Wolfgang Kainz

The Virtual Family—development of surface-based anatomical models of two adults and two children for dosimetric simulations

The objective of this study was to develop anatomically correct whole body human models of an adult male (34 years old), an adult female (26 years old) and two children (an 11-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy) for the optimized evaluation of electromagnetic exposure. These four models are referred to as the Virtual Family. They are based on high resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images of healthy volunteers. More than 80 different tissue types were distinguished during the segmentation. To improve the accuracy and the effectiveness of the segmentation, a novel semi-automated tool was used to analyze and segment the data. All tissues and organs were reconstructed as three-dimensional (3D) unstructured triangulated surface objects, yielding high precision images of individual features of the body. This greatly enhances the meshing flexibility and the accuracy with respect to thin tissue layers and small organs in comparison with the traditional voxel-based representation of anatomical models. Conformal computational techniques were also applied. The techniques and tools developed in this study can be used to more effectively develop future models and further improve the accuracy of the models for various applications. For research purposes, the four models are provided for free to the scientific community.

Comparisons of computed mobile phone induced SAR in the SAM phantom to that in anatomically correct models of the human head

The specific absorption rates (SAR) determined computationally in the specific anthropomorphic mannequin (SAM) and anatomically correct models of the human head when exposed to a mobile phone model are compared as part of a study organized by IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 34, Sub-Committee 2, and Working Group 2, and carried out by an international task force comprising 14 government, academic, and industrial research institutions. The detailed study protocol defined the computational head and mobile phone models. The participants used different finite-difference time-domain software and independently positioned the mobile phone and head models in accordance with the protocol. The results show that when the pinna SAR is calculated separately from the head SAR, SAM produced a higher SAR in the head than the anatomically correct head models. Also the larger (adult) head produced a statistically significant higher peak SAR for both the 1- and 10-g averages than did the smaller (child) head for all conditions of frequency and position.

Complexity of MRI induced heating on metallic leads: Experimental measurements of 374 configurations

BackgroundMRI induced heating on PM leads is a very complex issue. The widely varying results described in literature suggest that there are many factors that influence the degree of heating and that not always are adequately addressed by existing testing methods.MethodsWe present a wide database of experimental measurements of the heating of metallic wires and PM leads in a 1.5 T RF coil. The aim of these measurements is to systematically quantify the contribution of some potential factors involved in the MRI induced heating: the length and the geometric structure of the lead; the implant location within the body and the lead path; the shape of the phantom used to simulate the human trunk and its relative position inside the RF coil.ResultsWe found that the several factors are the primary influence on heating at the tip. Closer locations of the leads to the edge of the phantom and to the edge of the coil produce maximum heating. The lead length is the other crucial factor, whereas the implant area does not seem to have a major role in the induced temperature increase. Also the lead structure and the geometry of the phantom revealed to be elements that can significantly modify the amount of heating.ConclusionOur findings highlight the factors that have significant effects on MRI induced heating of implanted wires and leads. These factors must be taken into account by those who plan to study or model MRI heating of implants. Also our data should help those who wish to develop guidelines for defining safe medical implants for MRI patients. In addition, our database of the entire set of measurements can help those who wish to validate their numerical models of implants that may be exposed to MRI systems.

Evaluations of Specific Absorption Rate and Temperature Increase Within Pregnant Female Models in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Birdcage Coils

This paper presents a detailed numerical study of specific absorption rate (SAR) and temperature increase calculations within pregnant female models exposed to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Nine pregnant female models, representing different pregnant stages, were used for this study. SAR and temperature increase within and around fetuses at different pregnancy stages were calculated for two MRI operating modes (normal mode and first-level controlled mode) at 64 and 128 MHz. Local fetus energy deposition exceeds the International Electrotechnical Commission limit of 10 W/kg in the first-level controlled mode at 64 MHz. Fetus temperature exceeds or approaches 38 degC for both frequencies in the first-level controlled mode at later stages of pregnancy. The core temperature limits for both modes and both frequencies are not exceeded. The results show higher maximum SAR and higher temperature at 64 MHz and during later pregnancy stages with a significant increase starting with the fifth month of pregnancy. Based on the results of this study, radiologists can minimize local fetus heating, especially late in pregnancy, by using normal mode sequences, which minimize the whole body SAR in the mother

Dosimetric comparison of the specific anthropomorphic mannequin (SAM) to 14 anatomical head models using a novel definition for the mobile phone positioning

This paper presents new definitions for obtaining reproducible results in numerical phone dosimetry. Numerous numerical dosimetric studies have been published about the exposure of mobile phone users which concluded with conflicting results. However, many of these studies lack reproducibility due to shortcomings in the description of the phone positioning. The new approach was tested by two groups applying two different numerical program packages to compare the specific anthropomorphic mannequin (SAM) to 14 anatomically correct head models. A novel definition for the positioning of mobile phones next to anatomically correct head models is given along with other essential parameters to be reported. The definition is solely based on anatomical characteristics of the head. A simple up-to-date phone model was used to determine the peak spatial specific absorption rate (SAR) of mobile phones in SAM and in the anatomically correct head models. The results were validated by measurements. The study clearly shows that SAM gives a conservative estimate of the exposure in anatomically correct head models for head only tissue. Depending on frequency, phone position and head size the numerically calculated 10 g averaged SAR in the pinna can be up to 2.1 times greater than the peak spatial SAR in SAM. Measurements in small structures, such as the pinna, will significantly increase the uncertainty; therefore SAM was designed for SAR assessment in the head only. Whether SAM will provide a conservative value for the pinna depends on the pinna SAR limit of the safety standard considered.

