IEC 60601-2-33 Ed. 4.0 b:2022

Medical electrical equipment - Part 2-33: Particular requirements for the basic safety and essential performance of magnetic resonance equipment for medical diagnosis.

IEC 60601-2-33:2022 applies to the BASIC SAFETY and ESSENTIAL PERFORMANCE of MAGNETIC RESONANCE (MR) EQUIPMENT and MAGNETIC RESONANCE (MR) SYSTEMS.

This document does not cover the application of MR EQUIPMENT beyond the INTENDED USE.

If a clause or subclause is specifically intended to be applicable to MR EQUIPMENT only, or to MR SYSTEMS only, the title and content of that clause or subclause will say so. If that is not the case, the clause or subclause applies both to MR EQUIPMENT and to MR SYSTEMS, as relevant.

This document does not formulate additional specific requirements for MR EQUIPMENT or MR SYSTEMS used in INTERVENTIONAL MR EXAMINATIONS.

IEC 60601-2-33:2022 cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2010, Amendment 1:2013 and Amendment 2:2015. This edition constitutes a technical revision.

This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:

• a) aligned with IEC 60601-1:2005 and its two amendments IEC 60601-1:2005/AMD1:2012 and IEC 60601-1:2005/AMD2:2020;
• b) addition of safety requirements for the EMERGENCY FIELD SHUT DOWN UNIT;
• c) clarification of acoustic protection measures for the PATIENT and MR WORKER;
• d) addition of noise emission declaration for exposure inside the MR EXAMINATION ROOM, to support occupational health assessment by the RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATION;
• e) addition of compliance methods for thermal safety of RF coils;
• f) addition of RF transmit definitions to match MR CONDITIONAL labelling requirements for MEDICAL DEVICES;
• g) clarification of requirements for MR CONDITIONAL labelling of ACCESSORIES;
• h) alignment of static magnetic field limit for B0 HAZARD area to limits in other MEDICAL DEVICE standards (especially that for pacemakers, ISO 14117), the new limit value being 0,9 mT;
• i) improved description of the magnetic field related plots in the Compatibility Technical Specification Sheet (CTSS);
• j) provision of compatibility sequences (in the CTSS) to test auxiliary equipment by the MR manufacturer has become optional, and is expected to be eliminated in a future edition;
• k) a separate section with requirements for a site-planning document containing safety information;
• l) requirements for the alerting function (PATIENT to OPERATOR);
• m) introduction of MROC as mandatory functionality for 1,5 T and 3 T systems to facilitate scanning of PATIENTs with MEDICAL DEVICES labelled as MR CONDITIONAL, unless such scanning is explicitly contra-indicated by the MR MANUFACTURER;
• n) RF coil symbols in Table 201.A.102 have become mandatory, and the preferred and alternate signs have been swapped relative to the previous edition, with preferred now being the sign with color;
• o) determination of the _B1 stray field in 201.12.4.105.3.3 based on calculations only.