# Safe Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Patients with Deep Brain Stimulation Systems

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2021 · $417,483

## Abstract

Project Summary
Every 5 minutes, a patient is denied an MRI scan because of an active implanted medical device. Therefore,
there is a clinical need to improve the safety of MRI scans to allow patients with implants to be imaged. Ability
to safely scan patients with implants would have an overall public health impact. If we can develop a safe
framework to be used to image these patients, we will be able to use MRI to monitor the stage of their diseases
and the efficacy of their treatment.
In this project we aim to develop a workflow that utilizes multi-channel and receiver arrays in order to safely
image patients with Deep Bran Stimulators (DBS). We will utilize a pre-scan strategy (accelerated by parallel
acquisition) to calculate RF current induced on DBS leads and predict electrode tip temperature. We are going
to calculate/design implant friendly excitation solutions/pTx pulses and utilize them to reduce RF heating
around the DBS electrodes. We will demonstrate the temperature reduction around the DBS leads using
fluoroscopic probes and evaluate image quality. We will test the performance of our approach by scanning
phantoms, anesthetized animals (swine) and human cadavers. We will finally scan human subjects implanted
with full DBS systems (electrode, extension, IPG) using the methods developed in this proposal.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10226910
- **Project number:** 5R01NS115180-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Yigitcan Eryaman
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $417,483
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10226910

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10226910, Safe Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Patients with Deep Brain Stimulation Systems (5R01NS115180-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10226910. Licensed CC0.

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