Toward MRI-guided coronary catheterization: Visualization of guiding, catheters, guidewires, and anatomy in real time

The success of x-ray fluoroscopy-guided coronary catheterization depends in part on the ability to obtain simultaneous and real-time visualization of the guidewire, guiding catheter, and anatomy of the chest. The hypothesis e xplored in this paper is, that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could provi de this ability. This hypothesis was, tested with loopless antennas used as , the guidewire and a guiding catheter and two surface coils, each connecte d to four different receiver channels of a GE 1.5-T CV/I MRI scanner. Exper iments were conducted on six healthy dogs. Intravascular antennas were inse rted in the right carotid artery and maneuvered in the aorta while running a fast gradient-echo sequence (TR/TE 5/1.3 msec, flip angle 7 degrees). Rea l-time projection images of the chest anatomy, together with the guidewire and guiding catheter, were obtained. Positioning of the MRI guiding cathete r either in the descending aorta, ascending aorta, or heart was achieved ea sily. This study represents a, step toward MRI-guided coronary catheterizat ion. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.