MR-Guided Percutaneous Interventions: Needle Insertion with a Compact Assistance System and T2-weighted Imaging in 2 Orthogonal Slices

Motivation: MR-guided percutaneous interventions at closed-bore high-field systems profit from remote device manipulation with real-time needle tracking. Goal(s): To integrate a sequence capable of acquiring two T2-weighted orthogonal slices simultaneously (Ortho-SSFP-Echo) into the device-assisted needle intervention workflow during needle insertion. Approach: The assistance system (GantryMate) was coupled with a real-time POCC sequence to target a lesion. Once the lesion was identified, its position information was used in a real-time Ortho-SSFP-Echo acquisition to dynamically monitor the needle insertion. Results: The Ortho-SSFP-Echo sequence enables simultaneous needle visualization in two planes, offering higher CNR than GRE and comparable to bSSFP, without banding artifacts. Impact: Combining an Ortho-SSFP-Echo sequence with a compact needle assistance system provides a streamlined interventional workflow with decreased complexity and improved image contrast for MR-guided percutaneous interventions at high field.