Validation and Comparison of Patient-Specific SAR Models

Conclusions The use of water-fat-separated MR data is a relatively simple and flexible approach for generating dielectric body models. Whereas most generic models are more detailed, to our knowledge no in vivo validation of such models has ever been performed. In this study, good agreement between the measured and the simulated B1-fields was found, suggesting that the water-fat-separated models accurately represent the eddy current paths through the human body and hence also give a valid estimation of the SAR. The approach can in principle be used for patient-specific SAR model generation. Such models may be valuable for research in high-field MRI or for in vivo validation RF coil simulations. For a clinical application, this is currently not practical. Instead, the approach can be used to generate models representing various anatomies and body positions for comparative studies of the SAR. The models used in this work exhibit very consistent local SAR patterns. This provides further confidence in the reliability of the SAR prediction and motivates further research in SAR management and local SAR hotspot suppression by parallel transmit MRI.