A study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that children with a MED-EL SYNCHRONY cochlear implant device can undergo MRI safely, with no discomfort and reduced need for sedation or anesthesia. Findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Laryngoscope.

The study only included subjects with the MED-EL SYNCHRONY implant, which has a rotating magnet that aligns with the MRI magnetic field.  The HiRes Ultra 3D implant from Advanced Bionics has magnets that rotate in multiple axes, so the head can be in any orientation.  The Nucleus 7 implant from Cochlear has a rotating magnet for MRI compatibility as well.