Case series demonstrating in vivo MR safety of stainless steel (Chinese/Ring) IUDs

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are one of the most common forms of long-term contraception used by patients around the world. Many studies have been performed over the past few decades demonstrating the safety of many common hormonal and metallic intrauterine devices in Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging; however, the stainless steel ring IUD (often termed the “Chinese” IUD) is still considered MR Unsafe. This device was used in the 1980s and 1990s in China, where as many as 60 million women in China were using an IUD by 1988, and approximately 90% of those were stainless steel ring IUDs. In a major metropolitan area hospital such as ours with a large immigrant population, we encounter females with this ring IUD several times a year. As this population ages, the need for medical care (and concomitantly, MR imaging) is projected to increase. The purpose of this case review is to examine the imaging and clinical course of patients with stainless-steel ring intrauterine devices who safely received 1.5T Brain MR scans at our institution for clinically necessary diagnostic imaging.

Electrospray characteristics of aqueous KCl solutions with various electrical conductivities

In the present experimental study, the effects of electrical conductivity on electrospraying procedure are investigated.A metallic nozzle with 600 m ID as high voltage electrode and a stainless steel ring as a groundelectrode were employed. Experiments were carried out in still room temperature. Four different aqueous KClsolutions were sprayed in various high voltages and flow rates. Results confirm that spraying modes changeswith conductivity variation. For forming a cone shape, emerging from the nozzle, required applied electric fielddecreases with conductivity increasing. Results also revealed that conductivity of dispersed solution acts a mainrole on forming and elongation of the cones in electrospraying procedure. The size and velocity of emanateddroplets are also investigated in order to gaining some insight to the electrospraying phenomenon.