Active two-channel 0.035'' guidewire for interventional cardiovascular MRI.
OBJECTIVE
To develop an "active" (receiver-coil) clinical-grade guidewire with enhanced visibility for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and favorable mechanical characteristics for interventional MRI procedures that require conspicuous intravascular instruments distinguishable from surrounding tissues.


METHODS
We designed a 0.035-inch guidewire combining two antenna designs on separate channels. A loop antenna visualizes the tip and a dipole antenna visualizes the whole shaft. We compared mechanical characteristics of this guidewire with x-ray alternatives and tested MRI performance at 1.5T in vitro and in vivo in swine.


RESULTS
Images reflected tip position within 0.97 +/- 0.42 mm and afforded whole-shaft visibility under expected conditions without sacrificing device size or handling. We report tip stiffness, torquability, and pushability comparable to commercial interventional guidewires.


CONCLUSIONS
Our clinical-grade 0.035-inch active guidewire is conspicuous under MRI and has mechanical performance comparable to x-ray interventional guidewires. This may enable a range of interventional procedures using real-time MRI.
Kocaturk
Ozgur
O
Translational Medicine Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1061, USA. kocaturko@nhlbi.nih.gov
Kim
Ann H
AH
Saikus
Christina E
CE
Guttman
Michael A
MA
Faranesh
Anthony Z
AZ
Ozturk
Cengizhan
C
Lederman
Robert J
RJ
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D053783:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Interventional / Q000295:instrumentation*