JFR congress (“Journées Francophones de Radiologie”) took place from October 13 to 16 in Paris, and our PhD student Diego González Soto spoke about the vibrations of medical devices in MRI environments.
During an MRI examination, vibrations are induced in the conductive materials by the combination of the static magnetic field and the switching of magnetic field gradients. These vibrations cause the device to move at the gradient switching frequencies.
Vibrations induced on active implanted medical devices can affect the functioning of the device as well as the integrity of the surrounding tissue. Clause 10 of ISO/TS 10974: 2018 defines possible methods for assessing the risks associated with vibrations induced on active implanted medical devices.
Below, an example of the vibration profile of a Pacemaker in MRI, recorded using the laser vibrometry technique:
Thanks to its electromagnetic immunity and non-contact measurement principle, laser vibrometry is currently considered as the best method for characterizing these vibrations. Current research efforts are focused on standardizing measurement conditions and the impact of vibrations on surrounding tissues.
Further work is still needed to improve the methodology for characterizing the vibration profile of medical devices in MRI, and to assess the impact on surrounding tissues.
Healtis offers tests in accordance with Clause 10 of ISO/TS10974. Any questions? Reach out now via our contact page or at [email protected]!