Dutch designers use optical fiber for MRI-compatible cardiac catheter

Nicholas Leider | | Cardiovascular Business | Cardiac Imaging

A prototype developed by a Dutch team replaces a cardiac catheter’s wire leads with optical fiber, which provides both power and control. The design shows the potential for physicians to conduct measurements with MRI.

The team, with researchers from Royal Philps NV and Erasmus Medical Center, both in the Netherlands, aimed to improve two common problems with wire leads. They wanted to minimize localized heating due to magnetic fields and reduce image degradation due to metallic wire interference.

A lengthy paper has been published by the Optical Society of America. A condensed recap can be found at the link below:

Optical Fiber Powers MRI-Compatible Cardiac Catheter

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Nicholas Leider, Managing Editor

Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.

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