Feasibility of RF Ablation at the Larmor Frequency for RF Field Visualization

Introduction: Radiofrequency ablation is an effective minimally invasive treatment for tumors. One primary source of difficulty is monitoring and controlling the ablation region. MR currently has a role in RF ablation due to its capability for temperature monitoring. RF ablation is typically performed at 480 kHz. If instead the ablation were to be performed at the Larmor frequency, then the MR capability for B1 field mapping could be used to directly visualize the RF fields created by the ablation currents. Visualizing the RF fields may enable better control of the ablation currents, enabling better control of lesion shape and size and improving repeatability. We demonstrate the feasibility of performing RF ablations at 64 MHz and show preliminary results from imaging the RF fields from the ablation.