Download Now CE certified: MR-compatible guide wire Date of issue: 11/2012

Now CE certified: MR-compatible guide wire
Date of issue: 11/2012
After
more
than
six
years
of
development,
EPflex
Feinwerktechnik GmbH obtained in October 2012 the first CE
certification world-wide for an MR-compatible guide wire. It has
the advantage that neither the patient nor the physician is
exposed to high levels of radiation compared to conventional
imaging techniques and it offers a significantly better image
quality.
A guide wire is a wire construction that is often several meters
long and is applied in many different fields of minimally
invasive medicine. Guide wires are placed into the body
through a natural or artificially produced body orifice and
guided to the point of treatment predominantly with the help of
computer tomography (CT). However, by applying this
method, both the patient and the physician are exposed to
high levels of radiation. These are even about 100 to 1000
times higher than in case of a normal radiograph, which results
in an increased risk of future cancers.
Another imaging technique used in medical technology is the
magnetic resonance tomography, but up to now, interventions
with guide wires have not been possible. The reason for this is
the material of which guide wires are made of – metal. This is
heated or even moved through magnetic forces which can
cause severe burns or death. Due to the numerous
advantages,
EPflex
Feinwerktechnik
GmbH
from
Dettingen/Erms has set itself the aim of developing a guide
wire without metallic components in order to be able to
achieve progress in the field of medical technology. The
advantages compared to conventional imaging techniques
include:
 No harmful x-rays for patient and physician
 Addition of a well-tolerated contrast agent (if at all
necessary)
 Superior soft-tissue contrast
 Display of movement of organs possible
 Highly detailed views of individual organs
The development of such guide wire presented EPflex with the
enormous challenge to create a guide wire consisting of fibers
that offer similar characteristics as a conventional metallic
guide wire. These requirements are particularly high, since the
guide wire must be of a certain stiffness, which is necessary
for ensuring a safe navigation through the human body and
besides, its tip must be as flexible as possible in order to
prevent injuries.
After years of research, EPflex has developed now a
construction whose interior consists of a Kevlar-fiber that is
covered by high-strength plastic. Using special markers, the
guide wire then can be visualized with MR imaging. In order to
additionally improve the guiding inside the body, the guide wire
has a hydrophilic coating that provides an extremely lubricious
surface when combined with water.
There are currently clinical studies ongoing focusing on
diagnostics and applications in cardiology.
Contact & Information
EPflex Feinwerktechnik GmbH
Sandra Schrade
Im Schwöllbogen 24 • D-72851 Dettingen/Erms
Tel.: +49 (0)7123/9784-769
Fax: +49 (0)7123/9784-33
[email protected] • www.epflex.com