Abstract #0481

Safety of Implanted Auditory Prostheses at 7T

Guy Fierens^1,2,3, Matthew Clemence⁴, Nicolas Verhaert^3,5, Richard Bowtell^6,7, and Rebecca Susan Dewey^6,7,8

¹Cochlear Technology Centre Belgium, Mechelen, Belgium, ²Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ³Research group Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ⁴Philips Healthcare N. V., Best, Netherlands, ⁵Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ⁶Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, ⁷National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom, ⁸Hearing Sciences, Division of Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom

Synopsis

Keywords: Safety, Safety, Prostheses, active auditory implants

Motivation: While scanning individuals with active hearing implants (e.g., cochlear implants) at 1.5 and 3 T has become commonplace, scanning these patients at ultra-high field strengths (e.g., 7 T) is likely to be associated with an increased risks of damaging the device or causing soft-tissue damage, pain, and/or discomfort.

Goal(s): To evaluate the safety of three different active hearing implants in the 7 T MR environment.

Approach: Five potential interactions between the devices and the MR environment were assessed using industry-recommended practices for 1.5/3 T.

Results: Preliminary findings show no adverse effects within the predefined test conditions.

Impact: While scanning individuals with active hearing implants at 1.5/3 T has become commonplace, 7 T is associated with significantly greater safety risks. This study is the first to provide some confidence in the safety of such implants at 7 T.

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