The Problem of Metal Needles in Acupuncture-fMRI Studies

Table 1

Technical specifications of the different acupuncture needles compared in this study.

	Type	Manufacturer	Material	Diameter
(1) Standard acupuncture needle	B-Type	Seirin Cooperation, Shizuoka, Japan	Stainless steel, plastic handle	0.30 mm
(2) Non-ferromagnetic needle	PL-XC 3025 (for clinical tests only)	Moxom Acupuncture GmbH, Graefenhainichen, Germany	Copper alloy, plastic handle	0.30 mm
(3) Modified peripheral I.V. catheter	26G, Versatus-W, SR+DU2619WX	Terumo Europe N.V., Leuven, Belgium	Polyurethane	0.64 mm