Influence of Non-Conductive Probes on Specific Absorption Rate

Introduction: An increasing number of interventional studies are being developed in which minimally invasive procedures are performed using MRI guidance [1]. Thin and precisely controlled devices, guided wires, and sensors facilitate these during MR scanning. While several studies have reported the MR safety-related issues of metallic devices and wires [2-4], the influences of non-conductive devices on the specific absorption rate (SAR) of surrounding tissues are rarely investigated. In this study, we show that even non-conductive probes, e.g., fiber optic thermal/pressure sensors, catheters, etc., can affect SAR.