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A power port is the common name for the BD PowerPort family of implanted ports: a small device placed under the skin and connected to a catheter, made for repeated vascular access and rated by its manufacturer for power injection of contrast media. This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
It is written for clinic and imaging staff, procurement readers and students who need to know what the device is, what its labelled limits are, and how its MRI status is stated. Conditions of use always come from the manufacturer’s instructions for use (IFU), which are published on the BD electronic IFU portal at eifu.bd.com.
What a power port is
“PowerPort” is a BD brand name. The generic description is a power-injectable implanted port. BD’s care-and-maintenance document (BD-104261, copyright 2023, checked 30 October 2026) states that the port system is indicated for patient therapies requiring repeated access to the vascular system. It can be used for infusion of medications including chemotherapy, intravenous fluids, parenteral nutrition solutions and blood products, and for the withdrawal of blood samples.
What sets it apart from a standard port is the power-injection indication. When used with a PowerLoc brand safety infusion set, BD states that the PowerPort device is indicated for power injection of contrast media, with a maximum recommended rate of 5 mL/s. For the general idea of an implanted port, see what an implanted port is; for the catheter it connects to, see central venous catheters; for a different catheter design, see the Groshong catheter.
Who uses it: the clinicians who implant, access and maintain ports, and the radiology and imaging staff who run contrast studies through them. Whether a given port is appropriate for a given patient is a clinical decision.
How it is built: body materials, septum and catheter
A port has a port body (the housing), a self-sealing septum that a needle passes through, and an attached catheter. BD’s product pages describe the main difference between PowerPort versions as the port body material: titanium for the standard PowerPort, a plastic body for the PowerPort isp M.R.I., and a silicone overmolded body for the ClearVUE isp. BD says the silicone body is softer than titanium and plastic port bodies.
Types and variants
| Variant | Body material or feature (per BD) | Key difference | MR label (per BD-104261) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PowerPort implantable port | Titanium port body | Described as easily identifiable and power injectable | MR Conditional |
| PowerPort isp M.R.I. | Plastic port body; radio-translucent; radiopaque identifier | Described as having reduced artifact on imaging | MR Conditional |
| PowerPort ClearVUE isp | Silicone overmolded port body | Softer than titanium and plastic bodies; palpation bump or smooth septum options | MR Safe |
| PowerPort ClearVUE Slim | Low-profile design | Described by BD as low-profile in size | MR Safe (all ClearVUE ports) |
Sources: BD PowerPort product pages (MENAT, UK and Canada) and BD-104261, all checked 30 October 2026. Note that “M.R.I.” is part of the PowerPort isp M.R.I. product name; BD-104261 states that all PowerPorts other than ClearVUE are MR Conditional, which includes this one.
Power injection: what the label says
BD-104261 gathers the power-injection limits into its warnings. In plain terms:
- The port is power injectable only when accessed with a PowerLoc brand safety infusion set.
- The maximum recommended rate is 5 mL/s, and the power injection machine should not exceed a 300 psi pressure limit setting.
- Exceeding the maximum flow rate may result in port system failure and/or catheter tip displacement.
- Do not power inject through a port system that shows signs of clavicle-first rib compression or pinch-off.
- Catheter patency must be confirmed before power injection; failure to do so may result in port system failure.
- If local pain, swelling or signs of extravasation appear during power injection, the injection should be stopped immediately.
- Do not use a syringe smaller than 10 mL to access the port, because flushing occluded catheters with small syringes can create excessive pressure.
BD also notes that the power-injection indication implies the port’s ability to withstand the procedure. It does not imply that the procedure is appropriate for a particular patient or a particular infusion set; a trained clinician makes that evaluation.
Power port and MRI: MR Safe or MR Conditional?
BD-104261 gives a short rule: all PowerPort ClearVUE ports are MR Safe, and all other PowerPorts are MR Conditional. To confirm what a patient has, BD points to the patient ID card, which shows the MR Safe or MR Conditional symbol, and to the patient chart.
The scan conditions for an MR Conditional port (such as field strength and other limits) are set out in the product IFU and on the ID card, not on this page. For what the two labels mean in general, see MR Conditional labelling.
How staff identify a power port
BD lists several ways to recognise a power-injectable BD port:
- Palpation bumps on the port, which indicate power injection and help locate the septum. BD stated, as of November 2023, that these are found only on BD ports.
- A triangular shape.
- The patient ID card and the chart.
- On X-ray, radiopaque “CT” identifiers.
BD adds two caveats: not all power-injectable ports have palpation bumps, and not all power-injectable ports are triangular. Physical features alone are therefore not proof, which is why the ID card and records matter.
Safe use and handling basics
- Use the IFU for the specific port and infusion set. This page is a summary, not a substitute.
- BD’s precautions call for priming the device with sterile normal saline to help avoid air embolism, and for avoiding excessive force when accessing the port.
- Contraindications listed by BD include known or suspected infection or bacteremia, insufficient body size for the device, known allergy to device materials, a previously irradiated site and prior thrombosis at the site.
- For power injection, BD requires the PowerLoc brand safety infusion set named above. Related access supplies are listed under Huber needles.
Common mistakes
- Assuming any port is power injectable. BD states the PowerPort is power injectable only with a PowerLoc brand safety infusion set.
- Treating the 5 mL/s and 300 psi figures as interchangeable with another manufacturer’s port; they are BD’s labelled values for PowerPort.
- Reading “M.R.I.” in a product name as the whole MRI answer. Check the MR Safe or MR Conditional symbol on the ID card and the IFU conditions.
- Identifying a port by shape or bumps alone, when BD itself says those features are not universal.
- Reading the power-injection rating as a judgment that the procedure suits a particular patient.
FAQ
What is a power port?
It is the common name for BD’s PowerPort implanted ports, which are indicated for repeated vascular access and, with a PowerLoc brand safety infusion set, for power injection of contrast media at up to 5 mL/s.
Is a power port MRI safe?
It depends on the model. Per BD-104261, all PowerPort ClearVUE ports are MR Safe and all other PowerPorts are MR Conditional. The patient ID card and chart show which applies, and the IFU gives the conditions.
What does “power port MRI” mean in the PowerPort isp M.R.I. name?
BD describes that model as having a plastic, radio-translucent body with reduced artifact. Its MR status under BD-104261 is MR Conditional.
How can you tell if a port is power injectable?
Check the ID card and chart first. Palpation bumps, a triangular shape and radiopaque “CT” identifiers on X-ray can also indicate it, but BD notes that not all power-injectable ports have them.
Sources
- BD, PowerPort ClearVUE Care and Maintenance, BD-104261 (2023), checked 30 October 2026.
- BD, PowerPort isp M.R.I. implantable port product page (UK), checked 30 October 2026.
- BD, PowerPort ClearVUE isp implantable port product page (Canada), checked 30 October 2026.
- BD, PowerPort implantable port product page (MENAT), checked 30 October 2026.
- BD electronic IFU portal: https://eifu.bd.com (authority for conditions of use).
