Safe scanning of patients in MRI clinic requires dedicated expertise and infrastructure. Under normal MRI scanning conditions numerous MRI safety concerns (ferromagnetic objects, usage of contrast agents) already apply. In the case of patients carrying medical devices or implants, enforcing MRI safety requires additional workflow. This includes thorough patient screening procedures, obtaining information on implants to assess where the devices are safe, conditional or even unsafe. In the case of a conditional label, the interpretation and implementation of a label becomes essential. RF heating is another increasing MR safety issue that we also hope to be able to pay attention to and discuss.

In this lecture, three lecturers with practical experience from the MR safety field will lead a discussion to share experiences on how to create an improved workflow for a modern MRI clinic.

In recent years, the number of pacemakers / ICD patients for MRI has increased significantly, causing MRI safety problems and (logistic) challenges. One of the challenges is that two different departments (Cardiology and Radiology) have to work closely together in order to carry out a proper / thorough investigation to find out if it’s safe for the patient to undergo an MRI. Another challenge comes up when the active implants or leads are not MR-conditional: it should be reconsidered if the diagnostic value is more important than the risk if the patient with the active implant is exposed to the electromagnetic field. In this hands-on session, we will discuss and demonstrate which safety concerns need to be observed before and during an MRI procedure with a CIED.

When a patient, a device or an object enters the MRI room, electromagnetic interactions occur with the MRI system. These interactions can lead to severe or even fatal events if correct screening procedures are not correctly performed before entering the MRI room. In this hand-on session, the participants will learn how to perform an MRI screening procedure, how to correctly position a patient inside MRI systems, and how to perform a calamity procedure to safely extract a patient from a MRI system when life support is needed.

MRI in radiation oncology is a growing field, and many departments are currently introducing or extending the use of it. MR systems have been intensively modified to provide added value during the radiation therapy processes: RT dedicated MR-scanner (pre-treatment MR-simulator), MR- brachytherapy-intervention and MR-Linac. This means that the MRI safety aspect, in combination with radiotherapeutic setup, plays a role. Furthermore, staff from a radiation oncology department needs to be trained to create a safe environment for patients and colleagues. In this hands-on session, we discuss and demonstrate which safety concerns have to be taken into account during an MR-guided radiotherapeutic process. This session will be held on a MR-Linac "Unity."