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Evaluation of exposure to (ultra) high static magnetic fields during activities around human MRI scanners

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Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To assess the individual exposure to the static magnetic field (SMF) and the motion-induced time-varying magnetic field (TVMF) generated by activities in an inhomogeneous SMF near high and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners. The study provides information on the level of exposure to high and ultra-high field MRI scanners during research activities.

Materials and methods

A three-axis Hall magnetometer was used to determine the SMF and TVMF around human 3- and 7-Tesla (T) MRI systems. The 7-T MRI scanner used in this study was passively shielded and the 3-T scanner was actively shielded and both were from the same manufacturer. The results were compared with the exposure restrictions given by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

Results

The recorded exposure was highly variable between individuals, although they followed the same instructions for moving near the scanners. Maximum exposure values of B = 2057 mT and dB/dt = 4347 mT/s for the 3-T scanner and B = 2890 mT, dB/dt = 3900 mT/s for 7 T were recorded. No correlation was found between reporting the MRI-related sensory effects and exceeding the reference values.

Conclusions

According to the results of our single-center study with five subjects, violation of the ICNIRP restrictions for max B in MRI research environments was quite unlikely at 3 and 7 T. Occasions of exceeding the dB/dt limit at 3 and 7 T were almost similar (30% of 60 exposure scenarios) and highly variable among the individuals.

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Abbreviations

UHF MRI:

Ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging

SMF:

Static magnetic field

GMF:

Gradient magnetic field

TVMF:

Time-varying magnetic field

ICNIRP:

International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Initial Training Network, HiMR, funded by the FP7 Marie Curie Actions of the European Commission (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-ITN-316716). Participation of researchers from Poland was supported within the National Program “Improvement of safety and working conditions” (2014–2016/CIOP-PIB- the programme’s main coordinator) within the scope of state services by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Poland (2.Z.30) and within the statutory activity of the CIOP-PIB supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland (II-33/2014–2015). We are grateful to all 7- and 3-T MRI employees who voluntarily participated in this study.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, H65-ZENIT, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Street 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany

      Mahsa Fatahi & Oliver Speck

    2. Laboratory of Electromagnetic Hazards, Central Institute for Labour Protection-National Res. Inst. (CIOP-PIB), Warsaw, Poland

      Jolanta Karpowicz & Krzysztof Gryz

    3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK

      Amirmohammad Fattahi

    4. Institute for Medical Engineering, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany

      Georg Rose

    5. Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany

      Oliver Speck

    6. Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany

      Oliver Speck

    7. German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Site Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany

      Oliver Speck

    Authors
    1. Mahsa Fatahi
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    2. Jolanta Karpowicz
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    3. Krzysztof Gryz
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    4. Amirmohammad Fattahi
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    5. Georg Rose
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    6. Oliver Speck
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Mahsa Fatahi.

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    Conflict of interest

    The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

    Ethical approval

    The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

    Informed consent

    Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Additional informed consent was obtained from all individual participants for whom identifying information is included in this article.

    Additional information

    M. Fatahi and J. Karpowicz contributed equally to this work.

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    Fatahi, M., Karpowicz, J., Gryz, K. et al. Evaluation of exposure to (ultra) high static magnetic fields during activities around human MRI scanners. Magn Reson Mater Phy 30, 255–264 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-016-0602-z

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-016-0602-z

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