Abstract: A medical device for multiple treatment therapies includes a hollow tube (102) having a first end portion with an electrode (104) disposed at the first end portion and an insulator (108) configured over a length of the tube such that conductive materials of the tube, except for the electrode, are electrically isolated from an exterior surface the tube. A conductive connection (127) is configured to electrically couple to the electrode to provide a voltage thereto. A selectively closeable valve (106) is configured to dispense a medical fluid from the tube.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) system (10) for guidance of a shaft or needle (16) to a target (14) of a subject (12) is provided. The system includes a user interface (76). The user interface (76) includes a frame (78) positioned on a surface of the subject (12). The frame (78) includes an opening (82) over an entry point of a planned trajectory for the shaft or needle (16). The planned trajectory extends from the entry point to the target (14). The user interface (76) further includes one or more visual indicators (80) arranged on the frame (78) around the opening (82). The one or more visual indicators (80) at least one of: 1) visually indicate deviation of the shaft or needle (16) from the planned trajectory; and 2) visually indicate a current position of a real-time slice of real-time MR images.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrocardiograph sensor mat (100), the mat (100) comprising a multitude of electrodes (104) for acquiring cardiac signals and a plug (200), wherein the electrodes (104) are connected to the plug (200) by electric wires (102), wherein the wires (102) are segmented by switches (202), wherein the switches (202) are switchable between a closed state and an open state, wherein in the closed state the electrodes (104) are electrically connected to the plug (200) and wherein in the open state the electrodes (104) are electrically isolated from the plug (200).

Abstract: The invention relates to a security element for the identification of a security document, in particular a banknote, a valuable paper or a paper document, comprising at least one electrically controllable display element and at least one piezoelectric energy source which controls the at least one display element. The security element is formed by a flexible multilayered film body comprising the at least one electrically controllable display element containing a display layer having liquid crystals that can be oriented in an electric field, and comprising the at least one piezoelectric energy source which controls the at least one display element and has at least one layer composed of piezoelectric material, wherein the security element has a thickness of at most 70 ?m in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the film body.

Abstract: The application relates to a tube for being introduced into an object. The tube (1), which is preferentially a catheter, comprises a tube-like braid (2) made from electrically conductive strands (3), wherein ends (4) of the strands (3) are staggered in the longitudinal direction of the tube (1). Since the ends of the strands are staggered in the longitudinal direction of the tube, local radio frequency heat generated during a magnetic resonance imaging procedure is not concentrated at a single longitudinal location, but distributed along a staggered region in the longitudinal direction of the tube, in which the ends of the electrically conductive strands are staggered. This distribution of the radio frequency heat along the longitudinal direction of the tube reduces the maximum temperature produced by radio frequency heating and, thus, the likelihood of damaging the object, in which the tube is to be introduced, due to heat.

Abstract: A miniature X-ray source (10) for high dose rate brachytherapy that can be operated in a wide range of operating directions (76) in the presence of a strong magnetic field (B), such as, for instance, the static magnetic field (B) of an MR scanner, with at least one anode (12) and at least one cathode (14), wherein in an operative state, an electric field (18) between the anode (12) and the cathode (14) is essentially spherically symmetric in at least a continuous solid angle of more than ?/2 sr about a center (16) of the cathode (14); a brachytherapy system, comprising at least one said miniature X-ray source (10), and a method for generating a beam (82) of X-ray radiation inside an outer magnetic field (B) or an operative MR scanner with said miniature X-ray source (10).

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical apparatus (200, 300, 400) comprising: a magnetic resonance imaging system (202), a display (270), a processor (228), and a memory (234) for storing instructions for the processor. The instructions causes the processor to receive a brachytherapy treatment plan (240), acquire (100) planning magnetic resonance data (244), calculate (102) a catheter placement positions (246, 900, 902) and a catheter control commands (248) the brachytherapy catheters.

Abstract: An RF-safe interventional or a non-interventional instrument is disclosed for use during an MR imaging or MR examination of an examination object (A), which instrument is made of or comprises at least one longitudinal or elongated electrically conductive element (1, 3), especially in the form of a conductor or wire or line for feeding electrical signals, or in the form of the instrument itself or a component or a part thereof, which is not provided for feeding electrical signals but nevertheless electrically conductive, wherein all such elements are subject to RF common mode currents which are induced in the element when the instrument or element is exposed to an RF/MR excitation field generated during MR imaging or MR examination by means of an MR imaging apparatus.

Abstract: A transmission cable including a transmission line, at least two electrically conductive line segments separated by a non-conductive gap, a bridging unit including at least one electrically conductive bridge segment capable of bridging the non-conductive gap, and a switching unit arranged to move the bridging unit and/or the transmission line to electrically connect the two line segments by closing the non-conductive gap using the bridge segment or to electrically disconnect the two line segments by opening the non-conductive gap.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for predicting kinking, breaking or fracturing of flexible medical instruments 100 such as guidewires. Fiber optic methods for determining curvature are known. However, according to this invention such optic methods can be utilized for determining bending of flexible medical instrument, for example by determining when the curvature of the flexible medical instruments becomes smaller than a given curvature threshold. The flexible medical instruments may kink, break or fracture due to material fatigue. To predict failure of the instrument due to fatigue, the bending actions on the instrument may be monitored during the entire lifetime or during several uses of the instrument for determining a warning of a possible risk of instrument failure.

