Re: Confirm my suspicions?
your belt is firmly enough attached that it wouldn't go anywhere. a piece of metal in your eye (even after it was removed) should be mentioned to the Doctors and MRI techs (there could be other metal in your eye they missed). I'm a 2nd year medical student and we were just in the hospital the other day getting our training on all the diagnostic imaging equipment. The major problem with small pieces of metal like that isn't only the magnetic force that will pull on the piece of metal (it may be secure enough to not get pulled through your eyeball) but the fact that the magnetic field is rotating and it will therefor cause the metal to want to snap in the other direction so it is in proper alignment again with the magnetic field. That is why they can't do MRI's on patients who have surgically repaired brain anyeurisms. Because in the days before Titanium was used, the older metal clips used to tie off blood vessels were magnetic and when the magnetic field would rotate around the patient, the little metal clip would want to snap backwards to be in alignment with the field. The new MRI machines are still strong enough to pull metal objects flying across the room. we had to removed all of our metal items including watches... but belt buckles where okay b/c they were secured. The lab tech walked in the room with a dog leash. Holding on to the handle, he let the metal clasp go and it went flying towards the machine. IT HOVERED IN MID AIR. Then he handed us a pair of hemostats (think surgical needle nose pliers) and you could feel the pull on them, but then he told you to hold them upright, instead of poinging at the machine, and once you overpowered the force to hold it upright, it jerked the hemostats back. He also pointed out the deep scratches all over the entrance to the machine that had occured from all the metal objects that have flown into it... people forgot to empty their pockets. The janitorial crew apparently forgets to use the aluminum latter to change light bulbs as well and the big wooden latter with little steel screws goes flying onto it. FYI, they keep those machines on 24-7 b/c it costs more to turn them on and generate the field from a cold standstill then it does to keep it running 24-7 with moderate use. You definatly want to let them know if you have any lead pellets (from BB guns) or other such metallic objects in your body as well. Copper BB's should be okay as they aren't metallic but the techs and docs still want to know as it will definatly interest them when they see it in your body.
Sorry to be so long winded but i didn't want for ANYONE to read this thread and get hurt if they went in for an MRI thinking they would be okay with any such mislead info. I am definatly not an authority on MRI but I think the dozens of classes and hands on MRI training gives me a little more insight. If you are going in for an MRI, consult your doctor on anything like this that you may be concerened about (any pieces of metal in your body, etc) that is what they are there for.
