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Real‐time catheter‐directed MRA with effective background suppression and persistent rendering
Author(s) -
Guttman Michael A.,
Raval Amish N.,
Lederman Robert J.,
McVeigh Elliot R.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.21409
Subject(s) - scanner , perfusion , catheter , visualization , medicine , maximum intensity projection , magnetic resonance imaging , biomedical engineering , computer science , radiology , angiography , nuclear medicine , artificial intelligence
Purpose To develop an imaging and visualization technique for real‐time magnetic resonance angiography (rtMRA) fully integrated with a real‐time interactive imaging environment on a clinical MR scanner. Materials and Methods Intraarterial injections of contrast agent and imaging processing techniques were employed for rapid catheter‐directed assessment of vessel patency and regional tissue perfusion. Operators can image multiple thin slices to maximize anatomic detail or use thick slice or projection imaging to maximize vessel coverage. Techniques in both pulse sequence and image processing were employed to ensure background suppression. Accumulation of maximum pixel values allows persistent display of bolus signal as it passes through the vessels and into tissues. Automatic brightness adjustment was used to ensure visibility at all stages of bolus passage. Results Experimental intraarterial rtMRA of coronary, renal, and carotid arteries show that vessel trajectories and perfusion territories are well visualized in swine. Switching between standard real‐time imaging and rtMRA imaging after contrast injection was easy to perform during a procedure without stopping the scanner. Conclusion The proposed technique facilitates visualization of intraarterial contrast injections using real‐time MRI. Although designed for rapid deployment during rtMRI‐guided interventional procedures, the technique may also be useful to supplement the study of vessel anatomy, flow, or perfusion. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;28:538–542. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.