FDA Publishes Survey Results on Ferromagnetic Detector Use

A small survey recently conducted by FDA sought to determine why and how ferromagnetic detectors (FMDs) are used in hospitals. Eight facilities participating in FDA’s Medical Product Safety Network (MedSun) were surveyed regarding their use of FMDs; one of these facilities did not use FMDs.

FMDs are used to detect ferromagnetic objects on the patient and thereby help prevent “projectile events,” in which ferromagnetic objects are pulled into the bore of an MR scanner. There are three types of detectors that are commonly used in hospitals: archway, or portal, systems; handheld-wand systems; and pole-style, or pillar-style, systems. The use of such devices in hospitals has been controversial; while some view them as important precautionary devices, others...