MR fluoroscopy in vascular and cardiac interventions (review)

Vascular and cardiac disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed and emerging countries. Vascular and cardiac interventions require extensive fluoroscopic guidance to navigate endovascular catheters. X-ray fluoroscopy is considered the current modality for real time imaging. It provides excellent spatial and temporal resolution, but is limited by exposure of patients and staff to ionizing radiation, poor soft tissue characterization and lack of quantitative physiologic information. MR fluoroscopy has been introduced with substantial progress during the last decade. Clinical and experimental studies performed under MR fluoroscopy have indicated the suitability of this modality for: delivery of ASD closure, aortic valves, and endovascular stents (aortic, carotid, iliac, renal arteries, inferior vena cava). It aids in performing ablation, creation of hepatic shunts and local delivery of therapies. Development of more MR compatible equipment and devices will widen the applications of MR-guided procedures. At post-intervention, MR imaging aids in assessing the efficacy of therapies, success of interventions. It also provides information on vascular flow and cardiac morphology, function, perfusion and viability. MR fluoroscopy has the potential to form the basis for minimally invasive image–guided surgeries that offer improved patient management and cost effectiveness

In Situ Neutron Diffraction Analyzing Stress-Induced Phase Transformation and Martensite Elasticity in [001]-Oriented Co49Ni21Ga30 Shape Memory Alloy Single Crystals

Recent studies demonstrated excellent pseudoelastic behavior and cyclic stability under compressive loads in [001]-oriented Co–Ni–Ga high-temperature shape memory alloys (HT-SMAs). A narrow stress hysteresis was related to suppression of detwinning at RT and low defect formation during phase transformation due to the absence of a favorable slip system. Eventually, this behavior makes Co–Ni–Ga HT-SMAs promising candidates for several industrial applications. However, deformation behavior of Co–Ni–Ga has only been studied in the range of theoretical transformation strain in depth so far. Thus, the current study focuses not only on the activity of elementary deformation mechanisms in the pseudoelastic regime up to maximum theoretical transformation strains but far beyond. It is shown that the martensite phase is able to withstand about 5% elastic strain, which significantly increases the overall deformation capability of this alloy system. In situ neutron diffraction experiments were carried out using a newly installed testing setup on Co–Ni–Ga single crystals in order to reveal the nature of the stress–strain response seen in the deformation curves up to 10% macroscopic strain