So I got an MRI today to check out my knee, and I was surprised on the pre-op questionaire to notice the question: "Are you a machinist".....guess machinists accumulate a lot of metal, sufficient to affect the operation of the MRI (it is MAGNETIC Resonance Imaging).....
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web
Stay Connected:
Mri
- Thread starter drcoelho
- Start date
- Replies 12
- Views 1,858
- Status
Interesting. Appears it has to do with eye safety and secondly with image clarity.
MRI Safety: Ensuring Eye Safety with a Pre-Metal Check
So did they x-ray your eyeballs?
Fatal MRI Accident Is First of Its Kind
"Shellock and Chaljub both say that implants in the body pose a greater danger for MRI accidents than do potential projectiles. For example, Chaljub says that a woman who had an aneurysm clip in her brain died after undergoing an MRI and "a welder who had a piece of metal imbedded in his eye was blinded in that eye.""
MRI Safety: Ensuring Eye Safety with a Pre-Metal Check
So did they x-ray your eyeballs?
Fatal MRI Accident Is First of Its Kind
"Shellock and Chaljub both say that implants in the body pose a greater danger for MRI accidents than do potential projectiles. For example, Chaljub says that a woman who had an aneurysm clip in her brain died after undergoing an MRI and "a welder who had a piece of metal imbedded in his eye was blinded in that eye.""
Tyrone Shoelaces
Diamond
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2006
- Location
- Manchester, England
Yes, they always ask that question. " Have you or are you likely to have any metal in your body ? "
Regards Tyrone.
eKretz
Diamond; Mod Squad
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2005
- Location
- Northwest Indiana, USA
Yeah I've had a lot of MRIs. The question is indeed about the eyes. It is merely a tick-box that then prompts (or does not) a followup question - "Have you ever gotten any metal particle stuck in your eye" and then if there's a yes, they want to know how long ago, what was done to remedy the situation, etc.
The image clarity thing is legit too. I have an artificial disc in my back that's not even made of ferrous metal (titanium and plastic) and it completely screws up an MRI image anywhere within a couple inches of the device. If I need medical imaging in that area they have to either settle for an x-ray or go full-on CT.
The image clarity thing is legit too. I have an artificial disc in my back that's not even made of ferrous metal (titanium and plastic) and it completely screws up an MRI image anywhere within a couple inches of the device. If I need medical imaging in that area they have to either settle for an x-ray or go full-on CT.
Mud
Diamond
- Joined
- May 20, 2002
- Location
- South Central PA
My first MRI was under emergency circumstances and I couldn't assure them I hadn't had any metal fragments enter, so they xrayed my head to look for metal in my eyes. Since then I haven't had the xrays done before the MRIs
AARONT
Stainless
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Location
- Madison, WI
Yup. It'll suck the metal right out of ya...
Mud
Diamond
- Joined
- May 20, 2002
- Location
- South Central PA
What of joint implants, like hips and knees? Are they non-magnetic and therefore OK in MRIs?
Lewie
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2018
- Location
- Albuquerque NM
eKretz
Diamond; Mod Squad
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2005
- Location
- Northwest Indiana, USA
My titanium one is fine as far as not being ripped out of my body, but again, any metal of any kind will trash an MRI and make it into an indiscernible cloud anywhere near the device. Stainless (316 AFAIK) shouldn't be a problem as far as magnetic pull either. I think that's about the only two metals they use inside the body.
Tony Quiring
Titanium
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2008
- Location
- Madera county california usa
I would suppose any conductor would be an issue.
Varying magnetic field will generate electrical charge in any conductor it passes.
What the charge is and does is question for those who know..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
Varying magnetic field will generate electrical charge in any conductor it passes.
What the charge is and does is question for those who know..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
MeanMachine1980
Aluminum
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2017
Yea those MRI machines are very powerful. I design and manufacture MRI coils for a living. Its always a challenge finding ways to make everything out of non magnetic materials. A lot of plastics are un acceptable because of polymer chains containing Hydrogen. It will image in the MRI magnet obstructing the image.
One fun thing to do in those strong magnets is lay a sheet of aluminum up right, let it go and watch it fall really slow. The magnetic field will set up eddie currents in any metal object magnetic or not. Metal rings of any sort are frowned upon, belt buckles and such. I work with magnets that are 2-3x more powerful than the magnets currently at hospitals and when you go in them your fillings start to taste funny!!
One fun thing to do in those strong magnets is lay a sheet of aluminum up right, let it go and watch it fall really slow. The magnetic field will set up eddie currents in any metal object magnetic or not. Metal rings of any sort are frowned upon, belt buckles and such. I work with magnets that are 2-3x more powerful than the magnets currently at hospitals and when you go in them your fillings start to taste funny!!
BoxcarPete
Stainless
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2018
- Location
- Michigan, USA
Vanadium is used as well, my "little" brother got a vanadium implant in his pinkie finger metacarpal after he broke his hand over some tough-guy-wannabie's face.
I'm super paranoid about the metal fragments in the eyes as well, my son had to have a CT (not even magnetic) on his neck to see if there was a blockage there (he had croup and the steroids weren't having the effect the doctors figured it should). I kept asking if it was OK for me to be in there, and once they pointed out that nobody made me remove my ring and watch I calmed down some. Still worried about the little man, but there was no secondary blockage, just a stubborn, drug-resistant baby. They had to give him two more courses of steroids and three more vaporized breathing treatments before they felt comfortable with his airway.
- Status
Similar threads
