Risks of acoustic noise in the MR environment

Introduction MRI acoustic noise represents a possible hazard to patients and volunteers undergoing scanning and to workers present in the scanner room during imaging. Vibrations in the gradient coils are generated by Lorentz forces, induced by the currents flowing through the gradient coils within the static magnetic field. The vibrations are transmitted to other parts of the scanner and finally through the air to the ear of the patient or MR worker. In addition noise is also electromagnetically induced in other parts of the scanner because leakage gradient magnetic fields cause eddy currents in other conducting parts of the system [1,2].