Hypertonic saline solution for signal transmission and steering in MRI-guided intravascular catheterisation

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018. Use of traditional low-impedance sensor leads is highly undesirable in intravascular catheters to be used with MRI guidance; thermal safety and quality of imaging are particularly impacted by these components. In this paper, we are showing that hypertonic saline solution, a high-impedance body-like fluid, could be a compatible and effective signal transmission medium when used in MRI-compatible catheters. We also propose a simple type of catheter design that can be steered hydraulically using the same saline solution. Integration of hydraulic steering is not required for MRI-compatibility; however efficient design can bring advantages in terms of structural simplicity and miniaturisation. Manufacturing of proof-of-concept prototypes using 3D printing is underway

New Frontiers in Percutaneous Interventions

__Abstract__ In 1977 Andreas Gruntzig introduced a catheter-based therapy for the percutaneous management of patients with coronary artery disease. This became known as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Initially there were many skeptics and pessimists. The technology, however, evolved rapidly. With the advent of specialized catheters, guidewires, stents, and adjuvant pharmacotherapy, the indications for PTCA have expanded to include more urgent, comorbid cases and complex coronary disease. Furthermore, these innovations have largely solved earlier problems related to elastic recoil, dissection and restenosis of the treated segment. In particular, the introduction of stents with the capacity to elute drugs to the injured arterial wall has been shown to be an effective and overall safe approach to suppress intimal hyperplasia. The excellent results of DES in clinical trials and everyday clinical practice, in synergy with important improvements in adjuvant drug therapy, have expanded the indications of percutaneous coronary interventions even further. Within 10 years of its introduction, the number of PTCA procedures