Jerome L Ackerman1,2, Yi K. Kiong Hue1,2,
Erez Nevo3, Alexander R. Guimaraes1,2, Martin Polak1,4,
Kyum S. Lee1, Daniel E. Ackerman1
1Martinos Center/Department
of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States;
2Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; 3Robin
Medical, Inc., Baltimore, MD, United States; 4Children's Hospital,
Boston, MA, United States
MR-Mediated Radiofrequency Ablation (MR-RFA) is a novel method for producing thermal lesions in tissue for the purpose of destroying tumors. In this method the scanner not only provides image guidance for placing the RF applicator, it also supplies the RF energy for heating. In gel phantoms MR-mediated RFA yielded temperatures of up to 100 C and heating rates up to 4 C/s, somewhat more modest temperatures and heating rates in tissue specimens, and temperatures over 70 C in live pigs undergoing MR-mediated RFA of the liver. In vivo, thermal lesions 1 cm in diameter were achieved within the liver.