Towards active guidewire visualization in interventional magnetic resonance imaging

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Interventional Radiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Improving the visibility of interventional devices is essential for the clinical adoption of MRI-guided fluoroscopy.
• Current passive visualization methods are limited by material- and orientation-dependent susceptibility artifacts.
• Enhanced visualization techniques are needed to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel concept for enhancing the MRI visibility of interventional devices.
• To demonstrate how a straight-wire antenna can be used for passive visualization.
• To theoretically discuss and experimentally document the image appearance of such antennas.

Main Methods:

• Fitting interventional devices with a straight-wire antenna.
• Utilizing the antenna for signal reception to generate an outline image.
• Analyzing the theoretical dependence of antenna image appearance on device orientation relative to the magnetic field and imaging plane.

Main Results:

• A straight-wire antenna, when used for reception, can generate an outline image of an interventional device.
• The sensitivity of the antenna is highest for nearby signal sources, enabling localized imaging.
• The orientation of the device significantly influences the resulting MRI image appearance.

Conclusions:

• A straight-wire antenna concept offers a viable method for making interventional devices, such as guidewires, MRI-visible.
• This approach addresses the limitations of passive visualization by providing orientation-independent artifact reduction.
• Further investigation into the theoretical and practical aspects of antenna orientation is warranted for optimizing MRI-guided interventions.