A review of radiofrequency-induced heating challenge caused to medical implants during MRI procedures

Abstract Radiofrequency (RF) radiation is well recognized as a viable tool for medical diagnosis and therapy. For instance, radiofrequency ablation (RA) eliminates aberrant tissues such as cancer, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) creates images of the interior body structure, and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEFT) promotes bone healing, to mention a few. Despite the successes of RF radiation in medical interventions, such as MRI, individuals who carry medical implantable devices (MIDs), including cardiovascular, orthopedic, and neurological implants, are frequently unable to undergo an MRI procedure. This is because the electrically conducting lines of an MID act as antennas when the MID enters an MRI scanner’s RF field, hence increasing RF energy deposition in body tissues. This could cause excessive heating of body tissues, which may lead to injury. This paper discusses the physical processes that cause RF-induced heating, how the heating is measured and predicted, and the various techniques used to mitigate it. Furthermore, RF-induced heating mitigation techniques are compared in terms of real-time operation, ease of implementation, and applicability across multiple magnetic field strengths. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research on mitigating RF-induced heating.