• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2024

The examination needle used in ultrasound biopsy is a medical device used to determine whether there is an abnormality in the tissue. Typically, stainless steel is the standard material used for such needles; however, this study wanted to identify a material that could better enhance sound compared to traditional stainless steel. In this study, six types of needle materials available with the biopsy gun were inserted into pork and ultrasound images according to the curved probe and linear probe were evaluated using ultrasound equipment. The findings revealed significant improvements in ultrasound acoustic enhancement with alternative materials compared to stainless steel (p<0.05). The results regarding the depth of each ultrasound image using the curved probe showed that tungsten and brass had high sound enhancement(p<0.05), while with the linear probe, sound enhancement was high in brass, pla, aluminum, and copper(p<0.05). Due to these results, the previously used stainless needle showed lower ultrasound acoustic enhancement than the five types of materials being compared. Consequently, the outcomes of this study provide valuable insights for the development of new needle technologies aimed at minimizing patient risks and improving diagnostic accuracy.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.178-184
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• 2013

Objectives : The warm needling technique is the method combining the effects of acupuncture needle with those of moxibustion. We need to standardize the characteristics of the warm needling technique, in order to get more systematic and objective results in operation and effects and then get more clinical abilities in these fields. Methods : In this study, using labview system on the warm needling technique, we measured and compared partial temperature changes according to the kind of needle. We studied relations of moxa cones of various sizes with the peak combustion temperature. Results and Conclusions: When we measured the warm needling's partial temperature, temperature measured at 1 and 2 cm below the head, according to the kind of needle, gold needle got the higher result on the peak than SS304 stainless steel needle. In the case of combustion of the moxa cones, cones weighing 0.4 g and 0.8 g, respectively, and the apex ignition method with gold needle showed the higher result than the apex ignition method with stainless steel needle, when we measured the effective stimulus time at 2 cm below the head and the mean temperature during the effective stimulus time. Although more research to standardize the characteristics of the warm needling technique will be needed, we suggest, according to these results, that warm needling of gold needle combined with moxa cone of 0.4 or 0.8 g is effective.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.21-30
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• 2014

Objectives : Manufacturing and manipulation techniques of acupuncture can be interpreted as an induced electromagnetic viewpoint, as proposed in previous study. Considering from this point of view, the magnetization of needles should be essential to enhance the electromagnetic effects during the behavior of the acupuncture needling. Methods : The current disposable needles are made of non-magnetic stainless steels, so ferromagnetic materials were searched as suitable substitutes. Meanwhile, at the practical view, stainless steels are very available for the several superior properties like as corrosion resistance, strength, etc., magnetic stainless steels were first investigated. Some types of them still preserved the ferromagnetic properties of iron, so trial needles were made with them. And then magnetization of them were followed. Results : Among the hundreds types of stainless steels, martensitic or ferritic ones are ferromagnetic. The needles made with these ferromagnetic wires were magnetized, and polarized by magnetizer, and their magnetic properties were improved. Moreover, in addition to the superiority of the magnetism, the electrical and thermal conductivities of them were even better than those of the current austenitic stainless steels. Conclusions : Through the developmental study based on the electromagnetic viewpoint, the magnetized and polarized acupuncture needles were completed. This means that these needles having improved magnetism can be used to improve the electromagnetic needling effects, and moreover, their superiorities in the electrical and thermal conductivities can also give another benefits in treatments of electrical or warm needling.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.359-364
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• 2014

This paper describes the development of needle type probe that measures temperature and injects medicine for both diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal pain syndrome (MPS). The size of trigger points is from several micrometers to millimeter. Therefore, it is required to develop a medical device that is capable of not only finding the trigger points by temperature measurement, but also injecting medicine at the exact location for treatment. To challenge these difficulties, thermocouple was fabricated on the surface of a needle using metal deposition process. Special type of stainless-constantan thermocouple was achieved from the stainless body of a needle itself and deposited constantan metal film. In particular, parylene coating enables to limit the temperature sensitive area to the end of the needle tip. Fabricated needle type probe produces $3.25mV/^{\circ}C$ of thermoelectric sensitivity and compared its performance with commercial T-type thermocouple in animal muscle sample.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.195-206
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• 2007

Objectives : The aim of this study is to investigate the safety of Acupuncture needles made from duplex stainless steel. Methods : In order to check the safety concern of the DSS Acupuncture needle, we employed biochemical measures, DSS and SS304 Acupuncture needles were tested for pH level, heavy metals and UV absorbance spectrum along with cytotoxicity and hemolysis. As a guideline, we have referred to the 'standards for acupuncture needles', 'standards for disposable needles' and 'standards and experimental procedures for stents' for the Korean Food & Drug Administration(KFDA). Results & Conclusions : The DSS Acupuncture needle extract satisfied these requirements. There was no significant difference between the DSS and SS304 Acupuncture needle extract. In conclusion, the DSS Acupuncture needle displayed biochemical safety.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.121-126
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• 2009

