Abstract
Abstract At the heart of evaluating electromagnetic hazards near magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems used in medical diagnostics is to reveal the range of space surrounding the system that is affected by static magnetic field (SMF) to an extent potentially causing: (a) movement-related disturbances in human balance, which may lead to direct safety hazards for affected workers or patients; (b) a projectile effect in heavy ferromagnetic objects, which may create lethal hazards for workers and patients, as well as serious damage to the MRI scanner; (c) a projectile effect in small ferromagnetic objects, which may cause non-lethal hazards for workers or patients, for example by cutting the skin of a person hit by an object, though this is usually not dangerous to the MRI equipment. Additionally, thermal and electrodynamic effects in humans and equipment affected by time-varying MRI emissions (gradient and radiofrequency fields) need evaluation and prevention. The characteristics of static and time-varying electromagnetic fields near MRI systems and a multimodal evaluation of related hazards are discussed based on results of long-term environmental studies – using an exposure-oriented evaluation applying exposure limits or action levels, as well as a space-oriented evaluation applying the concept of Functional Intervention Levels (FIL). The newly tested applicability of autonomous EMF data loggers when evaluating these electromagnetic hazards near MRI systems is also considered.
Published Version
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