Medtronic‘s line of Activa deep brain stimulators (DBS) received FDA approval for safe use while the patient undergoes full body magnetic resonance imaging as long as certain precautions are taken. This makes Activa DBS implants the only ones approved in the U.S. for full-body MRI scanning, an important factor for patients who tend to undergo imaging fairly frequently.
The new approval allows increased RF power to be used and to target any part of the body during scanning. Moreover, taking account certain parameters and setting the implant into a proper mode, the DBS therapy can continue to be delivered while the patient is inside the MRI system. Thus, receiving DBS therapy during imaging we hope will help achieve improved scan quality by controlling muscle movement in patients with essential tremor, Parkinson’s, and other conditions that cause involuntary motion.
Source: Medtronic…