Magnetic characteristics of Yasargil aneurysm clips

BACKGROUND Metallic bioimplants are subject to great scrutiny in order to ensure that they are totally harmless to patients. Aneurysm clips are no exception to this rule. Considering the number of aneurysm clips used and their potential for injury, they should be evaluated very meticulously Determining the magnetic characteristics of these clips is an important part of the evaluation process. In this study, a new method for evaluating magnetism is described and the importance of that information is briefly discussed. METHODS Twenty Yasargil aneurysm clips were analyzed using a vibrating sample magnetometer under 1.5 Tesla. This device is highly sensitive, and is capable of measuring the magnetism of small objects. RESULTS Our measurements showed magnetism of the aneurysm clips ranged from 0.0334-0.1369 electromagnetic units (emu). CONCLUSIONS Magnetometer measurements and real life tests under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have shown that these clips have a very low magnetism and are safe to use in 1.5 Tesla MRI scanners. This study also proves that the vibrating sample magnetometer is a useful device for analyzing the magnetism of aneurysm clips, and their emu values can be used as another industry standard in the production line to increase the safety of these clips. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.