MRI Slice Tracking for Real-Time Instrument Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current magnetic resonance tomography devices face challenges in real-time tracking of medical instruments during interventional procedures due to poor image quality and geometrical distortions, which hinder accurate navigation and tracking of thin instruments.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic resonance tomography device with a controller that coordinates image acquisition and reconstruction, enabling real-time tracking of medical instruments by capturing and reconstructing 3D slices with specific slice thickness and orientation to minimize distortions and improve image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If short repetition periods are used for real-time tracking in magnetic resonance imaging, then real-time tracking capability is improved, but image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging volume is segmented into multiple thin slices that are acquired sequentially. Each slice is captured with optimized parameters for real-time tracking, and the slices are later reconstructed into a complete 3D volume. This segmentation allows the system to achieve real-time tracking speeds while maintaining image quality through selective slice acquisition and reconstruction.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional 3D encoding is used to capture the entire trajectory volume, then complete trajectory coverage is improved, but acquisition time increases and real-time capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of acquiring the entire 3D trajectory volume with full 3D encoding, the system acquires only selected thin slices that are sufficient to capture the medical instrument trajectory. This partial action approach reduces acquisition time significantly while still providing complete trajectory coverage when the slices are reconstructed together, enabling real-time tracking capability.
3Loss of information
If magnetic resonance imaging is used for interventional procedures, then soft tissue visualization is improved, but geometrical distortions increase making instrument tracking harder
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces traditional mechanical/optical tracking methods with a magnetic resonance-based tracking system. By using 3D encoding to acquire multiple thin slices and reconstructing them into a volumetric representation, the system achieves both soft tissue visualization and accurate instrument tracking. The 3D reconstruction process compensates for magnetic resonance geometrical distortions, providing precise instrument location information.
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic resonance tomography device and a method for equalized mapping in real time are provided. A first slice and a second slice are captured in three-dimensional (3D) encoding, where the first slice and the second slice are oriented to one another at an angle, and an instrument or trajectory to be mapped lies in an intersecting set of both the first slice and the second slice. A two-dimensional (2D) image may be generated alternately from both the first slice and the second slice and is displayed to a user.