Cerebral aneurysm clips in the 3-tesla magnetic field. Laboratory investigation

The aim of this study was to evaluate cerebral aneurysm clips, and to know in more detail the characteristics of currently available clips in the 3-T magnetic field.

According to the protocol recommended by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the authors conducted quantitative evaluation for displacement force and qualitative evaluation for torque in 52 aneurysm clips and 48 samples of raw materials in the 3-T environment.

The largest displacement force occurred near the bore opening, and the force was directed to the isocenter. Deflection angles of all objects in this study were within 45°. The translational force in the peripheral position in the bore was larger than that in the center, and the translational force in the magnetic field was proportional to the weight of the objects. The proportion coefficients varied depending on the metallic materials. In the titanium alloy, the deflection angle was also detected to be approximately 2°, although no response was observed in titanium in a previous report. This behavior was similar to that of the Elgiloy and Phynox materials in the 1.5-T environment. No difference was observed among the groups of shapes (straight, bent, and fenestrated). The amount of torque that occurred was dependent on the clip's or material's loop and bent shape. The torque on the titanium was perpendicular to the torque on the other materials (which was perpendicular to the magnetic field).

Care must be taken with patients near the bore opening while moving them to the center of the magnet's bore on the MR imaging table. Although all the clips examined in this study met the ASTM requirements, the titanium alloy clips are preferable in the 3-T environment for safety's sake. Suitably sized clips should be selected for the aneurysm size, because the translational force increases proportionally to the object's weight.