Calculations and experimental results demonstrate that the threshold for heart excitation from magnetostimulation in MRI is much higher than those for nerve and muscle stimulations.
The derived fundamental law of magnetostimulation suggests that the threshold for heart excitation during MRI is much higher than for nerve and muscle stimulation, indicating that current safety limits should be reconsidered.
In national and international bodies, there is active discussion of appropriate safety regulations of levels of magnetic field strength in MRI. Present limits are usually expressed in terms of the switching rate dB/dt, but the validity of this is open to debate. Application of the fundamental law of electrostimulation is well-established, both on theoretical and experimental grounds. Application of this law, in combination with Maxwell's law, yields a very simple equation that we call the fundamental law of magnetostimulation. This law has the hyperbolic form of a strength-duration curve and allows an estimation of the lowest possible value of the magnetic flux density capable of stimulating nerves and muscles. Calculations prove that the threshold for heart excitation is much higher than those for nerve and muscle stimulations. Experimental results from us and other authors confirm the correctness of the derived laws for magnetostimulation. In light of these findings, proposed safety limits should be reconsidered.
Irnich et al. (Mon,) conducted a other in Magnetostimulation in MRI. Magnetic field strength limits was evaluated on Threshold for heart, nerve, and muscle excitation. Calculations and experimental results demonstrate that the threshold for heart excitation from magnetostimulation in MRI is much higher than those for nerve and muscle stimulations.