In Vivo Limited FOV MR Thermometry Using a Local Cardiac RF Coil in Atrial Fibrillation Treatment

Nelly A. Volland¹, ², Eugene G. Kholmovski¹, ², J. Rock Hadley¹, Dennis L. Parker¹, ²

Introduction: Feasibility of developing and using local coil to perform MR thermometry in a beating heart with high sensitivity was investigated. Methods: Loop coil was designed and tested in vivo during open chest study where MR-compatible RF ablation catheter was placed inside right ventricle cavity. Results: High-resolution phase images were acquired in 76.3 ms using segmented EPI pulse sequence. Heating was observed within seconds of RF energy delivery as temperature maps were generated with both reference and referenceless calculation methods. Conclusions: Local coil was successfully used to perform MR thermometry in vivo and justify development of intra-cardiac catheter-mounted local coils.