On the benefit of pTx for implant safety - a multiparameter simulation study

FDTD simulations were used to generate the electromagnetic fields of a human voxel model with a generic implant in a pTx coil. B₁⁺ homogeneity and SAR at the implant tip were systematically investigated for 4 field strength, 4 pTx channel counts, 3 implant positions and 6 excitation strategies. Simple and unsurprising conclusions can be drawn for 0.5 T (pTx is not necessary), 7 T (nothing goes without pTx), and on the channel count (the higher, the better). For the clinically most relevant field strength 1.5 T and 3 T, a much more complex pattern emerges.