one of the significant difficulties with delivery of materials such as drugs , hormones , or neurotransmitters to living tissue is assuring that the materials are delivered to the target receptor location in the intended amount . many materials which are delivered to a patient , even though beneficial in the treatment of a specific condition , may be moderately or even strongly noxious or damaging to healthy tissue . it is therefore an object of conventional materials application treatment to maximize dosage to a desired location and to minimize dosage to locations which do not require the delivery of the material . additionally , newer medical treatments may include procedures which remove unwanted deposits of materials with an expectation that the removal will be assisted by physical removal ( by a withdrawal system ) or natural bodily function removal ( e . g ., the circulatory system ), or which may attempt to stimulate the body to produce natural chemicals ( of which a patient may be deficient ) at an increased rate ( e . g ., electrical stimulation to increase the production of dopamine ). because these procedures are usually highly invasive , it would be extremely desirable to have a real time indication of immediate , transient and persistent effectiveness of the procedure . where undesired deposits or collections of materials are being dispersed , it would be desirable to visualize the actual movement of materials to assist in collecting them ( e . g ., through catheters ) or tracking them to assure that they are not again depositing or collecting ( as in intravenous or cerebrospinal fluid blockage ), or moving in segments which are too large and could cause blockage in other parts of the body as they are carried about . unfortunately , with in vivo delivery of materials , particularly extremely small doses in small volumes delivered by small instrumentation into tissue regions protected by the blood - brain barrier , or the brain - cerebrospinal fluid barrier , or into visually inaccessible areas , it has not been possible to observe real time distribution of the material delivery , or the dispersion or distribution of the material at the injection or infusion site within the tissue . were even small variations or miscalculations about the location of the target sight and the delivery device can significantly affect the delivery of material and the effectiveness of the delivered material , real time observation of the material delivery is even more critical than in topical or gross ( e . g ., massive systemic injection ) delivery events . there has been no truly effective observation system for such delivery prior to the present invention . the basic operation of the present invention therefor involves the initial mr imaging observation of a molecular environment of a patient ( e . g ., a particular area or region of a patient , such as tissue , particularly such tissue as that present in organs or systems of animal bodies and especially the human body , including , but not limited to the intracranial compartment and the various anatomic regions of the brain , including the cerebral ventricles , cisterns , epidural and subdural spaces , sinuses , and blood vessels , the spinal cord , including disks , nerves and associated vascular system , the heart and the coronary vascular circulation , liver and the hepatic vascular circulation , kidney and the renal vascular circulation , spleen and the splenic vascular system , gastrointestinal system , special senses , including the visual system , auditory system , and olfactory system endocrine system including the pituitary gland , thyroid gland , adrenal gland , testes , and ovaries , with observation of an mr image signal intensity at a given time and / or state ( e . g ., prior to material introduction or at some defined stage of material diffusion into the molecular environment . in an example of the method of the invention , the distribution of the material in the tissue is determined by releasing an amount of the material through a drug delivery device positioned in the tissue , allowing the material to diffuse in the tissue , and analyzing the resulting mr signal intensity . on a continual basis or at some subsequent time interval later ( e . g ., a pulsed interval , preselected interval , random interval , frequent or sporadic intervals ), the mr image of the molecular state within the same general area is observed . changes in the characteristics , properties or quality of the image , such as the image signal intensity within the area are presumptively ( and in most cases definitively ) the result of the introduction of material into the original molecular environment and alteration of the mr response for regions of the environment where delivered material concentration has changed . by repeating observation of the mr image signal intensity within an area at least one ( e . g ., first taking the initial observation at a material concentration state at a time ti , and at least one subsequent observation of mri observable changes such as in the signal intensity qualities at a time t2 ), the change in mr image signal intensity qualities can be related to the change in material concentration between times t , and t2 , whether that change is from a starting point of zero concentration or from an existing concentration level . the observations therefore relative to the actual delivery of material into the molecular environment in an observable , and to some lesser degree , quantifiable manner . various aspects of the invention include , for example , a device useful in medical procedures comprising an electrode electrically connected to a signal sending system or a signal receiving system , and a drug delivery system comprising material delivery system comprising a source of material that can be delivered from the device to a site within a patient , the electrode having a signal sending capability and / or signal receiving capability distinct from the material delivery delivery system . the electrode , in addition to the signal sending capability and / or signal receiving capability distinct from the material delivery delivery system , may transmit signals useful in altering a rate of material delivery in the material delivery system . in the device , the signal sending capability and / or signal receiving capability may be distinct from the material delivery delivery system and the b ) material delivery system may operate in an electrically parallel or serial mode . the signals useful in altering a rate of material delivery in the material delivery system may be electrical signals that modify a rate delivery function of a material delivery device , as by modifying a ) the rate delivery function as a mechanical function of material delivery ( e . g ., a pump , a variable dimensioned orifice , sliding overlays of pores , etc . ), b ) an iontrophresis function of material delivery , or a thermally activated function of material delivery ( e . g ., the viscosity of a material is altered , changing its flow rate , the temperature of a carrier is altered ( e . g ., softened or even melted ) or alter a rate of release from the carrier , the transmission properties of a carrier are thermally altered , the absorption properties of a carrier or absorber are thermally altered , etc . one of the various methods for practice of the present invention , by way of example , could comprise : a ) observing by magnetic resonance imaging a visible image within an area of volume comprising tissue of the living patient , the area or volume including the device of the invention , b ) delivering at least some material by the device into the area or volume comprising tissue of a living patient , c ) observing a change in a property of the visible image of an area or volume comprising tissue of a living patient while the device is still present within the area