OptoMaG: An Optoacoustically Augmented Magnetic Guidewire for Radiation-Free Image-Guided Therapies

Stuttgart — Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, Southeast University, and Koç University in Istanbul have developed an optoacoustically augmented magnetic guidewire (OptoMaG), as illustrated in Figure 1. This work was selected as a cover article for the journal Science Advances. OptoMaG integrates optoacoustic imaging, magnetic navigation and therapeutic functions into a single, flexible guidewire. This offers a radiation-free platform for image-guided, minimally invasive procedures. The research project was published in Science Advances on February 4, 2026. It is also the cover image of the journal.

Figure 1: Scientists have developed an optoacoustically augmented magnetic guidewire (OptoMaG). Credit: MPI-IS 

Endovascular interventions are essential for treating cerebrovascular diseases, yet current clinical guidance relies predominantly on X-ray fluoroscopy, which exposes patients and clinicians to ionizing radiation and often requires contrast agents. These limitations are particularly critical in the navigation of tortuous and delicate brain vasculature. To address this challenge, the team developed OptoMaG, a ~250-µm-diameter flexible guidewire that combines optoacoustic (OA) visibility with magnetic steerability. This enables real-time tracking and navigation to be performed without the use of ionising radiation.

OptoMaG consists of a blue-emitting luminescent fiber with enhanced optoacoustic contrast and a hard magnetic FePt-based tip. The optoacoustic signal enables high-contrast, three-dimensional visualization of the guidewire in deep tissue, while external magnetic fields provide contact-free, multi-degree-of-freedom steering. Using a human-scale 3D cerebrovascular phantom, the authors demonstrate precise navigation of OptoMaG through complex vascular networks under optoacoustic imaging guidance.
By uniting radiation-free imaging, precise magnetic control, and localized therapeutic capabilities within a single guidewire platform, OptoMaG establishes a new paradigm for minimally invasive interventions. While further in vivo and translational studies are required, this work provides a foundation for the development of next-generation intelligent guidewires compatible with emerging imaging modalities and safer neurovascular therapies.

Beyond reducing radiation exposure, the compact and wirelessly controlled nature of OptoMaG opens the possibility of more mobile and accessible interventional platforms. By reducing dependence on large, fixed imaging infrastructures, this approach could help extend advanced endovascular procedures to smaller or resource-limited hospitals. 

“Our goal was to develop a guidewire that is inherently compatible with emerging, non-ionizing imaging modalities,” say Dr. Fan Wang and Dr. Xianqiang Bao, both co-first authors of the study. “By combining optoacoustic visibility with magnetic control and therapeutic functionality, OptoMaG demonstrates how guidewires can evolve beyond passive tools toward active, image-guided intervention platforms.”

“In the longer term, such systems may also support more mobile intervention setups,” says Prof. Metin Sitti, who led the Physical Intelligence Department at MPI-IS and who is now President of Koç University in Istanbul. “By lowering infrastructure requirements, this could help bring advanced image-guided therapies to smaller hospitals and underserved regions.”

The publication and cover selection of this work underscore the team’s innovation and technical expertise in medical microrobotics, deep-tissue imaging, and magnetic navigation integration, and lay a solid foundation for the future clinical translation of next-generation intelligent interventional devices.

Front Cover: Artwork by Dr. Fan Wang. An Optoacoustically Augmented Magnetic Guidewire (OptoMaG) navigates deep brain vasculature under radiation-free photoacoustic guidance, illuminating targeted brain regions for precise, minimally invasive therapy.