Synopsis

Real-time MRI to guide interventional cardiac procedures is challenging as images need to be acquired with high frame rates of 5-10 Hz, image reconstruction must be performed with low latency, and images need to have high signal-to-noise ratio. During the intervention different contrasts are needed to visualize the instruments and to assess the anatomical and functional changes. To navigate instruments such as catheters in the coronary vasculature, active tracking methods are beneficial, and interactive display software is needed to visualize and track the instruments at the patient table.