Safety of postimplantation MRI with Dixi microdeep electrodes in situ: An in vitro evaluation of MRI‐related heating at 1.5T

Electrodes positioned within the brain for planning epilepsy surgery can heat up during MRI. Using a standard test object mimicking the electrical properties of the human body, we measured heating of Dixi microdeep depth electrodes in different positions and orientations and with varying levels of radiofrequency power. We found substantial heating apart from when the radiofrequency power was greatly restricted or when the lead was tightly coiled. Different electrode contacts showed drastically different heating, and heating levels capable of causing serious injury were measured during MRI.