Proposed Safety Guidelines for Patient Assistants in an Open MRI Environment

Sukhoon Oh, Seon-Eui Hong and Hyung-Do Choi ()
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Sukhoon Oh: Bio-Chemical Analysis Team, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 28119, Republic of Korea
Seon-Eui Hong: Radio & Satellite Research Division, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Hyung-Do Choi: Radio & Satellite Research Division, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-9

Abstract: The wide-open side of an open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system allows a patient to easily contact the patient assistant during MRI scans. A wide-open-shaped magnet is highly effective when interventional procedures are necessary. Patient assistants can provide comfort by holding a part of the patient’s body. Because current regulations or guidelines are concerned with only patient radio frequency (RF) safety, investigations on the safety of patient assistants exposed to high-magnetic field MRI (up to 1.2 T) are required. In this study, five different poses of patient assistants were numerically simulated at a 1.2 T open MRI system to determine the impact of poses on the RF exposure level. The 10-g averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) levels were analyzed for the poses of each patient assistant wearing gloves. Compared with the patient, up to 29.8% of the patient SAR was observed in the patient assistant. When the patient assistant wore latex gloves, a 63.7% reduction in the 10-g averaged SAR level was observed, which could be a remedy to minimize possible RF hazards. To prevent possible RF hazards during MRI scans, certain clauses regarding the patient assistant’s poses or wearing gloves must be added to the existing MRI screening forms.

Keywords: open MRI system; patient assistant; planar RF coil; SAR; safety guideline (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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