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 provid e this ability. This hypothesis was tested with loopless antennas used as t he guidewire and a guiding catheter and two surface coils, each connected t o four different receiver channels of a GE 1.5-T CV/I MRI scanner. Experime nts were conducted on six healthy dogs. Intravascular antennas were inserte d in the right carotid artery and maneuvered in the aorta while running a f ast gradient-echo sequence (TR/TE 5/1.3 msec, flip angle 7 degrees). Real-t ime projection images of the chest anatomy, together with the guidewire and guiding catheter, were obtained. Positioning of the AM guiding catheter ei ther in the descending aorta, ascending aorta, or heart was achieved easily . This study represents a step toward MRI-guided coronary catheterization. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2000; 12:590-594. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.