Cardiac catheterization is commonly used to collect blood samples from the heart, to measure pressure and blood flow in the heart chambers and large arteries around the heart, to measure the oxygen content in different parts of the heart heart, to examine the arteries of the heart and perform a biopsy on the heart muscle. The procedure is used on patients to diagnose or evaluate cardiac amyloidosis, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, congenital heart defects, pulmonary hypertension and problems with the heart valves. Commercially available cardiac catheters contain wire braiding technology that adjusts their mechanical properties to promote safer, easier and more efficient catheter operations. However, these catheters are not intended to be near the strong magnetic field encountered in MRI machines. This makes it difficult for doctors to visualize the position of the catheter while using it on a patient. Current fluoroscopy-guided ablation catheters have poor contrast with soft tissue, and the process of using them exposes the patient and surgical team to a high dose of X-ray radiation. When these ferromagnetic catheters are introduced into an MRI system magnetic, interrupt the images and significantly increase the temperature. To avoid these problems without compromising the required mechanical properties, an MRI-compatible catheter is required. The featured MRI catheter uses braided copper-nitinol polymer tubing as the deflectable tip and braided nylon tubing as the shaft. Carbon fiber control rods are used to provide further performance improvements. The catheter is maneuvered using a knob attached to a steering piston on the catheter handle. ...... in the center of the paper ...... wire, braided copper-nitinol polymer tubing is used instead of stainless steel which is the material used for many non-MRI compatible catheters. A single braided Nitinol tip is not sufficiently strong and rigid, although it does not affect the temperature of the catheter in a magnetic field or distort the images produced by an MRI machine, which is why copper was used. Parts of the tip were made of small bands of Nitinol, to ensure a twist-free tip. Both the braided tube and the integrated carbon fiber control rod contribute to the flexural and axial stiffness of the shaft. The mechanical properties of the nonferromagnetic materials of the cardiac catheter (strength and thermal conductivity) and their electrical properties (nonferromagnetic conductance) contribute to be important technical aspects of it. However, it is
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