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Nowadays, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is considered the gold standard for imaging the brain, spinal cord, musculoskeletal system, head and neck, and complex congenital heart malformations; consequentially, the number of MRI scans in patients with implantable electronic devices has simultaneously increased. During the entire length of the MRI exam, patients are exposed to electromagnetic fields with different characteristics (static, low frequency, radiofrequency fields), which are related to different risks. The scarce available literature about MRI-induced heating on cardiac stents suggests that excessive temperature rise occurs only in unfavorable cases. Ideally, RF safety assessment could be performed during the anamnestic process, but this simulation process's results are too slow to be performed before patient MRI examination. In this context, we developed a dedicated measurement set-up by focusing our target on the measurement of the heating of a cardiac stent during an MRI examination. Results for the temperature rise trend along the entire stent length during a clinical MRI protocol are shown together with the local Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values and cumulative equivalent minutes at 43 °C (CEM43°C), in order to ensure the safety of patients with MR-conditional devices, also with a view to not inappropriately preclude their access to MRI scans. The obtained results show that the maximum temperature rise (4.12 °C) is within the limit of 5 °C stated in the stent manual for 15 min of continued scanning with the specific conditions. The maximum temperature rise was in correspondence with the stent tips and calculated SAR confirms the fact that two hotspots are present near the tips of the stent. Finally, the calculated CEM43°C remained well below the proposed threshold for muscle tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staff working in Magnetic Resonance environments are mainly exposed to the static and spatially heterogeneous magnetic field. Moreover, workers movements in such environments give slowly time-varying magnetic field that reflects in an induced electric field in conductive bodies, such as human bodies. It is very important to have a practice method to personal exposure assessment, also to create a list of procedures and job descriptions at highest risk of exposure, to provide complete information for the workers. This is important especially for the "workers at particular risk", such as pregnant workers or medical devices wearers. The purpose of this work is to measure the exposure of the staff to time-varying magnetic field in Magnetic Resonance clinical environments, using pocket dosimeter. We present here the assessment of exposure in two different working conditions relative to routine procedures for different kinds of workers. The obtained results show compliance with the safety limits imposed by regulation for controlled exposure conditions. However, during the activity of replacement of the oxygen sensor performed by a maintenance technician, some exposure parameters exceeded the limits, suggesting to pay attention with specific conditions to prevent vertigo or other sensory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ascertain whether erythropoietin plays a role in early and late repair processes following ischaemic skin flap injury, a dorsal, caudally based skin flap was created in rats. The rats were successively divided into four groups. Group 1 was not treated. The other groups were treated with a subcutaneous administration of 0.9% NaCl saline solution (group 2), a subcutaneous administration of vehicle (group 3) or a subcutaneous administration of 300 IU/kg/day of recombinant human erythropoietin (group 4). We evaluated the possible relationships between neutrophil accumulation, myeloperoxidase activity and content in flap tissue, flap survival, flap temperature (using telethermography) and flap revascularization (using videocapillaroscopy). Necrosis in the flap was significantly less extensive in group 4 than in groups 1, 2 and 3. A significant increase in neutrophil infiltration occurred between the 1st and 24th hour in these groups, but this was not observed in group 4. These findings were confirmed by biochemical data of myeloperoxidase activity and malonyldialdehyde content. Between the 1st and 7th days, we recorded an increase of about 20% in flap temperature in groups 1, 2 and 3, whereas no significant variation was observed in group 4. On the 7th day, videocapillaroscopic findings showed an increase in the mean vascularization index in group 4. Our findings suggest that recombinant human erythropoietin administration can improve the wound healing process, in both early and late stages of injury, by reducing inflammatory response, increasing the density of capillaries in ischaemic flaps and allowing earlier repair of a damaged area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The periodic evaluation of the Faraday cage efficiency for diagnostic Magnetic Resonance is mandatory by Italian legislation and it is recommended by manufacturers. An inadequate shielding could affect clinical images with artifacts, reducing the quality of examinations. The International reference standard for shielding effectiveness measurements is represented by IEEE Standard 299-2006, but it results poorly applicable in Magnetic Resonance sites. In this study, an alternative approach is proposed to simplify the applicability of the IEEE Standard. The experimental set-up for measurements is composed by a signal generator and a transmitting antenna, coupled with the signal generator. The novelty of the proposed methodology consists in the absence of the receiver antenna; for this purpose, the Magnetic Resonance scanner is used. This approach permits to test the entire Faraday cage by means of a single measure. If the Magnetic Resonance device picks up the radiofrequency signal from outside of the cage, this would be visible on the acquired images as a "zipper" artifact. Four Faraday cages, different in building materials, were tested by using the proposed methodology, and the results were compared with those obtained by using the IEEE Standard. The presence of the "zipper" artifact on the images made us inspect the entire Faraday cage and not just the openings, finding that the radiofrequency signal entered from an area without openings, thus denoting a poor construction of the cage. The proposed methodology provides an immediate evaluation of the shielding efficiency, furnishing information on the entire Faraday cage and not only on its apertures. The method is simple, easily reproducible, and constitutes a valid alternative to the IEEE Standard; in particular, during constancy tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]