Resistive tapered striplines design for MR conditional implants

Despite its remarkable success, one of the significant limitations of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and other types of active medical implants is their incompatibility with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This work presents in detail the theory behind a novel MR conditional leads based on resistive tapered stripline technology. The innovative high-resistance technology was shown to allow for decreased Specific Absorption Rate while maintaining low lead resistivity for continuous current injection. The final goal is the development of an active implant systems compatible with MRI and using a more effective stimulation, with significant benefits to patients that may require neural implantation in pathological conditions such as Parkinson´s disease, epilepsy, and stroke.