Electropermanent magnetic anchoring for surgery and endoscopy.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Technology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Permanent magnets offer advantages for surgical anchoring but pose risks due to uncontrolled attraction.
• Electromagnets provide control but often lack the necessary force for surgical applications.
• A need exists for magnetic devices that combine strong anchoring forces with controlled deactivation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel electropermanent magnet for surgical retraction and instrument guidance.
• To integrate the benefits of permanent magnets (high force) with electromagnetic control (on/off capability).
• To address limitations in current magnetic coupling methods for minimally invasive procedures.

Main Methods:

• Design of a hand-held, self-powered electropermanent magnet with a central lumen for instrumentation.
• Demonstration in a porcine model using an intraluminal ring magnet and the electropermanent magnet for guided needle insertion.
• Investigation of controlled magnetic coupling distance across varying tissue thicknesses.

Main Results:

• Successful guided insertion of an 18 Fr Tuohy needle for guidewire placement in a porcine model.
• Demonstrated ability to control the magnetic coupling distance, compensating for transabdominal wall thickness variations.
• The electropermanent magnet functioned effectively without continuous power supply.

Conclusions:

• The developed electropermanent magnet offers a safe and controllable solution for magnetic anchoring in surgery.
• This technology shows promise for improving instrument guidance and placement in minimally invasive gastrointestinal interventions.
• Further refinement could lead to widespread application in anchoring endoscopic and surgical tools.