The MR-eye: Methods and Devices for Local MRI

The present invention is a novel method to lock the MRI frame-of-reference to an internal device, where the RF excitation is confined to the immediate region surrounding the probe. Two dimensions are encoded using cylindrical encoding or conventional read/phase encoding. The third dimension is resolved along the body of the probe using one or more modification methods to provide optimum slice selection. These methods and devices provide real-time MRI scanning from the view-point of the probe. Problem Solved/Background Magnetic Resonance Imaging systems typically use surface coils to image a specific area of interest. When surface coils do not provide an adequate signal to noise ratio (SNR), internal receivers are introduced into the body and positioned near the target region. Conventional MRI methods lock the image frame-of-reference to the scanner coordinate system, requiring interrogation and feedback to determine the location of the internal probe.

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