Stepping Towards Subject Specific Temperature Modeling to Improve Thermal Safety in Clinical and Ultra-High Field MRI

In vivo radiofrequency (RF) heating was simulated by solving the generic bioheat transfer model (GBHTM) in a digital pig due the power deposition from a 3T MR body coil. The simulations were validated by measuring the heating using fluoroptic probes in anesthetized swine due to the whole-body average power deposition of 2.82 W/kg for an hour in a 3T scanner. The GBHTM predicted the RF heating accurately. The simulations as well as the measurements showed that safe temperature changes, as defined by international regulatory guidelines, were exceeded <15 minutes. Thus, appropriate temperature simulations are necessary to ensure human safety in MRI. The new models and methods developed herein brings us closer towards subject specific temperature modeling to improve thermal safety of patients and research subjects in clinical as well as ultra-high field MRI.