Abstract: An interventional or a non-interventional instrument like a catheter, a surgical device, a biopsy needle, a pointer, a stent or another invasive or non-invasive device, like a position marker, or a surface or local coil like a head coil is disclosed, wherein these instruments are provided with an MR-safe RF transmission line or cable (2, 3) for connecting the instrument with related RF transmit/MR receive units or other signal processing units for operating the instrument during an MR imaging or MR examination of an examination object. Basically, MR safety is obtained or increased by means of a plurality of fuses (6) which are serially connected into the transmission line or cable (2, 3).

Abstract: A guide wire (400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1200, 1300) is adapted for use in magnetic resonance imaging systems. The guide wire has a shaft region (402) and a distal tip region (404). The shaft region comprises a composite shaft (406) comprising reinforcing fibers aligned with a length extension (403) of the shaft region. The fibers extend at least partially into the distal tip region. The fibers form a taper (410) within the distal tip region. The distal tip region comprises a sensor (504, 604, 702, 704, 804, 904, 1006, 1008). The shaft comprises a cable (502, 602, 702, 704, 802, 902, 1002, 1004). The cable is connected to the sensor.

Abstract: An electrically conductive transmission line is configured for use in the magnet bore of a magnetic resonance system and includes at least one inductive coupling element for coupling at least two lead segments of the line. The coupling element includes a paramagnetic and/or ferromagnetic material.

Abstract: A medical apparatus (1100) comprising a magnetic resonance imaging system and an interventional device (300) comprising a shaft (302, 1014, 1120). The medical apparatus further comprises a toroidal magnetic resonance fiducial marker (306, 600, 800, 900, 1000, 1122) attached to the shaft. The shaft passes through a center point (610, 810, 908, 1006) of the fiducial marker. The medical apparatus further comprises machine executable instructions (1150, 1152, 1154, 1156, 1158) for execution by a processor. The instructions cause the processor to acquire (100, 200) magnetic resonance data, to reconstruct (102, 202) a magnetic resonance image (1142), and to receive (104, 204) the selection of a target volume (1118, 1144, 1168). The instructions further cause the processor to repeatedly: acquire (106, 206) magnetic resonance location data (1146) from the fiducial marker and render (108, 212) a view (1148, 1162) indicating the position of the shaft relative to the target zone.

Abstract: An interventional device (12) is configured to be positioned in a body and includes an electrically operable unit (E1, E2) configured to carry out an interaction with the body upon a receipt of electric power. The device further includes a sensor (2) configured for wirelessly receiving electromagnetic energy from a remote source. The sensor is configured as a resonant circuit (2a, 2b) which converts the received electromagnetic energy into the electric power. The electrically operable device may include a diagnostic and/or therapeutic module.

Abstract: An electrically conductive transmission line for transmitting RF signals, in particular for transmitting MR signals between a transmission and/or receiving coil and a transmitting and/or receiving unit, by which separate known matching networks can be avoided or reduced. A transmission line is proposed comprising a plurality of lead segments coupled by transformers having a transformer impedance ZL placed between two neighboring lead segments, wherein for power matching of the two transformers placed at opposite ends of a lead segment, the lead segment has a lead segment impedance Z0 or a dielectric constant ?r and wherein the lead segment has a short length l. Thus, the lead segments themselves provide the matching of the transformers, and separate matching circuits are no longer needed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a catheter (6) comprising: a connector (65, 66) at a proximal side of the catheter for connecting the catheter to an external signal transmission/receiving unit (10) for transmitting and/or receiving signals, an electrode (63, 64) at a distal side of the catheter, and an electrical connection including an electrical wire (61, 62) for electrically connecting the electrode and the connector for the transmission of signals between the electrode and the connector, wherein the electrical connection has a high electrical resistance of at least 1 k?, in particular of at least 5 k?. Thus, the present invention provides a solution to prevent excessive heating during EP interventions under MR guidance by using highly resistive wires and or lumped resistors as connections within catheters.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of characterizing the RF transmit chain of a magnetic resonance imaging scanner (1) using a local transmit/receive coil system (204; 210), comprising a first local NMR probe and a first local magnetic resonance coil, the first NMR probe being spatially located in immediate neighborhood to the first coil, a local receive coil system (206; 208), comprising a second local NMR probe and a second local magnetic resonance coil, the second NMR probe being spatially located in immediate neighborhood to the second coil, wherein the transmit chain comprises an external MR coil (9; 11; 12; 13), the method comprising: determining with the first magnetic resonance coil, a first MR signal phase evolution of the local RF transmit field generated by MR excitation of the first probe using the first magnetic resonance coil by measuring the RF response of the first probe upon said excitation, determining with the second magnetic resonance coil a second MR signal phase evolution of the local RF

Abstract: An MR process locates a medical instrument with an attached microcoil in the examination volume of an MR device. The microcoil is part of a resonant circuit matched to the resonant frequency of the MR device and having no external controls. At least two temporally successive high frequency pulses (RF) are generated within the examination volume. After each of the high frequency pulses (RF), frequency-coded MR signals (S1, S2) from the examination volume are recorded. The position of the medical instrument is determined by analyzing the differences between the recorded MR signals (S1, S2).

Abstract: A system for MR imaging of a body placed in an examination volume including main coils for establishing a substantially homogeneous main magnetic field in the examination volume, gradient coils for generating switched magnetic field gradients superimposed upon the main magnetic field, RF coils for radiating RF signals towards the body, a controller for controlling the generation of the magnetic field gradients and the RF signals, a processor for forming MR images from received MR signal samples, and an object having an RF antenna for receiving RF signals generated by the RF coils which are configured to generate circularly polarized RF signals having a selectable sense of rotation.