Force and torque effects of a 1.5-Tesla MRI scanner on cardiac pacemakers and ICDs

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely accepted tool for the diagnosis of a variety of disease states. However, the presence of an implanted pacemaker is considered to be a strict contraindication to MRI in a vast majority of centers due to safety concerns. In phantom studies, the authors investigated the force and torque effects of the static magnetic field of MRI on pacemakers and ICDs. Thirty-one pacemakers (15 dual chamber and 16 single chamber units) from eight manufacturers and 13 ICDs from four manufacturers were exposed to the static magnetic field of a 1.5-Tesla MRI scanner. Magnetic force and acceleration measurements were obtained quantitatively, and torque measurements were made qualitatively. For pacemakers, the measured magnetic force was in the range of 0.05-3.60 N. Pacemakers released after 1995 had low magnetic force values as compared to the older devices. For these devices, the measured acceleration was even lower than the gravity of the earth (< 9.81 N/kg). Likewise, the torque levels were significantly reduced in newer generation pacemakers (< or = 2 from a scale of 6). ICD devices, except for one recent model, showed higher force (1.03-5.85 N), acceleration 9.5-34.2 N/kg), and torque (5-6 out of 6) levels. In conclusion, modern pacemakers present no safety risk with respect to magnetic force and torque induced by the static magnetic field of a 1.5-Tesla MRI scanner. However, ICD devices, despite considerable reduction in size and weight, may still pose problems due to strong magnetic force and torque.