Method to rotate an endovascular device around the axis of a vessel using an external magnetic field

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A magnetic guidance methodology to rotate a device around the catheter axis is proposed. The specific medical application is to intracranial aneurysms. An endovascular device, the asymmetric stent, has a low porosity region that is rotated to cover the aneurysm neck so as to reduce the blood flow into and hence obliterate the aneurysm. The magnetic guidance system consists of a magnetic device attached to the asymmetric stent and an external homogeneous magnetic field of . This magnetic field puts a torque on the magnetic moment of the magnetic device, thereby rotating the stent for proper orientation. For the magnetic device with the required magnetic moment of , a cylindrical neodymium permanent magnet is proposed due to its favorable material characteristics while a coil electromagnet with iron core appears impractical due to demagnetizing effects.
Funding Information
  • National Institutes of Health (R01NS43924)
  • National Institutes of Health (R01EB002873)