Combining Pulsed and DC Gradients in a Clinical MRI-Based Microrobotic Platform to Guide Therapeutic Magnetic Agents in the Vascular Network

Magnetic Resonance Navigation (MRN) relies on the use of an upgraded clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner to navigate therapeutic, imaging, or diagnostic magnetic micro-agents in the vascular network. Although the high homogeneous field in the tunnel of the MRI scanner increases the mag...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of advanced robotic systems Vol. 10; no. 1
Main Author Martel, Sylvain
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 11.01.2013
Sage Publications Ltd
SAGE Publishing
Subjects
Advantages
Bifurcations
Blood vessels
Chemical compounds
Coils
Diagnostic systems
Experiments
Flow velocity
Magnetic fields
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetism
Medical imaging
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Pharmacology
Scanners
Slew rate
Steering
Veins & arteries
Wireless networks
Canada
Targeted Therapies and Diagnostics
Vascular Network
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Navigable Agents
Magnetic Force
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Summary:Magnetic Resonance Navigation (MRN) relies on the use of an upgraded clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner to navigate therapeutic, imaging, or diagnostic magnetic micro-agents in the vascular network. Although the high homogeneous field in the tunnel of the MRI scanner increases the magnetization of the navigable agents towards full saturation, the magnetic gradients superposed on such a high homogeneous field, generated by the Imaging Gradient Coils (IGC) typically used for MR-image slice selection, allow the induction of pulling forces to steer such agents in the targeted branches at the vessel's bifurcations. However, increasing the magnitude of such gradients leads to a significant decrease of the duty cycle, leading to a substantial reduction of the effective steering force being applied. To increase such a duty cycle, a Steering Gradient Coils (SGC) assembly capable of higher magnitudes while maintaining a 100% duty cycle can be installed at the cost of a much slower slew rate. Here, the use and the potential effectiveness of IGC and/or SGC for guiding such agents are briefly investigated on the basis of known specifications and experimental data.
ISSN:1729-8806
1729-8814
DOI:10.5772/53513