A Novel Implant Electrode Design Safe in the RF Field of MRI Scanners

Patients with medical implants are often unable to receive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic treatment, because the conductive leads can concentrate the RF excitation field and generate dangerous heating of nervous tissue. We propose a simple, low-cost solution that minimizes RF heating through the addition of one or more mutually coupled filars to the lead without significant increase in lead diameter. Simulations and measurements at 128 MHz are presented to verify the effect in 3 T MRI machines.