MR systems for MRI-guided interventions.

The field of MR imaging has grown from diagnosis via morphologic imaging to more sophisticated diagnosis via both physiologic and morphologic imaging and finally to the guidance and control of interventions. A wide variety of interventional procedures from open brain surgeries to noninvasive focused ultrasound ablations have been guided with MR and the differences between diagnostic and interventional MR imaging systems have motivated the creation of a new field within MR. This review discusses the various systems that research groups and vendors have designed to meet the requirements of interventional MR and suggest possible solutions to those requirements that have not yet been met. The common requirements created by MR imaging guidance of interventional procedures are reviewed and different imaging system designs will be independently considered. The motivation and history of the different designs are discussed and the ability of the designs to satisfy the requirements is analyzed. (Copyright) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.