Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla
08:51

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla

Published on: February 19, 2021

Functionality of veterinary identification microchips following low- (0.5 tesla) and high-field (3 tesla) magnetic

Susann Piesnack1, Mairi E Frame, Gerhard Oechtering

  • 1Department of Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany.

Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound : the Official Journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
|June 15, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans do not affect patient microchip function. This study confirms that microchips remain readable after exposure to both low (0.5 Tesla) and high (3.0 Tesla) field strength MRI scanners.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Veterinary Imaging
  • Implantable Devices

Background:

  • Patient identification microchips utilize radiofrequency pulses for readability.
  • Radiofrequency pulses are also integral to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures.
  • Concerns exist regarding potential microchip malfunction during MRI due to overlapping technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of varying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) field strengths on the functionality of International Standards Organisation (ISO)-approved microchips.
  • To assess whether field strengths outside the 1-1.5 Tesla range affect microchip performance.
  • To evaluate different types of ISO-approved microchips under low (0.5 Tesla) and high (3.0 Tesla) field strengths.

Main Methods:

  • A phantom study was conducted using 300 ISO-approved microchips (three types: FDX-B 1.4x9mm, FDX-B 2.12x12mm, HDX 3.8x23mm).
  • Microchips were tested in both 0.5 Tesla and 3.0 Tesla MRI scanners, with 50 of each type per scanner.
  • A simulated head MRI scan protocol was applied to the microchip-laden phantom.

Main Results:

  • All 300 microchips tested were accurately readable following exposure to both 0.5 Tesla and 3.0 Tesla MRI scans.
  • No discernible impact on microchip function was observed at either the low or high field strength tested.
  • The type and size of the ISO-approved microchips did not influence their performance post-MRI exposure.

Conclusions:

  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at field strengths of 0.5 Tesla and 3.0 Tesla does not compromise the readability of commonly used ISO-approved patient identification microchips.
  • The findings support the continued use and reliability of microchip identification in veterinary patients undergoing MRI procedures.
  • This study provides evidence that microchip function is robust across a range of MRI field strengths relevant to veterinary practice.
Keywords:
MRIfunctionmicrochipradiofrequency identification devicesmall animal

More Related Videos

Use of Ultra-high Field MRI in Small Rodent Models of Polycystic Kidney Disease for In Vivo Phenotyping and Drug Monitoring07:35

Use of Ultra-high Field MRI in Small Rodent Models of Polycystic Kidney Disease for In Vivo Phenotyping and Drug Monitoring

Published on: June 23, 2015

Noninvasive In Vivo Small Animal MRI and MRS: Basic Experimental Procedures12:27

Noninvasive In Vivo Small Animal MRI and MRS: Basic Experimental Procedures

Published on: October 20, 2009

Related Concept Videos

Magnetic Resonance Imaging01:24

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive medical imaging technique based on a phenomenon of nuclear physics discovered in the 1930s, in which matter exposed to magnetic fields and radio waves was found to emit radio signals. In 1970, a physician and researcher named Raymond Damadian noticed that malignant (cancerous) tissue gave off different signals than normal body tissue. He applied for a patent for the first MRI scanning device in clinical use by the early 1980s. The early MRI...
Atomic Nuclei: Magnetic Resonance01:05

Atomic Nuclei: Magnetic Resonance

The number of nuclear spins aligned in the lower energy state is slightly greater than those in the higher energy state. In the presence of an external magnetic field, as the spins precess at the Larmor frequency, the excess population results in a net magnetization oriented along the z axis. When a pulse or a short burst of radio waves at the Larmor frequency is applied along the x axis, the coupling of frequencies causes resonance and flips the nuclear spins of the excess population from the...
Applications Of NMR In Biology01:25

Applications Of NMR In Biology

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a very valuable analytical technique for researchers. It has been used for more than 50 years as an analytical tool. F. Bloch and E. Purcell formulated NMR in 1946 and won the 1952 Nobel Prize in Physics  for their work. Biological macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and organic molecules including pharmaceutical compounds, can be studied using this versatile tool that exploits the magnetic properties of certain nuclei.
The...