or volume . this method could have the change in a property of the visible image is a change in signal intensity of the visible image and could have the observing performed in real time or near ( within less than 10 seconds ) real - time or at intervals or periodically . the process may be used to estimate a rate of material delivery within the area or volume of tissue , as by an apparent image change observed within the area or volume . the process may initiate changes in a procedure , particularly by the device being relocated to improve delivery of material to a desired location . in the method , there may be a propagation of material mass flow into the area or volume of tissue from the material delivery device , and the propagation of material mass flow may be observed in real time or near real - time to observe delivery of the material to tissue within the area or volume of tissue . a ) a magnetic resonance imaging system comprising a magnetic resonance source , a magnetic resonance signal reader capable of reading magnetic resonance amplitude , and a device according to the invention , said system providing a visible image of a magnetic resonance signal from the magnetic resonance signal reader , b ) the device can be placed within tissue of a living patient and observed within the tissue of a living patient by magnetic resonance imaging , and c ) a source of material to be delivered by the device attached to the device so that at least some of the material may be delivered by the device , the material comprising material which affects the amplitude of an mr signal in an aqueous solution . the system might have the material delivery device comprise at least one device selected from the group consisting of b ) a cather assembly of from 2 to 10 mass transporting elements ; c ) at least one light carrying element connected to a light reading system so that light projected into the area provides a signal through the light carrying device to the light reading system ; d ) a light transmitting element associated with the material delivery device ; e ) a light one thermally responsive element connected to a reading system for the thermal response so that temperatures or temperature changes within the area provide a signal to the reading system for the thermal response . the system might also comprise an element ( e . g ., an iontophretic element ) capable of providing a charge as part of the device . the charge , when provided by the charge providing element , is at a location on the device which assists in orienting of ionic material being delivered by the device within an area electrostatically near a point of release of the material from the device . for example , this could be effected where a charge providing element is present to deliver electrical charge onto the device electrostatically near a point of release of the material from the device and the charge providing element is electrically connected to the electrode . another method for observing the increase of material within aqueous environments or tissue in a living patient comprises the steps of : a ) observing by magnetic resonance imaging a visible image within an area or volume comprising tissue of the living patient , the area or volume including the device of the invention , which device can be observed by magnetic resonance imaging , b ) causing by the device at least some material which causes an alteration in the magnetic response of water in which the material is dispersed or dissolved to increase its concentration within the area or volume comprising an aqueous environment or tissue of a living patient , c ) observing a change in a property of the visible image of an area or volume comprising tissue of a living patient while the device is still present within the volume , d ) observing a change in a property of the visible image after the device has been moved from within the area or volume of tissue . the medical device may stimulate a part of the patient to increase or decrease its production of a chemical whose presence in water causes a change in a property of the visible image . another type of medical device could comprise at least electrode and at least one medical - procedure - functional element in addition to the electrode , the electrode having a ) a distal function providing a task selected from the group consisting of sending an electrical signal and receiving an electrical signal , and a proximal function selected form the group consisting of delivering an electrical charge or sensing an electrical signal , respectively , and b ) a second proximal function of delivering material to a site within a patient . such a device could be constructed of materials that are compatible with use of the device under mr imaging . for example , it could comprise a catheter having both the electrode and a drug delivery lumen system or a third function within the device could comprises at least one pair of microcoils , as where the at least one pair of microcells comprises at least two microcoils which are spaced apart from each other to provide a volume of response around the medical device which can assist in providing magnetic resonance imaging signals to analyze for magnetic resonance images within the volume . a hollow lumen may be present within the device and the hollow lumen could comprise a core of the device around which at least two other distinct components are physically attached to the core , the at least two other distinct components selected from the group consisting of radiation transmitting elements , thermal transmission elements , thermal generating elements , and fluid transport elements . another way of describing a system for observing delivery of material into tissue of a living patient according to the present invention comprises : a ) a magnetic resonace imaging system comprising a magnetic resonance source , a magnetic resonance signal reader capable of reading magnetic resonance amplitude , and an imaging device capable of providing a visible image of a magnetic resonance signal from the magnetic resonance signal reader , b ) a material delivery device comprising the device of claim 1 which material delivery device can be placed within tissue of a living patient and observed within the tissue of a living patient by magnetic resonance imaging , and c ) a source of material to be delivered by the material delivery device attached to the material delivery device so that at least some of the material may be delivered by the device , the material comprising material which is capable of affecting the amplitude of an mr signal , the material delivery device comprising a catheter system for delivering fluid to a selected site within a tissue comprising : 1 ) a pump for delivering the fluid ; 2 ) a catheter coupled to the pump ; and 3 ) the catheter having a distal and a proximal end , the catheter comprising a first tubular portion and the second tubular portion , the first tubular portion being made from a relatively impenetrable material and having a lumen , the second tubular portion having an open end disposed within the distal end of the lumen and a closed area disposed distally of the distal end of the lumen , the second tubular portion being made of a porous material having a semi - permeable membrane with pre - selected molecular weight exclusion that permits fluid to flow through the lumen and out of the catheter through the second tubular portion into the tissue , the semi - permeable membrane being adapted to provide for complete irrigation of any anatomically extensive tissue region . the change in the signal , e . g ., the change in the amplitude of the mr signal in the visible image may be altered by : a ) a change in the apparent diffusion coefficient ( adc ) of tissue water protons ; b ) a change in tissue magnitude susceptibility ( bo ); c ) a change in t1 tissue relaxivity ( t1 ); d ) a