Magnetic resonance (MR) angiography using a faraday catheter

A magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system for obtaining vessel-selective MR angiographic images from a subject comprising:

• a) magnet means for applying a homogeneous magnetic field having substantially uniform amplitude over said subject;
• b) a Faraday catheter adapted to be inserted within said subject comprised of a conductive sheath means for surrounding a lumen and shielding fluid within the lumen from RF energy thereby causing the fluid to remain in the relaxed state;
• c) an RF transmitter means located external to said subject for transmitting RF energy into said subject of a selected duration, amplitude and frequency to cause nutation of a first ensemble of spins within said subject but outside of the Faraday catheter, but leaving a second ensemble of spins in a relaxed state within the Faraday catheter;
• d) a gradient means for varying the amplitude of the magnetic field over said subject in at least one spatial dimension over time;
• e) an RF receive coil means for detecting MR response signals from the first ensemble of nutated spins, and from the second ensemble of nutated spins within said subject;
• f) a reconstruction means for receiving the MR response signals and creating an angiographic image from the detected MR response signals in which the second selected ensemble of spins are differentiated first selected ensemble of spins, coupled to the RF receive coil means;
• g) a controller means for activating the RF transmitter means, the receiver coil means, the reconstruction means and the gradient means each according to a predetermined MR imaging pulse sequence, being connected to the RF transmitter means, the receive coil means, the reconstruction means and the gradient means;
• and
• h) a display means for displaying the angiographic image with the selected vessels of said subject being visible, being connected to the reconstruction means.