Implant Screening Processes of UK 7T Sites

Motivation: Patients with implants are frequently denied access to ultra-high field MRI due to insufficient implant safety testing at >3T. So far, exclusion rates and the types of commonly excluded implants have not been fully assessed. Goal(s): This study aims to quantify exclusion rates for high-field MRI across all 7T sites in the UK. Approach: Surveys completed at each UK 7T site evaluated whether 73 standard procedures would be excluded. Results: Findings showed that 19.4% of the general population and 39.5% of a patient population would be excluded at 7T, with specific implants identified to improve future access. Impact: A lack of safety testing at ultra-high field denies access to patients with implants. The exclusion rate was estimated to be 40% for a patient population, highlighting which implants will be most impactful to improve access.