change in t2 tissue relativity ( t2 ); e ) a change in tissue magnetization transfer coefficients ( mtc ); f ) a change in tissue chemical shift frequency ; g ) a change in tissue temperature ; or h ) a combination of any one or more of a )- g ) alone or with other effects . the association of an electrode in combination with the material ( especially drug ) delivery function could be done in numerous ways . the cathode could leak energy ( electrical or thermal ) into the drug release functionality to promote or alter material delivery . the cathode could serially or in parallel power the drug delivery function . for example , where the electrode is carrying signals form the proximal treatment site , the voltages would be generally lower than where delivering electrical stimuli to the treatment site . in the former , leakage stimulation of iontopheresis would seem more appropriate , while in the latter condition , serial or parallel control of a rate delivery function , alone or in combination with other ( e . g ., rf ) signals would appear more appropriate . the mr signal is dephased by the random motion of diffusing water molecules , and the presence of the delivered material locally affects the degree to which the amplitude of the signal is altered by the dephasing . if the amount of active ingredient to be delivered is quite small , or the effect of that material on the alteration of the amplitude is minimal , the delivered material may be associated with a larger amount of a second material or another more nm signal responsive material , which are preferably selected on a basis of similarity in diffusion rates through like materials or at least comparable ( mathematically relatable ) diffusion rates . in this manner , using such a target material , the diffusion of the delivered material may be assumed to relate to the diffusion / delivery of the taggant material . unlike other observational techniques , these taggant materials may be readily provided as non - toxic , inexpensive taggant materials since there is such a wide variety of materials which could be so used , and their only functional requirements would be diffusion rate and non - toxicity . many dyes commonly used in medical procedures could be used for this purpose . the availability of an mr - visible drug delivery device combined with nm - visible chemical or drug agents would make it possible to obtain near real - time information on drug delivery during interventional procedures in an intra - operative mr system , as well as for pre - operative and post - operative confirmation of the location of the drug delivery device . medical and surgical applications would include vascular surgery and interventional radiology , cardiac surgery and cardiology , thoracic surgery and radiology , gastrointestinal surgery and radiology , obstetrics , gynecology , urology , orthopedics , neurosurgery and neurointerventional radiology , head and neck surgery and radiology , ent surgery and radiology , and oncology . in addition to direct tissue injection , the method of the invention applies to drug delivery via intraluminal , intracavitary , laparoscopic , endoscopic , intravenous , intraarterial applications . there is currently considerable interest in the therapeutic use of small ions as well as macromolecules in the treatment of various neurologic diseases . to be effective , such molecules must be able to reach target tissue receptors . many molecules that are used in therapeutic drugs are large in size , for example , neuroleukin , a neuromodulator drug tested for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is about 56 kda , bethanechol chloride used in treatment of alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease is about 196 kda and nerve growth factor is about 13 kda . while the importance of large molecular weight molecules in direct parenchymal drug therapy is growing , little is known about the time course and the spatial range of their actions , since dynamic visualization methods for studying macromolecular diffusion have not been available . diffusion of drug and / or water protons in a complex medium , such as a brain cell microenvironment , is influenced by numerous factors . materials injected into the brain or spinal cord do not move unimpeded through the aggregations of neurons , glia , capillaries , and nerve fibers . the distribution of a drug volume in the brain cell microenvironment following injection directly into brain tissue is governed by a number of factors including the physiochemical characteristics of the drug , capillary uptake , metabolism , excretion , size of the extracellular space ( the volume fraction ), and geometry of the brain cell microenvironment ( tortuosity ). the degree to which each of these factors influences the distribution of a particular drug agent within the brain or spinal cord is an important determinant of the effectiveness of drug treatment of diseases of the central nervous system . despite the fact that the average spacing between brain cells may be no more than 20 nm , the mean free path of an ion at the typical ionic strength of the mammalian nervous system is only about 0 . 01 nm . in ways similar to altering the local adc of the water protons , presence and transport of a drug through a tissue will also alter the magnetic susceptibility , t1 , t2 , mtc , water proton diffusion anistropy , chemical shift frequency , and temperature of the protons within each imaged voxel . this represents the distance traveled between collisions with other molecules . almost all these collisions actually take place with water molecule since the concentrations of water is 55 m . thus ions intrinsic to the brain rarely encounter cell membranes and generally behave as though they were in a free medium . however , the diffusivity properties becomes much more complicated when the boundary has a complex geometry , or when macromolecular interactions involve exogeneous solutions injected into tissues . in complex media such as brain tissue , diffusion obeys ficks law , subject to two important modifications . first , the diffusion coefficient d , is reduced by the square of the tortuosity factor to an apparent diffusion coefficient adc *= d / tortuosity factor 2 because a diffusing material encounters membranous obstructions as it executes random movements between cells . second , the source strength is divided by the volume fraction of the extracellular space so that a given quantity of released material becomes more concentrated than it would have been in a free medium . in most media , tortuosity and volume fraction are essentially dimensionless factors which depend only on the geometrical constraints imposed by local structures . in brain tissue , however , a third factor , non - specific uptake , is present in the diffusion equation as a term , k ′, for loss of material across the cell membranes . in fact k ′ can be expressed as p ( s )/ volume fraction , where p is the membrane permeability and ( s ) is the volume average of the membrane surface area . complex local boundary conditions imposed by cell membranes can thus be removed by averaging the local diffusion equations and boundary conditions over some characteristic volume of tissue a few micrometers in extent . thus in the case where a substrate is injected from a point source at a rate of q moles / sec in a free medium , the source term becomes q / tortuosity in a complex medium while the diffusion coefficient adc is modified to be adc / volume fraction 2 in the new equation , which is the apparent diffusion coefficient . knowledge of the properties of the brain extracellular microenvironment is thus essential to understanding the role of diffusion in delivering metabolic or therapeutic agents to brain or spinal cord cells . diffusion has been determined employing radioactive or fluorescent tracers , in which the concentration profiles of the tracer are monitored over time , and its diffusivity is inferred from the data . microscopic displacements can be seen with tracers on the scale of millimeters . spatially resolved methods , such as infrared spectroscopy or rayleigh scattering , have been used allowing resolution in the micrometer range . such tracer techniques have been successfully applied in biological systems , such as the brain . however , because of the inherent invasiveness of using exogenous tracers , such techniques cannot be used in vivo with humans . techniques have also been developed for determining the diffusion characteristics of small molecules in local regions of the brain using radiotracers , microiontrophoresis , or pressure microinjection combined with ion - selective miocroelectrodes . the applications of these methods to intracranial drug delivery have been described in the medical literature , for example , lux et al ., exp . brain res ., 17 , 1973 , pp . 