Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses powerful magnetic waves to produce images of the soft tissue on the interior of the human body. Many patients with implanted heart devices are not eligible to have an MRI scan because their pacing systems are not approved for use during an MRI scan or near MRI scanners.

A new model of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) which is resistant to the MRI’s strong magnetic fields has been gone through EMF Testing at Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire.  The Ellipse ICD, developed by US manufacturer St Jude Medical, will now be tested in a further 165 patients at 60 MRI centers around the world,” the Guernsey Press reported on August 24, 2016. These devices should “shock the heart back into rhythm when it detects a potential cardiac arrest.”

What is MRI Protection Mode? In preparation for an MRI scan, the pulse generator in an MR-Conditional system is programmed to MRI Protection Mode using the PRM.  MRI Protection Mode modifies the behavior of the device and has been designed to accommodate the electromagnetic environment of the scanner. Additionally, a time-out feature may be programmed to cancel MRI Protection mode after a specified number of hours.

EMF Consultant and cardiologist Dr. Roy Gardner, who is leading the trial at the Golden Jubilee, said, “Our first patient’s procedure went very smoothly and provided a great start to an incredibly important project. As such, we are now about to recruit our sixth patient to this study.”