Influence of Fixation on Magnetic Properties of Glass-Coated Magnetic Microwires for Biomedical Applications

The control of biomechanical processes in the tissue-implant interface and thermal changes created by friction or inflammatory processes in the implant and its environment represent the key validating processes of the postimplanting process. It is crucial for a patient and their health to minimize the invasiveness of the temperature measuring processes and the inner mechanical stress in the implant-tissue interface. For the purpose of these measurements, amorphous magnetic glass-coated microwires are the most suitable. Compared with other sensors, such as radio frequency identification sensors, the microwires have a significant advantage due to their dimensions (~2 cm × 50 μm) (because of which the sensor almost does not interfere with the inner implant structures), their production is relatively cheap, and only ~ 20 mm microwire is needed for the functional sensor. This paper is concerned with the testing of more types of microwire fixation in an implant and the impact of the fixation; it deals with necessary magnetic properties of a microwire and their dependence on the temperature. Microwire made of master alloy Fe₇₈W₅B₁₇ was created and fixed in four ways: 1) on one end; 2) on two ends; 3) in the middle; and 4) along its full length. The results show that the optimal way of fixation is the one along the full length of a microwire; however, the final signal is influenced by both, the type and volume of the applied fixation material. The highest sensitivity of the designed microwire was in the range of 120-140 °C with no fixation and only with the full length fixation, this sensitivity decreased to 40-50 °C, which is a level close to the level required for biomedical applications (35-42 °C).