190 - 205 , grardnermedwin , neurosci . res . progr . bull , 1980 , 18 pp . 208 - 226 , nicholson et al ., j . physiol ., 1981 , 321 , pp . 225 - 257 , nicholson et al ., brain res ., 1979 , 169 , pp . 580 - 584 . however , these techniques have several key limitations . first , these techniques proivde a measurement at only a single point in the tissue so that spatial patterns of diffusion cannot be determined . second , ion - selective microelectrodes can only be used with a few small ions . third , since radiotracer techniques rely on postmortem counting of particles in fixed and sectioned tissues , they provide limited spatial resolution and no dynamic information . several previous studies have obtained estimates of the adc of large fluorescent molecules from digitized images of fluorescent molecules as they diffused away from blood vessels . however , the complicated geometry of the source and inability to precisely characterize the emitted flux , substantially limit the clinical utility of the information . similarly , new optical imaging methods , in which a uniform distribution of fluorescent tracer is first established in the sample and then a region is photobleached with a strong laser , has serious limitations because the laser beam can also damage the tissue area being imaged . studies with optical fluorescence methods suggest that molecules as large as 70 kda can pass through the brain extracellular microenvironment . below some limit between 10 and 40 kda , molecular diffusion is not restricted any more than with much smaller molecules . similar constraints have been found for diffusion in the brain intracellular microenvironment , whereby all molecules diffuse at least three times slower than in aqueous solution , suggesting a similar tortuosity in the intracellular environment . an integrative optical imaging technique disclosed by tao and nicholson , biophysical j ., 1993 ; 65 , pp . 2277 - 2290 yields an apparent diffusion coefficient from digitized images , and enables precise determination of the diffusion characteristics of fluroescently labeled compounds of high molecular weight . the generalized equations disclosed by nicholson and tao have two nondimensional factors that incorporate the structure of the tissue into the imaging solution . the first factor , the tortuosity , accounts for the hindrance to extracellular diffusion that arises from the obstructions presented by cell membranes . the second structural factor is the volume fraction , which is defined as the ratio of the volume of the brain extracellular microenvironment to the total volume of tissue averaged over some small reference domain . the method disclosed by nicholson and tao (“ hindered diffusion of high molecular weight compounds in brain extracellular microenvironment measured with integrative optical imaging .” biophysical j . 1993 ; 65 : 2277 - 2290 ) does not , however , yield a direct measurement of the molecular distribution in a three - dimensional sample , and furthermore requires use of large fluorescent markers which are not suitable for repeated injections in human patients . an alternative approach to measuring diffusivity of therapeutic drug injections is to monitor the diffusion process itself , i . e ., the random motions of an ensemble of particles . einstein showed that the diffusion coefficient measured in nonequilibrium concentration cell experiments is the same quantity that appears in the variance of the conditional probability distribution , p ( r / ro , t ), the probability of finding a molecule at a position r at a time t , which was initially at a position ro . for free diffusion , this conditional probability distribution obeys the same diffusion relation . thus , mr imaging parameters which reflect the differences in relative water proton - diffusion path lengths may serve to enable imaging differentiation between tissue water protons and protons in macromolecular solutions that are injected into brain tissue . molecular water - proton diffusion is caused by thermally induced random brownian motion . as the protons continually collide with their microenvironments , their average random traveled pathlength & lt ; l & gt ;, along one direction ( e . g . along the magnet - bore direction ) is described according to einstein as : & lt ; l & gt ;= 2 td where over an observation time of t ( seconds ) the displacement is expressed as a “ diffusion coefficient , d ” in rrim 2 / s or cm2 / s . the diffusion process is continuous , so that the average displacement of any population of water protons increases with mr imaging time . however , the diffusion behavior of protons can be hindered by impermeable or semi - permeable barriers , such as cell membranes , and macromolecules , which may themselves contain populations of diffusion protons . for tissue water protons diffusing within a tissue matrix , the observed diffusion rate and direction will reflect the molecular and macromolecular barriers or hindrances that the diffusing protons encounter during their translational processes . one example of the application of this concept in human neurobiology is that myelinated nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord preferentially dispose the diffusion of water protons along , rather than across , myelin tracts thereby giving rise to diffusional anisotropy mr imaging properties ( moseley et al ., mag . res . med ., 19 , 1991 , pp . 321 - 326 , moseley et al ., topics mag . res . med ., 3 , 1991 , pp . 5068 ). although noted for its effects on high - resolution , high - field mr spectra more than 25 years ago , molecular ( water proton ) diffusion has just recently been shown to have an important impact in clinical mr neuroimaging applications . while ti and t2 relaxation times reflect frequency - dependent rotational and proton exchange processes , diffusion is caused solely by molecular or proton displacements or translations . molecular size , shape , microenvironment , and temperature all influence the diffusion rate of molecules . generally , larger molecules will translate ( diffuse ) more slowly than smaller molecules , such as water protons , and the differences in diffusion rates between different populations of molecules can be distinguished by signal intensity differences on diffusion - weighted mr images , particularly mr images which employ large diffusion gradients ( b values ). thus , the measurable diffusion of smaller versus large molecules with mr imaging can be used as an in vivo tracer to probe the substantial orientation of the tissues into which the drug agent has been injected . advances in diffusion - weighted mr imaging have been made possible by major technical improvements in mr scanner hardware and software . high - speed mr echo - planar imaging now enables subsecond diffusion - sensitive imaging of water proton behavior in brain and spinal cord . thus , mr - visible molecules may