Physical interactions of static magnetic fields with living tissues

Clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was introduced in the early 1980s and has become a widely accepted and heavily utilized medical technology. This technique requires that the patients being studied be exposed to an intense magnetic field of a strength not previously encountered on a wide scale by humans. Nonetheless, the technique has proved to be very safe and the vast majority of the scans have been performed without any evidence of injury to the patient. In this article the history of proposed interactions of magnetic fields with human tissues is briefly reviewed and the predictions of electromagnetic theory on the nature and strength of these interactions are described. The physical basis of the relative weakness of these interactions is attributed to the very low magnetic susceptibility of human tissues and the lack of any substantial amount of ferromagnetic material normally occurring in these tissues. The presence of ferromagnetic foreign bodies within patients, or in the vicinity of the scanner, represents a very great hazard that must be scrupulously avoided. As technology and experience advance, ever stronger magnetic field strengths are being brought into service to improve the capabilities of this imaging technology and the benefits to patients. It is imperative that vigilance be maintained as these higher field strengths are introduced into clinical practice to assure that the high degree of patient safety that has been associated with MRI is maintained.