Magnetic Microwires for Energy-Transporting Biomedical Applications

INV-19021

 

During the 1980s, amorphous magnetic microwires were widely used in biomedical devices. These wires are highly responsive magnetic material with unique magneto-elastic interactions, inexpensive and easy to produce in 1000s of meters. After the 1990s, new opportunities for biomedical advances elevated this class of materials for biomedical applications. In particular, their micron-scale diameter, passivated (non-reactive) surface and bio-compatible constituents (Fe, Si, B) allow contemplation of these microwires for minimally invasive biomedical applications, including localized tumor hyperthermia, vascular theranostics, neural probes, and nerve stimulators.

 

The proposed invention describes amorphous magnetic microwires synthesized by two separate processes from the melting stage: 

1) Rotating water quenching to produce microwires with diameters ranging from 80 ‑ 100 microns

2) A quenching and drawing technique to yield glass‑coated microwires with core diameters ranging from 1 ‑ 30 microns embedded in glass coatings of 2 ‑ 5 microns in thickness

Both forms of microwires are suitable for the disclosed biomedical device applications.

 

- Flexible

- Magnetic and recoverable

- Bio-compatible 

- High synthesis yield

- Highly uniform properties

- Can control coercivity

 

- Biomedical applications

- Hyperthermic treatment of tumors

- Can be used for vascular theranostics, neural probes, and nerve stimulators