Real-Time Navigation of a Catheter with Ferromagnetic Tip in Interventional MRI

Ke Zhang¹, Axel Krafft¹, Reiner Umathum¹, Florian Maier¹, Wolfhard Semmler¹, Michael Bock¹

Manoeuvring the interventional devices over complicated vessel branches into the target area is difficult. In this study we present a catheter with a deflectable, ferromagnetic tip and a real-time sequence for tip navigation, localization and imaging. The direction of the magnetic forces for navigation of the catheters tip is controlled via an iterative input device. The pulse sequence combines the acquisition of imaging and interleaved projection data for automatic alignment of imaging slice according to the tip position. The results from pig experiments proved that our application can help endovascular intervention to be easier, faster and safer.