X-ray fused with MRI guidance of pre-selected transcatheter congenital heart disease interventions

Novel Techniques in Imaging Congenital Heart Disease: JACC Scientific Statement

Recent years have witnessed exponential growth in cardiac imaging technologies, allowing better visualization of complex cardiac anatomy and improved assessment of physiology. These advances have become increasingly important as more complex surgical and catheter-based procedures are evolving to address the needs of a growing congenital heart disease population. This state-of-the-art review presents advances in echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, cardiac computed tomography, invasive angiography, 3-dimensional modeling, and digital twin technology. The paper also highlights the integration of artificial intelligence with imaging technology. While some techniques are in their infancy and need further refinement, others have found their way into clinical workflow at well-resourced centers. Studies to evaluate the clinical value and cost-effectiveness of these techniques are needed. For techniques that enhance the value of care for congenital heart disease patients, resources will need to be allocated for education and training to promote widespread implementation.

Multi-modality cardiac image computing: A survey

Multi-modality cardiac imaging plays a key role in the management of patients with cardiovascular diseases. It allows a combination of complementary anatomical, morphological and functional information, increases diagnosis accuracy, and improves the efficacy of cardiovascular interventions and clinical outcomes. Fully-automated processing and quantitative analysis of multi-modality cardiac images could have a direct impact on clinical research and evidence-based patient management. However, these require overcoming significant challenges including inter-modality misalignment and finding optimal methods to integrate information from different modalities. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of multi-modality imaging in cardiology, the computing methods, the validation strategies, the related clinical workflows and future perspectives. For the computing methodologies, we have a favored focus on the three tasks, i.e., registration, fusion and segmentation, which generally involve multi-modality imaging data, either combining information from different modalities or transferring information across modalities. The review highlights that multi-modality cardiac imaging data has the potential of wide applicability in the clinic, such as trans-aortic valve implantation guidance, myocardial viability assessment, and catheter ablation therapy and its patient selection. Nevertheless, many challenges remain unsolved, such as missing modality, modality selection, combination of imaging and non-imaging data, and uniform analysis and representation of different modalities. There is also work to do in defining how the well-developed techniques fit in clinical workflows and how much additional and relevant information they introduce. These problems are likely to continue to be an active field of research and the questions to be answered in the future.

Transcatheter Device Therapy and the Integration of Advanced Imaging in Congenital Heart Disease

Transcatheter device intervention is now offered as first line therapy for many congenital heart defects (CHD) which were traditionally treated with cardiac surgery. While off-label use of devices is common and appropriate, a growing number of devices are now specifically designed and approved for use in CHD. Advanced imaging is now an integral part of interventional procedures including pre-procedure planning, intra-procedural guidance, and post-procedure monitoring. There is robust societal and industrial support for research and development of CHD-specific devices, and the regulatory framework at the national and international level is patient friendly. It is against this backdrop that we review transcatheter implantable devices for CHD, the role and integration of advanced imaging, and explore the current regulatory framework for device approval.

MRI-Guided Cardiac Catheterization in Congenital Heart Disease: How to Get Started

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging provides radiation-free, 3-dimensional soft tissue visualization with adjunct hemodynamic data, making it a promising candidate for image-guided transcatheter interventions. This review focuses on the benefits and background of real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided cardiac catheterization, guidance on starting a clinical program, and recent research developments.

RECENT FINDINGS

Interventional cardiac magnetic resonance (iCMR) has an established track record with the first entirely MRI-guided cardiac catheterization for congenital heart disease reported nearly 20 years ago. Since then, many centers have embarked upon clinical iCMR programs primarily performing diagnostic MRI-guided cardiac catheterization. There have also been limited reports of successful real-time MRI-guided transcatheter interventions. Growing experience in performing cardiac catheterization in the magnetic resonance environment has facilitated practical workflows appropriate for efficiency-focused cardiac catheterization laboratories. Most exciting developments in imaging technology, MRI-compatible equipment and MRI-guided novel transcatheter interventions have been limited to preclinical research. Many of these research developments are ready for clinical translation. With increasing iCMR clinical experience and translation of preclinical research innovations, the time to make the leap to radiation-free procedures is now.

Interventional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: current applications, technology readiness level, and future perspectives

BACKGROUND

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) provides excellent temporal and spatial resolution, tissue characterization, and flow measurements. This enables major advantages when guiding cardiac invasive procedures compared with X-ray fluoroscopy or ultrasound guidance. However, clinical implementation is limited due to limited availability of technological advancements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible equipment. A systematic review of the available literature on past and present applications of interventional MR and its technology readiness level (TRL) was performed, also suggesting future applications.

METHODS

A structured literature search was performed using PubMed. Search terms were focused on interventional CMR, cardiac catheterization, and other cardiac invasive procedures. All search results were screened for relevance by language, title, and abstract. TRL was adjusted for use in this article, level 1 being in a hypothetical stage and level 9 being widespread clinical translation. The papers were categorized by the type of procedure and the TRL was estimated.

RESULTS

Of 466 papers, 117 papers met the inclusion criteria. TRL was most frequently estimated at level 5 meaning only applicable to in vivo animal studies. Diagnostic right heart catheterization and cavotricuspid isthmus ablation had the highest TRL of 8, meaning proven feasibility and efficacy in a series of humans.

CONCLUSION

This article shows that interventional CMR has a potential widespread application although clinical translation is at a modest level with TRL usually at 5. Future development should be directed toward availability of MR-compatible equipment and further improvement of the CMR techniques. This could lead to increased TRL of interventional CMR providing better treatment.

MRI Catheterization: Ready for Broad Adoption

In recent years, interventional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (iCMR) has evolved from attractive theory to clinical routine at several centers. Real-time cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR fluoroscopy) adds value by combining soft-tissue visualization, concurrent hemodynamic measurement, and freedom from radiation. Clinical iCMR applications are expanding because of advances in catheter devices and imaging. In the near future, iCMR promises novel procedures otherwise unsafe under standalone X-Ray guidance.