system to have high isolation (60 dB) between Tx and Rx, with insensitivity to load swings created by head motion. To acquire in vivo head images, ultralow RF peak power of 50 mW was used. CONCLUSION: A novel motion-insensitive STAR MRI technique was developed and experimentally tested. The first in vivo MR images using this method were acquired. Magn Reson Med 76:1932-1938, 2016. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

2D Pulses using spatially dependent frequency sweeping.

PURPOSE: To introduce a method of designing two-dimensional (2D) frequency-modulated pulses that produce phase coherence in a spatiotemporal manner. Uniquely, this class of pulses provides the ability to compensate for field inhomogeneity using a spatiotemporally dependent trajectory of maximum coherence in a single-shot. THEORY AND METHODS: A pulse design method based on a k-space description is developed. Bloch simulations and phantom experiments are used to demonstrate sequential spatiotemporal phase coherence and compensation for B1+ and B0 inhomogeneity. RESULTS: In the presence of modulated gradients, the 2D frequency-modulated pulses were shown to excite a cylinder in a selective manner. With a surface coil transmitter, compensation of the effect of B1+ inhomogeneity was experimentally verified, in agreement with simulation results. In addition, simulations were used to demonstrate partial compensation for B0 inhomogeneity. CONCLUSION: The 2D frequency-modulated pulses are a new class of pulses that generate phase coherence sequentially along a spatial trajectory determined by gradient- and frequency-modulated functions. By exploiting their spatiotemporal nature, 2D frequency-modulated pulses can compensate for spatial variation of the radiofrequency field in a single-shot excitation. Preliminary results shown suggest extensions might also be used to compensate for static field inhomogeneity. Magn Reson Med 76:1364-1374, 2016. © 2015 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Automated tuning of an eight-channel cardiac transceive array at 7 tesla using piezoelectric actuators.

PURPOSE: Ultra-high field (UHF) MR scanning in the body requires novel coil designs due to B1 field inhomogeneities. In the transverse electromagnetic field (TEM) design, maximum B1 transmit power can only be achieved if each individual transmit element is tuned and matched for different coil loads, which requires a considerable amount of valuable scanner time. METHODS: An integrated system for autotuning a multichannel parallel transmit (pTx) cardiac TEM array was devised, using piezoelectric actuators, power monitoring equipment and control software. The reproducibility and performance of the system were tested and the power responses of the coil elements were profiled. An automated optimization method was devised and evaluated. RESULTS: The time required to tune an eight-element pTx cardiac RF array was reduced from a mean of 30 min to less than 10 min with the use of this system. CONCLUSION: Piezoelectric actuators are an attractive means of tuning RF coil arrays to yield more efficient B1 transmission into the subject. An automated mechanism for tuning these elements provides a practical solution for cardiac imaging at UHF, bringing this technology closer to clinical use.

In vivo radiofrequency heating in swine in a 3T (123.2-MHz) birdcage whole body coil.

PURPOSE: To study in vivo radiofrequency (RF) heating produced due to power deposition from a 3T (Larmour frequency = 123.2 MHz), birdcage, whole body coil. METHODS: The RF heating was simulated in a digital swine by solving the mechanistic generic bioheat transfer model (GBHTM) and the conventional, empirical Pennes bioheat transfer equation for two cases: 1) when the swine head was in the isocenter and 2) when the swine trunk was in the isocenter. The simulation results were validated by making direct fluoroptic temperature measurements in the skin, brain, simulated hot regions, and rectum of 10 swine (case 1: n = 5, mean animal weight = 84.03 ± 6.85 kg, whole body average SAR = 2.65 ± 0.22 W/kg; case 2: n = 5, mean animal weight = 81.59 ± 6.23 kg, whole body average SAR = 2.77 ± 0.26 W/kg) during 1 h of exposure to a turbo spin echo sequence. RESULTS: The GBHTM simulated the RF heating more accurately compared with the Pennes equation. In vivo temperatures exceeded safe temperature thresholds with allowable SAR exposures. Hot regions may be produced deep inside the body, away from the skin. CONCLUSION: SAR exposures that produce safe temperature thresholds need reinvestigation.

Human cardiac 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7 Tesla.

