PURPOSE To develop a technique for intravascular magnetic resonance (MR)-guided balloon angioplasty with use of an MR imaging guide wire. MATERIALS AND METHODS An MR imaging guide wire (0.6-mm loopless antenna) that could be placed within a balloon catheter was manufactured. The guide wire was expected to function as either an MR receiver probe in real-time MR imaging or a guide wire for use ...

Central venous catheter placement is a relatively common procedure in current practice, but it is not devoid of risks. Utmost care must be taken to follow a correct technique, and only appropriately trained and/or supervised medical professionals should perform this invasive act. One of the possible complications, completely avoidable by appropriate care, is the intravascular loss of the guide ...

An instrument was developed to establish a tract through the muscle layer for percutaneous nephrostomy. The specially designed clamp holds a guide wire or rod and opens the muscle layer easily and safely. It is not as dangerous as a knife and is inexpensive compared with a disposable balloon dilator.

Polymer self-assembly of a 3D continuous gyroid morphology was replicated into a network consisting of hollow gold struts. This was achieved by first replicating a gyroid structured film into nickel. The Ni network was employed as an electrode for electrochemical Au deposition, followed by the removal of Ni. The resulting hollow network of plasmonic gold exhibited a substantial optical transmis...

Most of shape memory alloys are functional intermetallics. They are now practically being used for couplings, actuators, medical guide wires etc., and are hopeful candidates for smart materials, which already exist. In the present paper, recent developments within nearly 10 years on shape memory alloys and martensitic: transformations, on which shape memory e€ect and superelasticity are based, ...

The addition of chemically etched distance marks to standard oesophageal guide wires is described so that guide wire retraction during progressive oesophageal dilatation and impending impaction of the dilator onto the flexible wire tip can be quickly and easily recognised.