Temperature and SAR measurement errors in the evaluation of metallic linear structures heating during MRI using fluoroptic probes.

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the error associated with temperature and SAR measurements using fluoroptic temperature probes on pacemaker (PM) leads during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We performed temperature measurements on pacemaker leads, excited with a 25, 64, and 128 MHz current. The PM lead tip heating was measured with a fluoroptic thermometer (Luxtron, Model 3100, USA). Different contact configurations between the pigmented portion of the temperature probe and the PM lead tip were investigated to find the contact position minimizing the temperature and SAR underestimation. A computer model was used to estimate the error made by fluoroptic probes in temperature and SAR measurement. The transversal contact of the pigmented portion of the temperature probe and the PM lead tip minimizes the underestimation for temperature and SAR. This contact position also has the lowest temperature and SAR error. For other contact positions, the maximum temperature error can be as high as -45%, whereas the maximum SAR error can be as high as -54%. MRI heating evaluations with temperature probes should use a contact position minimizing the maximum error, need to be accompanied by a thorough uncertainty budget and the temperature and SAR errors should be specified.

MRI‐induced heating of selected thin wire metallic implants – laboratory and computational studies – findings and new questions raised

We performed experiments and computer modeling of heating of a cardiovascular stent and a straight, thin wire by RF fields in a 1.5 T MRI birdcage coil at 64 MHz. We used ASTM F2182‐02a standard and normalized results to 4 W/kg whole body average. We used a rectangular saline‐gel filled phantom and a coiled, double stent (Intracoil by ev3 Inc) 11 cm long. The stent had thin electrical insulation except for bare ends (simulating drug eluting coating). The stent and phantom were placed close to the wall of the RF Coil and had approximately 0.5°C initial temperature rise at the ends (local SAR = 320 W/kg). We exposed a wire (24.1 cm, 0.5 mm diameter) with 0.5 mm insulation and saw an 8.6°C temperature rise (local SAR = 5680 W/kg) at the bare ends. All heating was within 1 mm3 of the ends, so the position of our fiber optic temperature probe was critical for repeatability. Our computational study used finite difference time domain software with a thermodynamics solver. We modeled a coiled bare‐wire stent as a spiral with a rectangular cross section and found a maximum increase of 0.05°C induced at the tips for plane wave exposures. A maximum local SAR of up to 200 W/kg occurred in a volume of only 8×10−3 mm. We developed improved computational exposure sources – optimized birdcage coils and quasi‐MRI fields that may eliminate the need to model an RF coil. We learned that local (point) SAR (initial linear temperature rise) is the most reliable indicator of the maximum heating of an implant. Local SAR depends greatly on implant length, insulation and shape, and position in the MRI coil. Accurate heating must be measured with sensors or software having millimeter resolution. Many commercially available fiber optic temperature probes do meet this requirement.

MIDA: A Multimodal Imaging-Based Detailed Anatomical Model of the Human Head and Neck

Computational modeling and simulations are increasingly being used to complement experimental testing for analysis of safety and efficacy of medical devices. Multiple voxel- and surface-based whole- and partial-body models have been proposed in the literature, typically with spatial resolution in the range of 1–2 mm and with 10–50 different tissue types resolved. We have developed a multimodal imaging-based detailed anatomical model of the human head and neck, named “MIDA”. The model was obtained by integrating three different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities, the parameters of which were tailored to enhance the signals of specific tissues: i) structural T1- and T2-weighted MRIs; a specific heavily T2-weighted MRI slab with high nerve contrast optimized to enhance the structures of the ear and eye; ii) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) data to image the vasculature, and iii) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to obtain information on anisotropy and fiber orientation. The unique multimodal high-resolution approach allowed resolving 153 structures, including several distinct muscles, bones and skull layers, arteries and veins, nerves, as well as salivary glands. The model offers also a detailed characterization of eyes, ears, and deep brain structures. A special automatic atlas-based segmentation procedure was adopted to include a detailed map of the nuclei of the thalamus and midbrain into the head model. The suitability of the model to simulations involving different numerical methods, discretization approaches, as well as DTI-based tensorial electrical conductivity, was examined in a case-study, in which the electric field was generated by transcranial alternating current stimulation. The voxel- and the surface-based versions of the models are freely available to the scientific community.

Thermal Tissue Damage Model Analyzed for Different Whole‐Body SAR and Scan Durations for Standard MR Body Coils

This article investigates the safety of radiofrequency induced local thermal hotspots within a 1.5T body coil by assessing the transient local peak temperatures as a function of exposure level and local thermoregulation in four anatomical human models in different Z‐positions.

In vitro investigation of pacemaker lead heating induced by magnetic resonance imaging: role of implant geometry.

To evaluate the effect of the geometry of implantable pacemakers (PMs) on lead heating induced by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).