Patent ID: 8570040

Claim:
A method for generating a new set of MRI images of a region of a recipient in which an implanted medical device having magnetic properties is located, the method comprising: scanning a plurality of scan slices of the recipient with an MRI machine set at a first fat shift direction resulting in a first set of MRI images including a plurality of MRI images respectively corresponding to the plurality of scan slices, wherein the first set of MRI images comprises at least one MRI image having an artifact resulting from the implanted medical device; rescanning at least some of the plurality of scan slices with the MRI machine set at a second fat shift direction different than the first fat shift direction resulting in a second set of MRI images including at least one MRI image having an artifact resulting from the implanted medical device; comparing a respective artifact of an MRI image corresponding to a first scan slice of the recipient of one of the first set of MRI images and the second set of MRI images to a respective artifact of an MRI image corresponding to the first scan slice of the recipient of the other of the first set of MRI images and the second set of MRI images; and selecting one of the compared MRI images based on the distortion to the respective MRI image created by the respective artifact.