Real-time MR guidance for inferior vena cava filter placement in an animalmodel

It was the aim of this study to examine the feasibility of real-time magnet ic resonance (MR) imaging for MR-guided placement of inferior vena cava (IV C) filters, which were placed in five pigs via a femoral approach. The intr oducer sheath and dilator were marked with Dysprosium rings. The procedures were performed under MR guidance with use of a 1.5-T ACS-NT imager. Radial filling of k-space in conjunction with the sliding window reconstruction t echnique achieved real-time MR imaging with a frame rate of 20 images/sec. Simultaneous real-time visualization of the vascular anatomy and interventi onal instruments was achieved under real-time conditions and allowed correc t placement of IVC filters in all five cases as confirmed by radiographic a ngiography.