Visualization of dedicated catheters using fast scanning techniques with potential for MR-guided vascular interventions.

This paper reports the development of dedicated catheters and real-time MR scan techniques for guiding vascular interventional procedures. By way of phantom experiments, it is shown that proper modification of the magnetic properties of catheters allows their conspicuous and consistent visualization in subsecond 2D gradient echo images and phase contrast angiograms. Dynamic scan times as low as 0.5 s could be achieved by exploiting the keyhole technique and purposeful postprocessing. The temporal resolution and spatial resolution of the resultant scan protocol shows promise for adequate tracking of catheter manipulation.