Arne Reykowski

Active device tracking and high-resolution intravascular MRI using a novel catheter-based, opposed-solenoid phased array coil.

A novel two‐element, catheter‐based phased array coil was designed and built for both active MR device tracking and high‐resolution vessel wall imaging. The device consists of two independent solenoid coils that are wound in opposite directions, connected to separate receive channels, and mounted collinearly on an angiographic catheter. The elements were used independently or together for tracking or imaging applications, respectively. The arrays dual functionality was tested on a clinical 1.5 T MRI scanner in vitro, in vivo, and in situ. During real‐time catheter tracking, each element gave rise to a high‐amplitude peak in the respective projection data, which enabled reliable and robust device tracking as well as automated slice positioning. In vivo microimaging with 240 μm in‐plane resolution was achieved in 9 s using the device and TrueFISP imaging. Therefore, a single device was successfully implemented that met the combined requirements of intravascular device tracking and imaging. Magn Reson Med 51:668–675, 2004.

Improved multi‐station peripheral MR angiography with a dedicated vascular coil

Delineation of small branch vessels can be crucial for assessing the peripheral arterial system of patients requiring surgical grafting. Thus signal‐to‐noise needs to be maximized. We evaluated the performance of a dedicated peripheral vascular coil in four subjects by comparing it to the body coil using DSA as the standard of reference. SNR and CNR values of the dedicated peripheral coil exceeded those obtained with the body coil by a mean of 398%, thus permitting improved delineation of the infrapopliteal arterial morphology. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2001;13:475–480.