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Remote Magnetic Navigation for Accurate, Real-time Catheter Positioning and Ablation in Cardiac Electrophysiology Procedures
Published on: April 21, 2013
Tracking the position and rotational orientation of a catheter using a transmit array system
Haydar Celik1, Davut I Mahcicek, Oytun K Senel
1Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, Bilkent University, TR-06800 Ankara, Turkey. haydari@gmail.com
IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging
|February 16, 2013
Summary
A new method uses a modified birdcage coil and transmit array system to track inductively coupled radio frequency (ICRF) coils on catheters. This enables real-time detection of rotational orientation and position for improved medical imaging and procedures.
Area of Science:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Medical Device Technology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate tracking of catheter-based instruments is crucial for minimally invasive procedures.
- Existing methods for tracking inductively coupled radio frequency (ICRF) coils lack real-time rotational orientation detection.
- Conventional RF excitation in MRI uses rotational forward polarization, which can complicate signal separation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and validate a novel method for detecting the rotational orientation and tracking the position of ICRF coils on catheters.
- To enable real-time separation of ICRF coil signals from anatomical signals.
- To enhance the feasibility of various catheter-based interventions requiring precise orientation information.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a modified body birdcage coil without a quadrature hybrid, allowing separate control of two excitation channels.
- Implemented a transmit array system to generate linearly polarized and changing RF pulses.
- Constructed ICRF coils on catheters and employed modified FLASH and TrueFISP sequences for imaging.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated real-time separation of the ICRF coil from surrounding anatomy.
- Successfully reconstructed color-coded images differentiating the coil and anatomy.
- Achieved real-time calculation of the absolute rotational orientation of the catheter-mounted ICRF coil.
Conclusions:
- The proposed method enables real-time rotational orientation detection and tracking of ICRF coils on catheters.
- This technique significantly improves the visualization and control of catheter-based devices.
- The method opens new possibilities for advanced applications like MRI-guided interventions, RF ablation, and specialized catheter designs.