exist in a variety of environments in brain tissue , which modify the way in which the molecules can move . first , the space in which the molecules can move may be small ( e . g ., intracellular ) or large ( e . g ., an enlarged extracellular space ). second , the amount of dissolved compounds and proteins may alter the viscosity of the substance injected into the tissue . the random movement of the molecules is characterized by its diffusion coefficient adc as the mean square distance moved for unrestricted isotropic ( i . e . same in all directions ) diffusion ( for example a large sample or pure water ). adc is high in pure water , and lower by about a factor of 10 in tissue . as tissue becomes destroyed by disease processes , adc is expected to rise toward its free water value . diffusion - weighted imaging , in which the field gradients are applied to attenuate the signal from rapidly diffusing water , shows increased image intensity in areas of low adc . similarly , the presence of a drug in tissue , or its transport through tissue extracellular , intercellular or intracellular microenvironments , will also alter the magnetic susceptibility , t1 , t2 , mtc , water proton diffusion anisotropy , chemical shift frequency , and temperature of protons within each imaged voxel . the medical treatment and the medical device used in the practice of the present invention , even when a delivery device , may also be a diagnostic device rather than only a treatment device . for example , there are numerous diseases which alter the thickness of specific layers or coverings within the body , such as the myelin around nerves . the present invention provides a diagnostic tool to the degree that alterations in the thickness or existence of coatings such as myelin will alter the transport of chemical from one part of the body to another . where , as in certain myelin deficiency diseases such as multiple sclerosis , the effect on the myelin is progressive and not uniform , the administration of chemicals into an area under mr imaging guidance according to the present invention can enable viewing of the variations in the rate of migration or transport of these observable chemicals to different areas of the myelinated nerve . the degree of advance of the disease can thus be observed , and it is possible to diagnose or even quantify the stage of the disease more acutely and comparatively within a given patient . according to that method , a chemical material would be introduced into the patient , and the relative movement of that chemical through supposedly similar structures in the area could be observed . significant differences in penetration rates and / or concentrations of these chemicals through similar tissue material ( e . g ., the myelin ) would be indicative of different properties ( e . g ., thickness , hydrophilicity , porosity , etc .) which would be symptomatic of a disease . the observation would therefore provide the data that could support or prove a clinical diagnosis of a disease which is known to affect the specific properties observed . fig1 and 2 illustrate an mr - compatible drug delivery device made in accordance with the most preferred embodiment of the present invention . a variable - length concentric mr - visible multi - lumen catheter 4 is formed by extruding a tubular assembly with both porous 4 b and non - porous 4 a tubular components , the non - porous tubular component 4 a is made of mr - visible elastomeric hydrogel , various polymeric compositions including polyvinylchloride , polyacrylonitrile , polyvinylidene fluoride , polystyrene , polyurethane , and polyamides , or other similar low friction material intended to minimize abrasive damage to the brain during insertion . one or more of the tubing conduits 2 , 2 a , 2 b in the multi - lumen cather are connected to a pump 3 , 3 a , 3 b or other temporary reservoir 1 , 1 a , 1 b , which circulates a therapeutic drug solution or mr - sensitive contrast agent through a dialysis fiber into a target tissue or pathological lesion . the distal terminus of each porous tubular component 4 b has a dialysis probe 17 with a variable molecular weight cut - off membrane 18 which permits unimpeded movement of cerebrospinal fluid , small ions , and small molecular weight drugs , but is substantially impermeable to blockage by cellular material , said semipermeable membrane having a molecular weight of exclusion of approximately 100 - 200 kd . the dialysis membranes can be made of regenerated cellulose hollow fiber tubing , as well as various polymeric compositions including polyvinylchloride , polyacrylonitrile , polyvinylidene fluoride , polystyrene , polyurethane , polyamides , cellulose acetates and nitrates , polymethylmethacrylate , polysulfones , polyacrylates , and derivatives , copolymers and mixtures thereof . the inlet tubing of the dialysis probe is connected to a microinjection pump 3 or reservoir 1 providing a flow of 0 . 10 - 10 ml / minute of drug solution or sterile ringer &# 39 ; s solution perfuming the inside of the probe . the outlet tubing 2 a is connected to a section of plastic tubing leading to a collection vial 3 a . regenerated cellulose hollow fiber dialysis tubing is cemented into the distal end of the plastic tubing with clear epoxy or other mr - compatible bonding material . the dialysis fiber ( spectra / or ; spectrum medical ) or other similar commercially available semi - permeable membrane has a nominal molecular weight cut - off of 100 - 200 kd , an i . d . ( interior diameter ) of 5 - 50 micrometers and a membrane length of 1 - 10 mm . with further reference to fig1 - 3 of the drawings , the outlet tubing 2 a is incorporated into the probe into the dialysis chamber 1 via small perforation in the inlet tubing . the entire upper portion of the assembly , including the junction between the inlet tubing and plastic cannula , is sealed with epoxy . the outer tubing consists of 5 - 10 cm length of flexible fused silica tubing ( polymicro technologies ). these probes are inexpensive and easy to construct , and the small o . d . ( outside diameter ) minimizes the tissue damage . the concentric design makes it simple to implant the probe into different intracranial locations . with reference to fig4 , active mr visualization of drug delivery is achieved by means of one or more rf microcoils 9 , 9 a , 10 , 10 a positioned along the longitudinal axis of the device 4 . particularly preferred is an rf coil consisting of a circular loop of gold or other conductive material 9 positioned around the widest part of the drug delivery device , which would project the field - of vision ( fov ) furthermost into the tissue . depending on orientation of the coil with the magnetic bo , single microcoils may be used separately or may be constructed in an array that may be used together to optimally image the surrounding tissue structure and contrast . in order to reduce the thickness of the r - f microcil , the coil material is sputter - coated onto the surface of the drug delivery device . preferred also for very small ( nanoliter or microliter ) injections is a solenoid volume r - f microcil 9 a , which by design is sensitive only to the volume inside the coil , said imaging volume being directly related to the diameter of the r - f coil . another preferred mr imaging method which can be used to practice the invention is a combination of r - f microcoil and surface coil positioned on the surface of the patient &# 39 ; s head . also preferred is telescoping coil 10 inside of the catheter , expanding it when one wants to image and then withdraw the coil and move on . one may see several cm with this idea . another preferred method of mr iamging involves the use of an oblong surface loop of wire at the end of a slanted drug delivery device or along the shank of the device , thereby yielding a long fov . in each of these preferred