88,92 The simplest way to avoid this problem is to construct devices from non-metallic components when possible. Polymer materials for catheter braiding, such as Dacron and Kevlar, and composite materials for guide-wires, such as glass-fiber-reinforced plastics, can be used to achieve device functional

characteristics such as torqueability, stiffness, and kink resistance.38,93 Several approaches have also been developed to avoid significant induction heating in structures Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical that require conductivity. Wires made from high-resistance alloys and gold-sputtered thread have been used to obtain intracardiac electrograms during imaging, with significant reduction of electrode heating.94 For structures Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical where efficient power transfer is required, such as pacing or ablation electrodes, high-frequency RF chokes can allow passage of signal lower than a few MHz while blocking unwanted MR transmit frequency currents.95,96 A promising heating suppression technique for position tracking and intravascular selleckchem imaging coils that need to pass differential mode signals at the same frequencies as unwanted common mode induced currents is to place thin

transmission line transformers Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in the signal-carrying cables.77,97,98 Other strategies such as detuning and decoupling of circuits prone to heating,78,99 fiber-optic transmission of signals,100 and use of inductively coupled resonators for wireless device Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical tracking101 are also considerations for new device design.25,90 Using surface coils instead of the higher-power body coil for RF transmission has also been proposed as a way to reduce RF current induction in devices.102 Now that academic sites and imaging companies are focusing on heating-safe device development,

Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical more rapid progress in this area is expected. Transitioning proof of concept studies to clinical electrophysiology procedures requires collaboration between academic centers, imaging and device companies, and regulatory agencies. The first CMR-guided electrophysiology Calpain procedure in a patient was performed using custom catheters made to clinical specifications by a clinical catheter manufacturer.39 Prior to use in a human an investigational device exemption was obtained from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As part of this device exemption, catheter heating and reduction of heating using RF filtering was demonstrated in a series of device positions and orientations within the scanner using high specific absorption rate (SAR)-imaging protocols.39 In addition, safe use of the catheter in animals was documented prior to human studies. Though catheters with embedded imaging coils provided improved device visualization in the animal studies, these devices were not approved for or used in patients.