Accurate visualization of catheter tip is important in MR-guided interventional procedures, in particular in the coronary arteries where the tip orientation is essential to introduce the catheter into the target vessel. Active catheters generally provide a positive MR signal around the tracking coil at the tip. In this study, an operator-controlled variable attenuator is attached to an active catheter to enable rapid manual adjustment of the tip signal by the operator. The system was tested in an animal experiment at 3 T, and the active catheter was successfully introduced into the left coronary artery multiple times.
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