Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
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J Cardiovasc Magn Reson · Aug 2017
Improved passive catheter tracking with positive contrast for CMR-guided cardiac catheterization using partial saturation (pSAT).
Cardiac catheterization is a common procedure in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Although cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) represents a promising alternative approach to fluoroscopy guidance, simultaneous high contrast visualization of catheter, soft tissue and the blood pool remains challenging. In this study, a novel passive tracking technique is proposed for enhanced positive contrast visualization of gadolinium-filled balloon catheters using partial saturation (pSAT) magnetization preparation. ⋯ The proposed pSAT sequence offers real-time, simultaneous, enhanced contrast visualization of the catheter balloon, soft tissues and blood. This technique provides improved passive tracking capabilities during CMR-guided catheterization in patients.