embodiments of the invention , the transmitting coil would be the head or body volume rf coil inside of the mr imager . the r - f surface coil is used only for detection purposes . in another preferred embodiment , a preamplifier 10 b positioned near the distal end of the delivery device 4 serves to amplify signals from the r - f microcoils 9 , 9 a , 10 , 10 a . with further reference to fig3 and 4 , the medical device used in the preferred practice of the present invention for delivery of materials may vary widely with respect to its structure , being highly dependent upon the particular procedural use to which it is being intended . however , there are many features which can be common to all of the devices or which should at least be considered in the various constructions . the simplest device could be a single delivery tube ( catheter ) which has mr responsive material in or on the composition of the tubing 19 , preferably near the distal end or outlet of the delivery tube for assisting in detection by the mr imaging system . the next level of simplified construction would be the presence of mr coils or microcoils 9 , 9 a , 10 , 10 a at or near the distal end of the catheter . this again , as elsewhere described , improves the visibility of the viewable signal observable by the mri system . more than one coil or microcoil may be present , as the distribution of microcoils along a length of the catheter helps define the region within which local signals are detected at efficient intensities . that is , each coil acts as a detector of local mr intensity , and each coil supports a volume around the coil which is observable by mri systems . the coils may add or integrate their detectable volumes , defining a combined volume which can be efficiently observed by the mr system . as different medical procedures are performed in different environments , with different shapes and different variations in densities , the coils may be located , sized , angled , or otherwise designed to provide specific mr signals and / or responses tailored to the anticipated needs of a particular procedure . in general , the invention is best practiced by employing an array of r - f microcoils , such that an image is obtained for any orientation of the drug delivery device . the device may also include numerous catheter elements and / or ports and / or supplemental or independent functional elements . for example , as illustrated in fig3 , at least two ports 21 , 22 may be needed , one to carry in on chemical material and another to deliver a second distinct chemical material which is or may become desirable during a medical procedure . for example , in addition to a primary treatment chemistry being delivered , saline solutions or specifically tailored solutions to dilute potential oversized deliveries could be desirable . some treatments may require sequences of drug delivery or delivery of various drugs which may not be storage stable prior to delivery to a patient . separate ports 23 , 24 would be desirable in those events . additionally , ports may be used to evacuate undesirable materials which are directly or indirectly introduced by the medical procedure . the withdrawal port 25 may comprise a tube with a port which can be attached to negative pressure with respect to the an opening in such a withdrawal port , thus being able to reduce liquid or small particle solids volumes within the area of the procedure . where the liquid volume or solids are mr viewable , the mr viewable device may be directed towards specific locations or areas and the ports targeted towards the specific areas . in addition , the various ports may be marked or designed to provide distinct signals when viewed by mr systems so that they may be distinguished during performance of the procedures . for example , mr insensitive materials may be used to line a port 26 or materials with different distributions or intensities of mr response may be used in the various ports to differentiate the elements while being observed during performance of procedures . for example , where a withdrawal tube 27 has openings through which materials may be withdrawn , the orientation of that opening within the device becomes important . by lining the edges of the opening with material having unique mr responsiveness within the device 28 , the position and orientation of the opening can be readily determined . particularly preferred is a 2000 - 5 , 000 angstrom thick coating of mr - visible material along the distal shaft of the device . where multiple catheters or ports or functional elements are combined into a single device , the configuration of the different components should be tailored for a particular procedure . the different components may be associated by various orientations . as illustrated in fig3 b , the most preferred is generally a central tube or tubes with other tubes forming a circular distribution around the central tube or tubes . an mr - visible guidewire may be inserted within the device 4 to assist in positioning the device at a target anatomical location . particularly preferred is a guidewire or other structural support made of nitinol ™ or other mr - compatible shape memory metal . this is the simplest geometry and provides for smallest diameter sizing of the device . as illustrated in fig5 a , other configurations such as parallel alignment of the elements in a strip - like orientation , stacking of elements in rows and columns , or mixtures of these and other configurations may also be useful . other elements which may be included within the device , in addition to or separate from the use of delivery and / or withdrawal tubes 29 , include thermal elements 30 ( for providing heat ), radiation carrying elements 31 ( e . g ., ultraviolet radiation , visible radiation , infrared radiation , and even hard radiation carrying elements , such as optical fibers or other internal reflection radiation carrying systems ), detection elements 32 ( e . g ., ph indicators , electronic activity indicators , pressure detectors , ion detectors , thermal detectors , etc . ), and any other sensing or detection element which would be useful during medical procedures . these individual elements are each extendable to permit optimal positioning within the tissue would be configured as desired or needed for the particular procedure intended for the device . procedurally inert elements such as structural supports , reinforcing elements or coatings , back - up elements , and the like , may also be present within the device . particularly preferred as structural supports or reinforcing elements are circumferential bands of nitinol or other mr - compatible shape memory metals 35 which , when activated , can facilitate accurate directed placement of the functional tip of the device . one type of configuration which is presently considered as the preferred embodiment of the invention is the use of a core of element ( s ) surrounded by a sheath or distribution of additional elements . for example , with further reference to fig3 a and 3b , a central core element may comprise a single tube for delivery of a material , a pair of tubes for delivery of two chemicals , a delivery and withdrawal tube , or a procedurally inert structural support element 11 . around the central core element may be disposed multiple additional elements 21 - 27 , usually seeking as near to a circular distribution about the central core as geometries allow . the attempt at the circular distribution is primarily for purposes of optimizing a small size for the diameter of the article , and is not necessarily a functional aspect to the performance of the device . with respect to fig5 , the mr responsive materials , including mr microcoils , may be located within the central core 33 , around the central core 34 ( beneath any next layering of elements ), or over the elements surrounding the