Artifact Induced by a Transponder During In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging on Horse Brain.

This study details the challenges faced during MRI imaging of horse brains owing to distortions caused by a mandatory implanted transponder, and suggests exploration into these artifacts when conducting such procedures.

Introduction

• The report revolves around the issue of artifacts resulting from transponders implanted in horses’ necks for identification purposes, as mandated by European legislation, during an MRI scan.
• The researchers were conducting MRI scans on pony mares as part of a scientific study and experienced distortions in the imaging, which they attribute to these transponders.

Procedure

• The pony mares were anesthetized for 2 hours and placed in a 3T MRI scanner on their backs for the brain imaging process.
• A four-element flexible antenna, placed around the head of the horse, was used during the scan.
• Three different types of MRI sequences were conducted on each animal: three-dimensional T1, three-dimensional T2, and two-dimensional T1.

Findings

• The images produced by the MRI scans were of excellent quality for the anterior portions of the brain, but started to distort toward the posterior, in the region beyond the pineal pituitary axis.
• The image quality deteriorated further for the cerebellum, where they completely disappeared.
• To confirm the source of the artifacts, researchers conducted an MRI scan of the mandatory transponder embedded in an inert gel, under similar conditions to the MRI performed on the ponies. The resultant images were found to resemble the artifacts noticed during the ponies’ MRI.

Conclusion

• The research conclusively ties the distortions in the MRI imaging to the presence of the mandatory identification transponders, and thus highlights the need for further investigation into such artifacts.
• Understanding and overcoming these artifacts would allow for better quality brain imaging during MRI scans for horses, which could support more accurate diagnostics and research.