Felix Victor Guettler1, Andreas Heinrich1, Christian Bamberg2, Jens Rump1, Bernhard Schnackenburg3, Maximilian de Bucourt1, Andreas Thomas1, Bernd Hamm1, Ulf Teichgraeber1
1Department of Radiology, Charit - University Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 2Department of Obstetrics, Charit - University Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 3Philips Medical Systems, Hamburg, Germany
The aim of this study was the visualization of the active second stage of vaginal delivery in real-time through an open magnetic resonance imager complying with modern safety standards in obstetrics. For this purpose an MR-compatible cardiotocograph (CTG) was developed. With some pregnant probands, a suitable birth position and a dynamic MR-sequence was designed. The demonstration of the fetal and maternal organs occurred with an interactive single-shot TSE sequence, which was also able to compensate eventual image artifacts of mother and child. The real-time representation of the human expulsive phase via open MRI allows further research of birth complication and birth defects, but is also suitable for birth simulations.