Magnetic resonance tracking of catheters and mechatronic devices operating in the vascular network with an embedded photovoltaic-based microelectronic circuit

Tracking of a catheter through the arterial system is critical in several medical interventions. To avoid excessive dose of x-ray irradiation, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been proposed. In such a case, a simple ferromagnetic sphere placed at the tip of the catheter could be used. However, due to the artifact created by the ferromagnetic core, it becomes impossible to gather an image of the tissues surrounding such a marker. Hence, in this paper we propose replacing the ferromagnetic marker with a microchip containing a coil and a photovoltaic cell. By radiating light to the photovoltaic cell, the coil generates a magnetic field which is detected as an artifact in MR images. By turning off the light, the effect of the coil is eliminated allowing images of tissues next to the marker to be taken. In this paper, simulated results based on experimental data from the preliminary designs suggest that this approach could be viable not only for catheters but also, it could potentially be used in various tools as well as mechatronic devices being moved inside the body.