Effect of field strength on RF power deposition near conductive leads: A simulation study of SAR in DBS lead models during MRI at 1.5 T—10.5 T

Abstract

At higher static fields, MRI is not necessarily more dangerous than at lower fields for patients with conductive leads. Specifically, when a conservative safety criterion, such as constraints on the global SAR, is imposed, coils at a higher resonant frequency tend to generate a lower local SAR around implanted leads due to the decreased B1+ and, by proxy, E field levels.