Simultaneous slice excitation for accelerated passive marker tracking via phase-only cross correlation (POCC) in MR-guided needle interventions

Objective: To accelerate a passive tracking sequence based on phase-only cross correlation (POCC) using simultaneous slice excitation.

Methods: For magnetic resonance (MR)-guided biopsy procedures, passive markers have been proposed that can be automatically localized online using a POCC-based tracking sequence. To accelerate the sequence, a phase-offset multiplanar (POMP) excitation technique was implemented to acquire tracking images. In a phantom experiment, the POMP-POCC sequence was tested and compared with the sequential non-accelerated version in terms of duration and accuracy. Further, technical feasibility of the POMP-POCC sequence was tested in a patient undergoing a prostate biopsy.

Results: The temporal resolution of the POMP-POCC tracking sequence is accelerated by 33% compared with the sequential approach. In phantom experiments, the POMP-POCC and sequential sequences yielded the same targeting accuracy of 1.6 ± 0.7 mm. Technical proof of concept of the new sequence could be demonstrated in a successful in vivo prostate biopsy.

Conclusion: POMP-POCC tracking can substantially reduce the duration of localization of passive markers in MR-guided needle interventions without compromising targeting accuracy.