Johnson & Johnson Cypher Gets OK for MRI

Johnson & Johnson said the FDA approved the use of its Cypher stent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following implantation.

The move means that patients no longer have to wait two months after a procedure with the Cypher stent before undergoing MRI tests, which are an important tool for imaging and diagnosing a variety of medical conditions.

Johnson & Johnson unit Cordis had to demonstrate through laboratory studies that implanted medical devices that contain stainless steel metal, such as stents, are safe and not subject to potential migration and heating. Stents are tiny wire-mesh cylinders that are expanded inside diseased arteries to keep them open.