Synopsis

Certain organizational roles are frequently encountered in the MRI safety context: the MR Director (MRD), the MR Safety Officer (MRSO) and the MR Safety Expert (MRSE). It is attempted to describe their respective responsibilities and how these relate to each other. In addition, a set of minimum requirements shall be identified, an MR operator in a research setting should fulfill before scanning human subjects.

Educational Objectives

1. To explain the terminology of safety management in MRI, how the different roles within a safety concept are usually understood and how they relate to each other
2. To outline a recommended training curriculum (minimum requirements) for scientists or students scanning human subjects in a research setting

Background

ISMRM represents professionals from 58 different nations, each with their own regulatory framework for an MRI facility. Researchers, clinicians or manufacturers, university hospitals or medical offices, big science institutions or small university groups, biomedical researchers, basic scientists or engineers, they all and many more define what we call the MRI community. MRI safety is one common obligation to everybody in this otherwise so diverse community. It is obviously impossible to provide a universally recipe for an MRI safety program, one which is applicable and appropriate everywhere and for everyone. A meaningful safety program for an MRI environment must always be tailored to the local environment, from the scientific background to the regulatory situation. There are some elements, however, which similarly apply to at least a wide range of settings and this presentation aims to identify and describe some of them. Necessarily, the desired applicability to a wide range of inherently different situations requires an approach in rather general terms which can only be filled with substance and thus brought to life at each MRI site individually.

The organization of MRI safety

In order to build an MRI safety program at a new site, to install additions or improvements or simply to understand how an existing safety concept works it is inevitable to know some key people within such a concept. Three different organizational 'roles' are frequently encountered in this context even though the names may vary. These are: the MR Director (MRD), the MR Safety Officer (MRSO) and MR Safety Expert (MRSE). The presentation attempts to describe their respective responsibilities and how these relate to each other. But in reality not just the roles but also the actual names (and phone numbers) must be known at a given site.

The MRI operator in a research setting

Clinical scanning is most frequently performed by MR radiographers/technologists; personnel which is trained and certified according to locally applicable regulations. However, in a research setting, typically when scanning volunteers for a scientific study, the situation is more diverse. Skills and education may vary substantially from one system operator, i.e. the individual at the scanner console, to the other. The presentation aims to identify a set of minimum requirements, therefore, a system operator should fulfill before scanning human subjects. This comprises essential knowledge of the scanner and its operating modes; the ability to identify when a subject is in a higher risk category and how to respond to that; familiarity with local emergency plans and rescue scenarios; and last but not least comprehension of a number of MRI specific safety hazards and considerations.

Further reading

1. Recommended responsibilities for management of MR safety. Calamante F, Ittermann B, Kanal E; Inter-Society Working Group on MR Safety., Norris D. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2016 Nov;44(5):1067-1069.
2. MR system operator: recommended minimum requirements for performing MRI in human subjects in a research setting. Calamante F et al. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2015 Apr;41(4):899-902
3. ACR guidance document on MR safe practices: 2013. Kanal E et al. J Magn Reson Imaging 2013;37: 501–530.
4. Magnetic Resonance Curriculum. Multi-organizational educational document provided by ASRT, AEIRS, ISMRM/SMR. 2015. www.ismrm.org/smrt/mr_curriculum.pdf
5. Policy Statement: Safety Advice to Magnetic Resonance Imaging Units that Undertake Human Imaging. Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM). 2013. www.ipem.ac.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Publications/Policy%20Statements/IPEM_MRSafetyExpert_PolicyStatement_04102013_SK.pdf
6. Non-binding guide to good practice for implementing Directive 2013/35/EU Electromagnetic Fields, Volume 1: Practical Guide, Appendix F: Guidance on MRI. European Commission. 2015.
7. IEC 60601-2-33 ed3.0. Medical electrical equipment — Part 2-33: Particular requirements for the basic safety and essential performance of magnetic resonance equipment for medical diagnosis. Geneva, Switzerland: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC); 2010.

Acknowledgements

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