Abstract
This paper shows the development of a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible guide wire made from fiber-reinforced plastics. The basic material of the developed guide wire is manufactured using a specially developed micro-pullwinding technology, which allows the adjustment of tensile, bending, and torsional stiffness independent from each other. Additionally, the micro-pullwinding technology provides the possibility to vary the stiffness along the length of the guide wire in a continuous process. With the possibilities of this technology, the mechanical properties of the guide wire were precisely adjusted for the intended usage in MRI-guided interventions. The performance of the guide wire regarding the mechanical properties was investigated. It could be shown, that the mechanical properties could be changed independently from each other by varying the process parameters. Especially, the torsional stiffness could be significantly improved with only a minor influence on bending and tensile properties. The precise influence of the variation of the winding angle on the mechanical and geometrical properties has to be further investigated. The usability of the guide wire as well as its visibility in MRI was investigated by radiologists. With the micro-pullwinding technology, a continuous manufacturing technique for highly stressable, MRI-safe profiles is available and can be the trigger for a new class of medical devices.
Acknowledgments
This project is performed in collaboration between the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology of the University Hospital Aachen, and the industrial partners Nano4Imaging and Hemoteq. The project is co-funded by the European Union (ERDF – European Regional Development Fund – Investing in your future) and the German federal state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), under the operational program “Regional Competitiveness and Employment” 2007–2013 (EFRE).
References
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