A needle placement manipulator includes, a needle holder configured to hold a needle, a guide system configured to position the needle holder to a predetermined direction with respect to a subject of needle placement, an attachment including an attaching portion to which the guide system is attached and a setting portion on which an RF-coil is set. A base surface of the setting portion is configured to be disposed on the subject.

In a method of performing magnetic resonance imaging and a magnetic resonance apparatus, a region of interest in a subject in which a material having magnetic susceptibility has been introduced is imaged. A first imaging sequence includes excitation pulses having a frequency that is on-resonance is generated for application to the subject. A second imaging sequence includes excitation pulses having a frequency that is off-resonance is generated for application to the subject. Both the first and second imaging sequences have balanced gradient pulse trains. Signals emitted from the region of the interest in the subject in response to the first and second imaging sequences are detected, and first and second images are generated based on these signals. The first and second images are processed to generate a difference image.

A magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging device and method of use for accurately delineating the lateral extent and depth of a skin tumor. The device includes a radiofrequency tuned circuit with an antenna in the shape of an acupuncture needle that is positionally-controlled using a mechanical actuator to provide high-contrast spatial images of skin tumors with sub-millimeter lateral and depth resolution. The device is used by dermatologists to provide accurate spatial demarcations of skin tumors, which facilitate the complete excision of a tumor in the first pass of the Mohs micrographic surgical procedure. Different sizes and shapes of the needle antenna provide advantages for sensitivity, image resolution, and capabilities to impact treatments. A hollow needle antenna provides for a capability of the inventive device to affect treatment of a skin tumor by injecting a chemical agent while monitoring chemical and spatial aspects of the tumor, and by aspirating cancer tissue to remove the tumor and related chemical treatment agents.

An embodiment of an apparatus includes first and second tracking units configured for mounting to an endovascular device, and respectively configured to generate a first magnetic field along a first dimension and a second magnetic field along a second dimension that is approximately orthogonal to the first dimension. And an embodiment of an endovascular device includes a body and first and second tracking units. The body is configured for insertion into a lifeform. The first tracking unit is disposed at a first location of the body and includes a first coil configured to generate a first signal related to the first location in response to a first magnetic field. And the second tracking unit is disposed at a second location of the body and includes a second coil configured to generate a second signal related to the second location in response to a second magnetic field.

An implantable medical device configured to be compatible with the environment inside an MRI machine. The implantable medical device includes a housing constructed of an electrically conductive material and pulse generation circuitry within the housing for generating electrical voltage pulses. The implantable medical device further includes a first conductor that is configured to transmit the electrical voltage pulses from the pulse generation circuitry to a patient's cardiac tissue and a second conductor that is configured to provide an electrically conductive path from the patient's cardiac tissue back to the pulse generation circuitry. The implantable medical device further includes a selectively interruptible electrically conductive path connecting the pulse generation circuitry with the housing.

In a method and system for planning a brachytherapy treatment, magnetic resonance image data of a patient are acquired by operating a magnetic resonance scanner according to a magnetic resonance sequence that designates an examination volume. An area of the patient is positioned in the examination volume such that the magnetic resonance image data contain at least a part of at least one applicator for the brachytherapy, which is located in the patient. The magnetic resonance sequence includes measurement parameters that lead to a contrast between the at least one applicator and surrounding tissue in the magnetic resonance image data. The position of the at least one applicator in the magnetic resonance image data is extracted, and a radiation treatment plan is created using the extracted position of the at least one applicator.

A method using 2D multi-spectral imaging (2DMSI) for MRI imaging of a metallic object (such as a biopsy needle) and region surrounding the metallic object within an imaging field of view of an MRI apparatus includes segmenting the imaging field-of-view into spatial-spectral bins, where the segmenting is based on off-resonance frequency induced by the metallic object and slice location; selectively exciting each frequency bin of the spatial-spectral bins by inverting a slice selection gradient between excitation and refocusing pulses; performing repeated acquisition with different radiofrequency modulations to produce acquired images of adjacent bins; composing a 2DMSI image by root-sum-of-squares combination of the acquired images of adjacent bins; and highlighting in the 2DMSI image an area of furthest off-resonance bins based on 2DMSI off-resonance information by thresholding image intensity in frequency bins, thereby indicating a contour of the metallic object.

Systems and methods for testing properties of a test sample with a tri-axial nuclear magnetic resonance include a tri-axial load frame encasing a tri-axial load cell having a tri-axial sample holder and a piston assembly. A radial space surrounds the tri-axial sample holder. The tri-axial load frame further encases at least one end cap operable to contact the tri-axial load cell, and a nuclear magnetic resonance instrument. An axial pressure line is in fluid communication with the piston assembly, a confining pressure line is in fluid communication with the radial space, and a pore pressure line in fluid communication with the test sample. The axial pressure line, the confining pressure line, and the pore pressure line are independent and separate fluid flow paths.

It is an object of the invention to provide for an improved method for device localization using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during MRI guided interventions. This object is achieved by a method for device localization using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from a region of interest during an MRI guided intervention, wherein the method comprises the following steps: acquiring magnetic resonance data from the region of interest and reconstructing a biplane image, representing two intersecting slices, wherein an image contrast of the biplane image is such that it is suitable for device localization and wherein a thickness of the slices is such that the slices substantially cover the region of interest and; detecting a device location and orientation in both slices and; acquiring magnetic resonance data from a third slice comprising at least part of the region of interest and reconstructing an anatomical image thereof, wherein the image contrast of the anatomical image is such that it is suitable for identifying an anatomical structure of interest, wherein a thickness of the third slice is smaller than the thickness of the biplane slices.

A method using 2D multi-spectral imaging (2DMSI) for MRI imaging of a metallic object (such as a biopsy needle) and region surrounding the metallic object within an imaging field of view of an MRI apparatus includes segmenting the imaging field-of-view into spatial-spectral bins, where the segmenting is based on off-resonance frequency induced by the metallic object and slice location; selectively exciting each frequency bin of the spatial-spectral bins by inverting a slice selection gradient between excitation and refocusing pulses; performing repeated acquisition with different radiofrequency modulations to produce acquired images of adjacent bins; composing a 2DMSI image by root-sum-of-squares combination of the acquired images of adjacent bins; and highlighting in the 2DMSI image an area of furthest off-resonance bins based on 2DMSI off-resonance information by thresholding image intensity in frequency bins, thereby indicating a contour of the metallic object.