In situ and ex vivo evaluation of a wireless magnetoelastic biliary stent monitoring system

Biomed Microdevices. 2010 Jun;12(3):477-84. doi: 10.1007/s10544-010-9404-7.

Abstract

This paper presents the in situ and ex vivo evaluation of a system that wirelessly monitors the accumulation of intimal tissue and sludge in a biliary stent. The sensing element, located within the stent, is a magnetoelastic resonator that is queried by a wireless radio frequency signal. The in situ testing uses a commercially-available self-expanding biliary stent enhanced with a 1 mm x 25 mm magnetoelastic ribbon sensor (formed from Metglas 2605SA1). The stent has a conformal magnetic layer (consisting of strontium ferrite particles suspended in polydimethylsiloxane) that biases the sensor. The external interrogation module is able to acquire a signal from the sensor from a distance of at least 5 cm while the sensor is implanted in a porcine carcass and loaded with biological fluids. The ex vivo testing uses bile harvested from the porcine carcass. The response of a 1 mm x 25 mm magnetoelastic ribbon sensor is first calibrated with fluids of known density and viscosity, and the calibrated sensor is used to estimate that the viscosity of the harvested bile is 2.7-3.7 cP. The test results presented in this paper illustrate the fundamental usability of the system when the sensor is implanted, loaded by biological fluids, and interrogated in a surgical setup.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bile / chemistry*
  • Biliary Tract Surgical Procedures / instrumentation*
  • Elastic Modulus
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis / instrumentation*
  • Magnetics / instrumentation*
  • Monitoring, Ambulatory / instrumentation*
  • Stents*
  • Swine
  • Telemetry / instrumentation*