Effect of Body Type, Tissue Conductivity and Body Location Within the RF Coil on Tangential Electrical Fields in 1.5T MRI

Shiloh Sison¹, Xiaoyi Min, Yan Liu², Kevin Feng², Ji Chen², John Nyenhuis³, Gabriel Mouchawar, Jon Dietrich

The body type, conductivity and location within an RF coil partially determine the maximum tangential electric field along implantable cardiac rhythm device lead paths. The simulation conditions which have the possibility of generating the largest temperature rise at the electrodes of the lead are an obese male with tissue conductivity 80% of nominal and landmark Z ~0mm. Around this Z landmark the effect of 20mm to 50mm shifts in the X and Y direction are negligible. The IEC limit of 3.2 W/kg for head SAR may result in a whole body SAR of less than 2 W/kg for some landmarks.