Stainless steel 316L (STS 316L) is widely used as a material of biopsy needle. However it has a side effect that tissue can be damaged by electrochemical operation between tissue and STS 316L. Many studies have been made on the ceramic coating of biopsy needle to reduce the side effect. In this study, STS 316L was coated with three bioceramics, $Al_2O_3$, $SiO_2$ and $ZrO_2$ using a RF magnetron sputtering method. The effects of ceramic coating on the electrical conductivity and coating strength of ceramic-coated STS 316L were investigated. The results showed that the electrical conductivity of ceramic-coated STS 316L was much lower than that of uncoated STS 316L. The coating strength of $ZrO_2$-coated STS 316L was 30% and 70% higher, respectively than those of $Al_2O_3$-coated STS 316L and $SiO_2_3$-coated STS 316L.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.7.1-7.1
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• 2009

The use of Duplex stainless steel as a thermo-implant categorizes into two clinical applications: hyperthermia and thermal ablation or destruction. The goal of hyperthermia is to destroy the heat-sensitive abnormal cells and minimize normal cell death maintaining heat between $42^{\circ}C$ and $46^{\circ}C$. Thermal ablation takes place when the local tissue temperature increases greater than $46^{\circ}C$. This elevated temperature denatures protein irreversibly resulting cellular death. The author introduced several thermo-implants such as thermo-rod, thermo-stent, thermo-coil and thermoacupuncture-needle. Those thermo-implants are made of duplex stainless steel which can produce regulated heat by itself within an induction magnetic field. Thermal ablation characteristics of the thermo-rod on tumor hyperthermia depend on configurations of the thermo-rods and the magnitude of the induction magnetic strength. The exothermic properties of the thermo-implants can be characterized using the calorimetric test and the heat affected zone(HAZ) analyses in vitro. Thermal radiation studies using thermo-coils and thermo-stents show the capability of the occlusion of animal blood vessels and inhibiting the proliferation of the abnormal smooth muscle cell growth and inflammatory cell reactions maintaining the heat between $42^{\circ}C$ and $46^{\circ}C$ minimizing a normal cell death in the study on external iliac artery of the New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit. Thermal stimulation study using thermo-acupuncture needles suggests the potential applications of the automated acupunctural therapies.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.184-193
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to understand the temperature characteristics depending on the thickness and material of the needle used with the Electronic Warm Acupuncture Device (EWAD). Methods : We controlled experimental environment and measured temperature changes of a silicon phantom in which K-type thermocouples were inserted at depths of 2, 7 mm. EWAD perfomed with acupuncture needles of various thicknesses (0.25×60 mm, 0.40×60 mm, and 0.50×60 mm) and materials (Gold 0.40×50 mm). We set non-needle (only heated with EWAD skin heater) group as a control group. Results : The maximum temperature and temperature changes of 0.40 mm, 0.50 mm needle group were significantly higher than the non-needle group. The highest temperature range in all needle groups was 0.50 mm needle group (41.44±0.31℃). However, the 0.25 mm needle group was not significantly different from the non-needle group. Maximum temperature of gold needle group was significantly higher than stainless steel needle group. Temperature changes of gold needle group were higher than stainless steel group at the depth of 7 mm. Conclusions : It was found that needle thickness and material of acupuncture had an effect on the temperature of the EWAD. When performing EWAD treatment, consideration of thickness and material of acupuncture is needed. Future research is needed using phantoms that can reflect actual clinical situations and better mimic the human body.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.59-63
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• 2007

Objectives : To discuss the biocompatibility of stainless steel for using acupuncture needles. Results and Conclusions : It is widely assumed that stainless steel is one of the good corrosion-resistant materials and is safe for human body, Most of metal acupuncture needles are made of STS304 and STS316 in light of human body safety: STS304 in more differences between STS304 and STS316 in light of human body safety: STS304 is more vulnerable to oxidation than STS316. A variety of literature survey showed that although STS316 is more corrosion-resistant than STS304 there is no evidence supporting the hypothesis that STS304 has the potential danger to human body, Further study would be necessary to draw more decisive conclusion.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.76-85
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• 2020

A stainless-steel needle (Hamilton 90022, 22 gauge, 718-㎛ o.d., 413-㎛ i.d., 51-mm length, bevel tip) with an electrochemically coated polyaniline layer having a microbore tunnel was newly prepared as a device for headspace in-needle microextraction. For designing the needle, the polyaniline layer length was optimized, and to evaluate the extraction efficiency for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, numerous cyclic voltammetry scans were conducted. In addition, the optimization of the analytical conditions (including the adsorption and desorption parameters) and the validation of the analytical method were conducted. The optimized adsorption and desorption conditions were 40 ℃ for 30 min and 230 ℃ for 60 s, respectively. Finally, in this study, a polyaniline layer was electrochemically deposited on the in-needle surface, and it exhibited good thermal stability. The needle with the polyaniline layer was repeatedly used more than 200 times during this study. This method has some advantages in terms of the extraction time, extraction efficiency, and analysis cost.