Localization of intravascular devices with paramagnetic markers in MR images

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers potential advantages over conventional X-ray techniques for guiding and evaluating intravascular interventions. The development of methods to safely and robustly localize and track devices under MRI guidance is mandatory to enable automatic scan plane adaptation so as to exploit the three-dimensional imaging capabilities of the MRI scanner. With regard to the issue of radiofrequency-induced heating, passive approaches to catheter tracking are inherently safe. These techniques visualize intravascular devices by exploiting the susceptibility artifacts associated with the devices. To promote conspicuity, the devices are equipped with paramagnetic markers. This paper introduces a method to enable automatic localization of devices by its ability to recognize markers in two-dimensional MR images. The method requires a coarse segmentation of the vasculature of interest, and consists of two steps. First, it performs a series of postprocessing operations including calculation of the winding number image and of the Laplacian image to detect marker candidates in the image. Second, the device is localized by matching the detected pattern of candidates to the known distance template of the device markers. Results of an animal experiment and of a clinical application are demonstrated. Validation in phantom experiments shows that the method is able to localize the device in 95% of the cases.