Method for Locating a Small Magnetic Object in the Human Body,
Abstract
A piece of a thin acupuncture needle lodged under the right scapula of a patient could not be found in surgical procedures accompanied by studies of 30 standard X-ray images. To locate it, we mapped the magnetic field component normal to a plane lying above the object, using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). Assuming that the needle could be modelled as a magnetic dipole, we were able to infer its lateral position, depth, orientation, and magnetic moment. With this information, directed CT scans, high-resolution X-ray films, and the subsequent surgical removal of the needle proved that it could be located in the body with an accuracy of about three millimeters.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 29, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA193361
Entities
People
- Arthur D. Boyd
- Harold Weinberg
- Lloyd Kaufman
- Risto J. Ilmoniemi
- Samuel J. Williamson
Organizations
- New York University