Reduction of the RF-Induced Heating for the Partially-In and Partially-Out Medical Electrodes at 1.5T MRI

Motivation: RF-induced heating for the partially-in and partially-out (PIPO) medical implants is the primary concern for patient’s safety under MRI. Goal(s): Winding the external portion of the PIPO medical electrodes is proposed to reduce the RF heating under 1.5T MRI. Approach: One commercial PIPO medical electrode and an insulated solid wire were used to demonstrate this concept. RF heating is measured inside the ASTM phantom under a 1.5T RF birdcage coil and evaluated from the in-vivo simulations using the transfer function (TF) approach. Results: The results showed a significant reduction of RF heating in the commercial lead and simplified wire. Impact: The proposed method can reduce RF-induced heating significantly, mitigating the risk of tissue damage and improving the quality of care for patients with partially-in and partially-out (PIPO) medical devices under 1.5T MRI.