PURPOSE: Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P-MRS) affords unique insight into cardiac energetics but has a low intrinsic signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in humans. Theory predicts an increased (31)P-MRS SNR at 7T, offering exciting possibilities to better investigate cardiac metabolism. We therefore compare the performance of human cardiac (31)P-MRS at 7T to 3T, and measure T1s for (31)P metabolites at 7T. METHODS: Matched (31)P-MRS data were acquired at 3T and 7T, on nine normal volunteers. A novel Look-Locker CSI acquisition and fitting approach was used to measure T1s on six normal volunteers. RESULTS: T1s in the heart at 7T were: phosphocreatine (PCr) 3.05 ± 0.41s, γ-ATP 1.82 ± 0.09s, α-ATP 1.39 ± 0.09s, ß-ATP 1.02 ± 0.17s and 2,3-DPG (2,3-diphosphoglycerate) 3.05 ± 0.41s (N = 6). In the field comparison (N = 9), PCr SNR increased 2.8× at 7T relative to 3T, the Cramer-Ráo uncertainty (CRLB) in PCr concentration decreased 2.4×, the mean CRLB in PCr/ATP decreased 2.7× and the PCr/ATP SD decreased 2×. CONCLUSION: Cardiac (31)P-MRS at 7T has higher SNR and the spectra can be quantified more precisely than at 3T. Cardiac (31)P T1s are shorter at 7T than at 3T. We predict that 7T will become the field strength of choice for cardiac (31)P-MRS.

Stepped impedance resonators for high-field magnetic resonance imaging.

Multi-element volume radio-frequency (RF) coils are an integral aspect of the growing field of high-field magnetic resonance imaging. In these systems, a popular volume coil of choice has become the transverse electromagnetic (TEM) transceiver coil consisting of microstrip resonators. In this paper, to further advance this design approach, a new microstrip resonator strategy in which the transmission line is segmented into alternating impedance sections, referred to as stepped impedance resonators (SIRs), is investigated. Single-element simulation results in free space and in a phantom at 7 T (298 MHz) demonstrate the rationale and feasibility of the SIR design strategy. Simulation and image results at 7 T in a phantom and human head illustrate the improvements in a transmit magnetic field, as well as RF efficiency (transmit magnetic field versus specific absorption rate) when two different SIR designs are incorporated in 8-element volume coil configurations and compared to a volume coil consisting of microstrip elements.

Cardiac imaging at 7 Tesla: Single- and two-spoke radiofrequency pulse design with 16-channel parallel excitation.

PURPOSE: Higher signal to noise ratio (SNR) and improved contrast have been demonstrated at ultra-high magnetic fields (≥7 Tesla [T]) in multiple targets, often with multi-channel transmit methods to address the deleterious impact on tissue contrast due to spatial variations in B1 (+) profiles. When imaging the heart at 7T, however, respiratory and cardiac motion, as well as B0 inhomogeneity, greatly increase the methodological challenge. In this study we compare two-spoke parallel transmit (pTX) RF pulses with static B1 (+) shimming in cardiac imaging at 7T. METHODS: Using a 16-channel pTX system, slice-selective two-spoke pTX pulses and static B1 (+) shimming were applied in cardiac CINE imaging. B1 (+) and B0 mapping required modified cardiac triggered sequences. Excitation homogeneity and RF energy were compared in different imaging orientations. RESULTS: Two-spoke pulses provide higher excitation homogeneity than B1 (+) shimming, especially in the more challenging posterior region of the heart. The peak value of channel-wise RF energy was reduced, allowing for a higher flip angle, hence increased tissue contrast. Image quality with two-spoke excitation proved to be stable throughout the entire cardiac cycle. CONCLUSION: Two-spoke pTX excitation has been successfully demonstrated in the human heart at 7T, with improved image quality and reduced RF pulse energy when compared with B1 (+) shimming.

Functional consequences of human induced pluripotent stem cell therapy: myocardial ATP turnover rate in the in vivo swine heart with postinfarction remodeling.

