Essentials of MRI Safety

Essentials of MRI Safety Description

Essentials of MRI Safety shares with you the most current research, guidelines, and MRI safety information with numerous illustrations, figures, self-assessment tests, key references, and extensive appendices.

Here’s what you will learn in this course:

Chapter 1:  Systems and safety: MR hardware and fields 

• Introduction
• Electromagnetic fields
• Overview of MRI operation
• Other medical devices
• MRI hardware
• Conclusions

Chapter 2:  Let’s get physical: fields and forces 

• Basic laws of magnetism
• Lorentz and hydrodynamic forces
• Magnetic materials
• Laws of induction
• Forces and torque
• Conclusions

Chapter 3:  Bio‐effects 1: static field 

• Introduction
• Human physiological effects
• Physical mechanisms
• Acute sensory effects
• Cellular effects
• Cognitive effects
• Animal effects
• Static field exposure limits
• Epidemiology
• Conclusions

Chapter 4:  Bio‐effects 2: time‐varying gradient fields 

• Introduction
• Peripheral nerve stimulation in MRI
• Physical interaction
• Exposure limits
• ELF time‐varying magnetic field effects
• Magnetic stimulation
• Conclusions

Chapter 5:  Bio‐effects 3:  radio‐frequency fields 

• Introduction
• RF exposure limits
• Physical interaction
• Controlling SAR in practice
• Tissue heating
• Biological effects
• Conclusions

Chapter 6:  Acoustic noise 

• Introduction
• Reducing acoustic noise in practice
• Generation of acoustic noise in MRI
• Hearing protection
• Measuring noise: dB(A), dB(C), dB(Z)
• Acoustic noise limits
• Anatomy and physiology of human hearing
• Conclusions
• MRI noise exposure

Chapter 7:  Pregnancy

• Introduction
• Gadolinium‐based contrast agents
• Cellular effects and animal studies
• Exposure limits and guidance
• Human studies and epidemiology
• Conclusions

Chapter 8:  Contrast agents 

• Introduction
• Pregnancy and lactation
• Physical and chemical properties
• Contrast reactions and adverse events
• Conclusions

Chapter 9:  Passive implants 

• Introduction
• Examples of passive implants
• Risks from passive implants
• Artefacts
• ASTM testing
• Conclusions

Chapter 10:  Active implants 

• Introduction
• Endoscopic cameras
• Risks from active implants
• Implantable infusion pumps
• Pacemakers and ICDs
• Keeping within the conditions
• Neurostimulators
• Cochlear implants
• Conclusions

Chapter 11:  Would you scan this? Understanding the conditions 

• Introduction
• More examples
• MRI conditions
• Off‐label scanning
• Understanding fringe field spatial gradient maps
• What to do when you do not know the conditions?
• Understanding RF conditions
• Gradient slew rate condition
• Conclusions

Chapter 12:  Location, location, location: suite design 

• Introduction
• Safety features
• ACR zoning scheme
• MRI project management
• Fringe field
• Specialist systems
• Helium exhaust and quench pipe
• Security
• Conclusions

Chapter 13:  But what about us? Occupational exposure

• Introduction
• Survey instrumentation
• Occupational exposure limits
• Incidence of bio‐effects among magnet facility and MR workers
• National and international limits
• Surveys of occupational exposure levels
• Conclusions

Chapter 14:  Organisation and management 

• Introduction
• Training
• Roles in MR safety
• Accreditation and certification
• Policy and safety documentation
• Standards and guidance
• Checklist and screening
• Exposure limits
• Incidents
• Emergencies
• Conclusions: the last word

Appendix 1:  One hundred equations you need to know 

• Maxwell’s equations
• Magnetic field induction
• Magnetic materials
• Forces and torque
• Forces on moving charges
• Laws of induction
• RF induction from the radiofrequency field
• SAR and tissue heating

Appendix 2:  Maths toolkit 

• Coordinate systems
• Vector algebra
• Vector calculus

Appendix 3:  Symbols and constants 

• Answers to revision questions
• Index