Safety of Implanted Auditory Prostheses at 7T

Motivation: While scanning individuals with active hearing implants (e.g., cochlear implants) at 1.5 and 3 T has become commonplace, scanning these patients at ultra-high field strengths (e.g., 7 T) is likely to be associated with an increased risks of damaging the device or causing soft-tissue damage, pain, and/or discomfort. Goal(s): To evaluate the safety of three different active hearing implants in the 7 T MR environment. Approach: Five potential interactions between the devices and the MR environment were assessed using industry-recommended practices for 1.5/3 T. Results: Preliminary findings show no adverse effects within the predefined test conditions. Impact: While scanning individuals with active hearing implants at 1.5/3 T has become commonplace, 7 T is associated with significantly greater safety risks. This study is the first to provide some confidence in the safety of such implants at 7 T.