CHICAGO, Nov. 27 -- Biophan Technologies said fiber optic leads and a photonics catheter for its MRI-compatible pacemaker passed twenty-minutes of testing using a high-field magnetic resource system.
Frank G. Shellock, president of Shellock R&D Services and a UCLA professor, said "MRI-related heating for the fiber optic lead of the photonic temporary pacemaker will not present any additional risk to a patient undergoing an MRI procedure. The problem with current MRI technology is that the wire lead may heat up and potentially injure the patient.
"By replacing the metal with fiber optics and a photonic catheter, the problem can be safely eliminated," Shellock said. "The positive implications of this technology go far beyond pacemakers, to brain stimulators and other devices with metal leads."