Modeling of radio-frequency induced currents on lead wires during MR imaging using a modified transmission line method

Purpose: Metallic implants may cause serious tissue heating during magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. This heating occurs due to the induced currents caused by the radio-frequency (RF) field. Much work has been done to date to understand the relationship between the RF field and the induced currents. Most of these studies, however, were based purely on experimental or numerical methods. This study has three main purposes: (1) to define the RF heating properties of an implant lead using two parameters; (2) to develop an analytical formulation that directly explains the relationship between RF fields and induced currents; and (3) to form a basis for analysis of complex cases.