Medical device with temperature modulator for use in magnetic resonance imaging
View Patent ↗This disclosure employs temperature, magnetism and Curie point transition to construct and use catheters and other medical devices that can be visualized using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Accordingly, this disclosure includes, but is not limited to, medical devices, means of constructing medical devices, and methods of imaging medical devices using magnetic resonance and other technologies.
1. A medical device adapted to be inserted into tissue and to be located using a magnetic resonance imaging device, comprising:
a housing defining a lumen capable of accepting a fluid, the housing including a hydrophilic layer and a material having a Curie point, the hydrophilic layer and the material being outside the lumen; and
a temperature modulator, the temperature modulator being operatively associated with the housing, the temperature modulator being configured to vary the temperature of the material past the Curie point, to alter the magnetic resonance image in response to a change in the temperature of the material.
2. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the medical device further comprises radiopaque material.
3. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the Curie point is in the range of 25 and 50 degrees Celsius.
4. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the Curie point is in the range of 32 and 42 degrees Celsius.
5. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the Curie point is within five degrees of body temperature.
6. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the material that possesses a Curie point comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of cobalt, palladium, nickel, silicon, iron, manganese, chromium, and copper, so as to achieve a desired Curie point.
7. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the Curie point is above body temperature.
8. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the Curie point is below body temperature.
9. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the temperature modulator is capable of alternating the temperature of at least a portion of the medical device.
10. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the material having the Curie point is embedded within the hydrophilic layer.
11. A method, comprising:
inserting into tissue a medical device comprising a housing defining a lumen capable of accepting a fluid, a hydrophilic layer, a material having a Curie point, and a temperature modulator, the temperature modulator being operatively associated with the housing, the hydrophilic layer and the material being outside the lumen;
while the medical device is inserted into tissue, modulating a temperature of the medical device so that the temperature of the material is varied past the Curie point so as to modify the detectability of the medical device via magnetic resonance imaging; and
visualizing the medical device using magnetic resonance imaging.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the material has a Curie point that is below body temperature.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the material has a Curie point that is above body temperature.
14. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the material having the Curie point is embedded within the hydrophilic layer.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the modulating step alters a temperature of the hydrophilic layer.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the modulating step decreases the temperature of the hydrophilic layer.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the modulating step decreases the temperature of the hydrophilic layer at least one degree Celsius.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the modulating step increases the temperature of the hydrophilic layer.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the modulating step increases the temperature of the hydrophilic layer at least one degree Celsius.