Check whether body jewelry is MR Safe, MR Conditional, or MR Unsafe before an MRI scan. 17 materials classified under ASTM F2503 — including BioFlex®, titanium, steel, silver, and gold.
"I get asked about MRI safety more than almost any other subject. When a patient with a tongue or navel piercing needs an urgent scan, the radiographer's default answer is 'remove it.' With BioFlex®, I've always said: you don't need to. It's the only body jewelry I know of that a radiographer can accept with zero hesitation — no ferromagnetism, no heating, no artifact. This checker makes that case clearly, and covers every other material so patients and practitioners can make informed decisions fast."
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</iframe>It depends entirely on the material. Body jewelry classified as MR Safe — such as BioFlex® medical-grade polymer or PTFE — can be left in place during an MRI scan with no known hazards. MR Conditional materials like implant-grade titanium (ASTM F136) are generally accepted by radiographers, subject to field strength limits (typically ≤ 3T). MR Unsafe materials — ferromagnetic steel, magnetic clasps, silver, or unknown-grade "surgical steel" — must be removed before entering the MRI suite. The risk is not just artifact: ferromagnetic materials can experience significant force displacement in a high-field magnet, and conducting loops can cause RF heating and burns.
BioFlex® medical-grade polymer is the gold standard for MRI-safe body jewelry. Manufactured by Poli International, BioFlex® is a polypropylene random copolymer (PP-R) with ISO 10993-6 biocompatibility certification and FDA Class IV classification. It is non-ferromagnetic, non-conductive, generates no RF heating, and produces no susceptibility artifact in MRI images. When a patient needs a retainer during a scan, BioFlex® is the only material a radiographer can clear without qualification. PTFE (Teflon) and nylon retainers are also MR Safe, though they lack the biocompatibility certification of BioFlex®.
ASTM F2503 is the Standard Practice for Marking Medical Devices and Other Items for Safety in the Magnetic Resonance Environment. It defines three classifications: MR Safe (no known hazards in any MR environment), MR Conditional (no known hazards under specified conditions of field strength, SAR, and scan duration), and MR Unsafe (known hazards — do not use in MR environment). These classifications were developed for implanted medical devices, but the same physics applies to body jewelry. Radiographers rely on ASTM F2503 terminology when making admit/remove decisions at the scanner door. Jewelry manufacturers that understand and can reference this standard provide the clinical evidence chain needed in a healthcare setting.
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