Improved MRI guidance for pediatric heart catheterization using autonomous multi-beat image synthesis
Official title: Improved MRI guidance of pediatric catheterization via autonomous multi-beat data synthesis
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11645478 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aiming to make MRI-guided pediatric heart catheterizations safer and more reliable by using smart, multi-beat data fusion to produce clearer real-time MRI images.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $91,491 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL162671-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11645478 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pediatric patients requiring cardiovascular catheterization or intervention, particularly where radiation exposure needs minimization.
✕Less likely to help
Patients unlikely to benefit include those not undergoing catheter-based procedures or with contraindications to MRI.
What this research studies
This project seeks to replace or supplement X-ray guidance with real-time MRI during pediatric catheter procedures to reduce radiation exposure and improve tissue visibility. By combining information from multiple heartbeats, the method should produce crisper, more reliable images during interventions. The work involves developing algorithms and testing them in a clinical setting to guide diagnostic catheterization and potential interventions in children with vascular or heart conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, children could undergo safer catheterizations with less radiation and better visualization of heart and vessels during the procedure.
How similar studies have gone: Previous first-in-human MRI-guided interventions show potential, but real-time image quality remains a barrier; this work advances toward practical clinical use.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Contijoch, Francisco J — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Contijoch, Francisco J
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.