BACKGROUND: The use of cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells as cellular therapy for myocardial injury has yet to be examined in a large-animal model. METHODS AND RESULTS: Immunosuppressed Yorkshire pigs were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: A myocardial infarction group (MI group; distal left anterior descending coronary artery ligation and reperfusion; n=13); a cell-treatment group (MI with 4×10(6) vascular cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells administered via a fibrin patch; n=14); and a normal group (n=15). At 4 weeks, left ventricular structural and functional abnormalities were less pronounced in hearts in the cell-treated group than in MI hearts (P<0.05), and these improvements were accompanied by declines in scar size (10.4±1.6% versus 8.3±1.1%, MI versus cell-treatment group, P<0.05). The cell-treated group displayed a significant increase in vascular density and blood flow (0.83±0.11 and 1.05±0.13 mL·min(-1)·g(-1), MI versus cell-treatment group, P<0.05) in the periscar border zone (BZ), which was accompanied by improvements in systolic thickening fractions (infarct zone, -10±7% versus 5±5%; BZ, 7±4% versus 23±6%; P<0.05). Transplantation of vascular cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells stimulated c-kit(+) cell recruitment to BZ and the rate of bromodeoxyuridine incorporation in both c-kit(+) cells and cardiomyocytes (P<0.05). Using a magnetic resonance spectroscopic saturation transfer technique, we found that the rate of ATP hydrolysis in BZ of MI hearts was severely reduced, and the severity of this reduction was linearly related to the severity of the elevations of wall stresses (r=0.82, P<0.05). This decline in BZ ATP utilization was markedly attenuated in the cell-treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Transplantation of vascular cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells mobilized endogenous progenitor cells into the BZ, attenuated regional wall stress, stimulated neovascularization, and improved BZ perfusion, which in turn resulted in marked increases in BZ contractile function and ATP turnover rate.

Inversion recovery at 7 T in the human myocardium: measurement of T(1), inversion efficiency and B(1) (+).

At clinical MRI field strengths (1.5 and 3 T), quantitative maps of the longitudinal relaxation time T1 of the myocardium reveal diseased tissue without requiring contrast agents. Cardiac T1 maps can be measured by Look-Locker inversion recovery sequences such as ShMOLLI at 1.5 and 3 T. Cardiovascular MRI at a field strength of 7 T has recently become feasible, but doubts have remained as to whether magnetization inversion is possible in the heart due to subject heating and technical limitations. This work extends the repertoire of 7 T cardiovascular MRI by implementing an adiabatic inversion pulse optimized for use in the heart at 7 T. A "ShMOLLI+IE" adaptation of the ShMOLLI pulse sequence has been introduced together with new postprocessing that accounts for the possibility of incomplete magnetization inversion. These methods were validated in phantoms and then used in a study of six healthy volunteers to determine the degree of magnetization inversion and the T1 of normal myocardium at 7 T within a 22-heartbeat breathhold. Using a scanner with 16 × 1 kW radiofrequency outputs, inversion efficiencies ranging from -0.79 to -0.83 (intrasegment means; perfect 180° would give -1) were attainable across the myocardium. The myocardial T1 was 1925 ± 48 ms (mean ± standard deviation).

A method to localize RF B1 field in high-field magnetic resonance imaging systems.

In high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, B0 fields of 7 and 9.4 T, the RF field shows greater inhomogeneity compared to clinical MRI systems with B0 fields of 1.5 and 3.0 T. In multichannel RF coils, the magnitude and phase of the input to each coil element can be controlled independently to reduce the nonuniformity of the RF field. The convex optimization technique has been used to obtain the optimum excitation parameters with iterative solutions for homogeneity in a selected region of interest. The pseudoinverse method has also been used to find a solution. The simulation results for 9.4- and 7-T MRI systems are discussed in detail for the head model. Variation of the simulation results in a 9.4-T system with the number of RF coil elements for different positions of the regions of interest in a spherical phantom are also discussed. Experimental results were obtained in a phantom in the 9.4-T system and are compared to the simulation results and the specific absorption rate has been evaluated.

Heating induced near deep brain stimulation lead electrodes during magnetic resonance imaging with a 3 T transceive volume head coil.

Heating induced near deep brain stimulation (DBS) lead electrodes during magnetic resonance imaging with a 3 T transceive head coil was measured, modeled, and imaged in three cadaveric porcine heads (mean body weight = 85.47 ± 3.19 kg, mean head weight = 5.78 ± 0.32 kg). The effect of the placement of the extra-cranial portion of the DBS lead on the heating was investigated by looping the extra-cranial lead on the top, side, and back of the head, and placing it parallel to the coil's longitudinal axial direction. The heating was induced using a 641 s long turbo spin echo sequence with the mean whole head average specific absorption rate of 3.16 W kg(-1). Temperatures were measured using fluoroptic probes at the scalp, first and second electrodes from the distal lead tip, and 6 mm distal from electrode 1 (T(6 mm)). The heating was modeled using the maximum T(6 mm) and imaged using a proton resonance frequency shift-based MR thermometry method. Results showed that the heating was significantly reduced when the extra-cranial lead was placed in the longitudinal direction compared to the other placements (peak temperature change = 1.5-3.2 °C versus 5.1-24.7 °C). Thermal modeling and MR thermometry may be used together to determine the heating and improve patient safety online.