Catheter visualization with resonant markers at MR imaging-guided deployment of endovascular stents in swine.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate resonant circuits as markers for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-guided placement of nitinol stents.


METHODS
The study was approved by the institutional animal research committee and complied with National Institutes of Health guidelines for care and use of laboratory animals. Resonant circuits similar to catheter markers used at conventional angiography were placed proximally and distally to a nitinol stent in a stent delivery system. Resonant circuits were tested in vitro and in vivo for signal intensity levels that would enable visualization during MR imaging-guided stent deployment. Experiments were conducted by using real-time imaging with a 1.5-T unit. Stents (n = 9) were deployed in the vena cava (n = 2), abdominal aorta (n = 2), isthmus of the aorta (n = 2), and carotid (n = 2) and iliac (n = 1) arteries in five pigs. After intervention, the site of the stent was investigated with balanced fast field-echo MR imaging and contrast material-enhanced MR angiography. Blood flow velocities were measured in the stent lumen and next to the stent with velocity-encoded cine MR imaging. Level of agreement was determined with Bland-Altman analysis.


RESULTS
During all interventions, resonant circuits provided highly visible MR signal that allowed fast and reliable visualization of the stent delivery system. Borders of loaded stents were clearly marked, which allowed precise stent placement in all experiments. Balanced fast field-echo MR imaging and contrast-enhanced MR angiography provided information about immediate postintervention position. Positions depicted on MR images were found accurate at postmortem examination. Results of Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreement between blood flow velocities measured in and next to the stent lumen, with a mean difference of -9 cm/sec +/- 5 (standard deviation).


CONCLUSIONS
Resonant circuits are well suited for use at deployment of endovascular stents.
Kuehne
Titus
T
Departments of Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, German Heart Institute, Augustenburger Platz 1, Berlin 13037, Germany. titus.kuehne@dhzb.de
Weiss
Steffen
S
Brinkert
Florian
F
Weil
Jochen
J
Yilmaz
Sevim
S
Schmitt
Boris
B
Ewert
Peter
P
Lange
Peter
P
Gutberlet
Matthias
M
D000497:Alloys; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003287:Contrast Media; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D015642:Radiology, Interventional; D015607:Stents; D013552:Swine; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D000497:Alloys; D003287:Contrast Media; C013616:nitinol