central core 34 a . where one or more of the elements receive , transmit or are powered by electrical signals , it is desirable that these elements be electrically separated by either or both of physical separation or additional insulation to prevent mixing or cross - transmission of signal between the distinct elements . carrying and withdrawing tubes ( as well as other elements ) may also secondary functions . for example , a carrying tube may be conductive ( by being naturally conductive or by having a conductive coating in or outside of the tube ) and the electrical connection may be associated with an electronic element or component at the distal end of the device . the tube may thereby act as a carrying tube and electrical connection to the electronic component or element . structural or adhesive support materials between different elements may also provide such functions . the various individual elements within the device must be structurally associated , especially away from the distal end , and during insertion , may need structural association at the distal end 11 . the structural support or structural integrity may be provided by some physical means of attaching the various elements . this may be done by adhesive material between the individual elements ( which adhesive should be mr compatible ), fusion of the various elements , or by coextrusion of the tubes into a single unit ( or single component of a multiple element device ). the adhesive may be an organic or inorganic adhesive . the distal end of the device may have the ends of the elements temporarily or controllable bonded during insertion . this may be beneficial because it may be desirable to have the individual elements fan out or separate during a medical procedure , for example , as in the case of a target tissue or area of pathology which is anatomically extensive . the adhesive could be water soluble ( which would dissolve or a timely manner after insertion ), solvent soluble ( with solvent delivered into the distal end during a preliminary procedure , or radiation disruptable ( e . g ., a positive - acting resist adhesive composition which is sensitive to uv , visible or ir radiation which may be delivered through a radiation carrying port ). many other variations and combinations of these considerations an constructions may be used within the practice of the present invention . with reference to fig6 a , in another embodiment the dialysis probe is replaced by an mr - visible microcatheter 38 , which is a single extrusion catheter made from one of several possible sizes of a polyethylene terephthalate proximal shaft , e . g ., 30 ga . the 12 mm distal segment of the microcatheter drug delivery device is made of elastomeric hydrogel or similar soft material which minimizes tissue damage during insertion . a plurality of semipermeable membranes 38 b are placed circumferentially at regular intervals along the distal segment of the microcatheter , thus enabling wide dispersion of an injected agent , semipermeable membrane consisting of a 0 . 18 - 0 . 22 ml millipore filter . the companion microguidewire in this example is made of nitinol or similar memory metal which enables directed placement of the tip of the catheter . the microguidewire 37 is threaded into a clear hub luek - lock cap 39 made of poly - methyl - pentene or similar mr - compatible plastic . both the catheter and guidewire have a linearly arranged array of radiopaque and mr - visible markers 40 disposed at the distal end to provide easily identifiable reference points for trackability and localization under mr imaging and xray fluoroscopy guidance . the microcatheter can also be made from any of the well known soft , biocompatible plastics used in the catheter art such as percuflex ™, a trademarked plastic manufactured by boston scientific corporation of watertown , mass . with further reference to fig6 a of the drawings , when the delivery device is positioned intracranially , the distal markers will be identifiable in an mr image and by x - rays . in another preferred embodiment , two or more r - f microcoils are placed along the distal shaft of the microcatheter . with further reference to fig6 of the drawings , the delivery device can be employed to deliver pharmacologic therapies in order to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with cerebral ischemia , intracranial vasospasm , subarachnoid hemorrhage , and brain tumors . in the method of the invention the distal tip of the multi - lumen catheter assembly is typically positioned a few millimeters above the intracranial target structure using mr imaging . in one preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig6 b and 6c , surface modifications of the material components of the dialysis probe 18 enable timed - release kinetics of mr - visible biologic response modifiers , including peptide macromolecules . in another preferred embodiment of the invention , a pump or other infusion or injection device circulates a solution containing a therapeutic drug or an mr visible contrast agent through the walls of the dialysis fiber into the brain at rates between 0 . 01 microliter / min to 10 microliter / min . in another preferred embodiment of the invention , pressure ejection techniques well described in the medical literature are used to deliver a predetermined amount of a therapeutic drug agent or mr - visible contrast through one or more of the tubular components of the multi - lumen device . in one specific preferred embodiment of the invention , the catheter is backfilled with the drug or contrast agent , which is functionally connected to a picospritzer ™ ( general valve corp , fairfield , n . j .) or a similar instrument that is able to deliver pulses of nitrogen or compressed air with a duration ranging from a few milliseconds to several seconds at a pressure of 10 - 50 psi . using such a pressure ejection mode of drug delivery , the concentration of the released substance in the vicinity of the tip is accurately defined by the concentration of the material in the delivery device . a binary solution can be also released , in that two therapeutic or diagnostic compounds can be delivered at the same time by pressure ejection of two materials from two or more separate microcatheters . in another embodiment of the invention , the mr - visible solution contains stoically stabilized liposomes , with lipophilis or hydrophilis chelators , such as polyaminocarboxylic acids and their salts , such as dtpa on phosphatidyl ethanolamine for steric acid embedded within the external bilayer , or double - layer liposomes that chelate a t2 - sensitive metal ion within the internal aqueous space and another t1 - sensitive metal ion on the outside membrane surface , or lipsomes which contain 100 - 1000 air bubbles , such as argon , carbon dioxide , or air , as a contrast agent . in another preferred embodiment , r - f microcoils 41 a - f are positioned at the distal ends of individual delivery tubes , said microcoils acting as local mr detectors . with further reference to fig1 and 2 , in a method of the invention , the implantable mr - visible multilumen catheter includes in another tubing conduit a hydrocephalus pressure valve ic and self - sealing port id preferably made of nitinol ( tm ) or other similar mr - compatible material for regulating the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through the catheter after placement of the catheter tip into cerebral ventricle or other intracranial fluid compartment under mr imaging guidance . with further reference to fig1 and 2 , in the method of the invention , the implantable mr - visible multilumen catheter also includes in another tubing conduit a metabolic biopsy microcatheter which is used to collect and measure the number of small molecules present in the extracellular fluid , including energy - related metabolites , such as lactate , pyruvate , glucose , adenosine , and inosine , and excitatory amino acids , such as glutamate and aspartate , in a separate reservoir 3 b . with reference to fig7 to fig1 of the drawings , in the method of the invention , mr imaging is used to differentiate normal brain tissues from various pathologic conditions , including solid brain tumor , abscess cavity , edema , necrotic infarcts , reversibly ischemic infarcts , demyelination , and hemorrhage , based on the characteristic adc of these tissue pathologies already well established in the medical literature . in order to determine the delivery and distribution kinetics of intracerebrovascular , intrathecal , and intra - parenchymal injections or infusions of drug or contrast agents within the brain for purposes of creating a means of acquiring a metabolic ” biopsy , a sequence of mr images are collected over a period of time t , which is preferably & lt ; 100 min and & gt ; 10 sec . the mr intensity distribution and spatial variation of the calculated adc of the tissue volume undergoing mr imaging prior to drug delivery is compared with the adc in the same region following drug delivery in order to determine the efficacy of drug delivery of the targeted intracranial loci . methods to obtain absolute measurements of adc using mr imaging have been described in the medical literature , for example , moseley et al ., mag . res . med ., 19 , 1991 , pp . 321 - 326 , and moseley et al ., topics mag . res . med ., 3 , 1991 , pp . 50 - 68 ). it is well established that if there is restriction to diffusion ( e . g ., from cell walls ), then the measured adc will decrease with increasing diffusion time . thus , an express objective of the present invention is to evaluate the efficacy of mr image - guided drug delivery by measuring restricted diffusion with localized mr pulse sequences . in the method of the present invention , modeling of restricted diffusion is used to estimate the size of the diffusion spaces and the permeability of the barriers to drug agents injected into the brain microenvironment . a conventional imaging sequence is repeated with field gradients of increasing strength or duration . the signal decays away exponentially as e − bd , where b depends on the strength , duration and timing of the diffusion - sensitizing gradients . however , the diffusion gradients make the sequence extremely sensitive to motion . thus , in a preferred embodiment of the invention , a navigator echo technique , or its variants , are used to suppress the contaminating effects of patient motion on the adc measured with mr imaging . in another preferred embodiment , high speed echoplanar imaging is used without movement artifact . in a further preferred embodiment of the present invention , localized measurements of the adc , abo , ti , t2 , mtc , chemical shift frequency , and temperature are acquired from images produced from single - shot or multi - shot stimulated echo ( steam ), gradient echo ( gre or flash ), or fast spin - echo ( fse ) mri sequences . in one preferred embodiment of the imaging method of the invention , a 1 . 5 telsa , 80 - cm - bore mr imager with actively shielded gradients of at least 20 mt / m is used to acquire axial diffusion - weighted echoplanar images through a volume of brain tissue one slice at a time , with separate application of diffusion gradients in three orthogonal directions . trapezoidal diffusion gradients , equal in magnitude and duration , are applied to the vertical ( anterior - posterior ) direction , and phase - encoding gradients are applied in the horizontal ( left - right ) direction . a 5 - cm field - of - view and 200 - khz continuous readout sampling is preferred , which requires a plateau readout gradient of 12 mt / m . also preferred are readout gradient trapezoids with 320 - microsecond ramps and 640 microsecond plateaus , resulting in 1 . 28 - millisecond readout lobes and 82 - millisecond total readout time . the spin echo is placed coincident with the zero - phase - encoded gradient echo . to attain the preferred diffusion gradient of b = 600 s / mm 2 , a spin - echo time of 90 milliseconds was used , and the center of k - space is placed symmetrically . diffusion - weighted images are preferably acquired as 16 contiguous 1 . 5 mm slices at 1 slice per second in an interleaved order to minimize magnetization transfer and slice cross - talk effects . at least four diffusion strength , preferably b = 10 , 207 , 414 , and 621 s / mm 2 , should be applied separately in each primary orthogonal direction . reference scans are acquired without phase - encoding gradients to allow correction of echo position and phase before fourier transformation reconstruction , to minimize image ghosts . thus , in the preferred method of the invention , a total of 384 diffusion - weighted echo - planar scans are acquired in approximately 6 . 4 minutes . the resulting 128 × 128 images are reconstructed by two - dimesional fourier transformation . nominal image resolution is mm × 2 . 1 mm × 5 mm , giving a 17 - microl nominal voxel . with reference to fig8 - 11 of the drawings , in the most preferred embodiment of the mr imaging method of the invention , a therapeutic drug agent is injected from an mr visible drug delivery device into the intraparcnchymal extracellular space of the brain . the solution containing the macromolecular drug agent may either form a cavity or infiltrate the extracellular space depending on a number of factors . in either case , subsequent diffusion is governed by the volume fraction ( extracellular or pore fraction ), the tortuosity of the brain tissue ( apparent increase in path length of the diffusing particle ), and the diffusion coefficient of the substance itself . a finite and specified concentration of the substance with a finite and specified volume is deposited in the tissue in a period that is effectively instantaneous ( ie ., & lt ;& lt ; time - scale of subsequent diffusion measurements ). the injected volume of substance can exhibit at least two distinct behaviors disclosed by mr imaging in the method of the present invention . in the first example , summarized in fig8 , the injected volume can form a fluid - filled cavity in the tissue , within which the volume fraction and tortuosity take the value of unity which corresponds to a free aqueous solution . outside this region , the brain tissue has a volume fraction and tortuosity . in this example , diffusion as a function of distance from the injected substance can be represented as a series of curves denoting the concentration as a function of distance from the center of the cavity at successive time intervals . different drug agents will diffuse at different rates thereby yielding characteristic individual signal intensity delay curves on mr imaging . at the interface between the fluid - filled cavity and surrounding brain tissue two continuity conditions involving flux and concentration apply . since the amount of material leaving the first region , per unit area of the interface , must be equal to the amount arriving at the second , the phase averages of the fluxes in the two regions must be equal . in the second example , summarized in fig9 , the injected material does not form a cavity but instead infiltrates the extracellular space . the diffusion of each agent is related to its molecular weight , molecular radius , and the tissue matrix structure into which the material is injected . throughout the whole brain tissue , the diffusion behavior is governed by the volume fraction and tortuosity and no discontinuity exists . in the third example of the mr imaging method of the invention summarized in fig1 , mr visualization of a drug agent injected into a region of nerve fibers in the brain or spinal cord is performed with diffusion - weighted anisotropic mr imaging . in the preferred method of anisotropic imaging , a 3 × 3 matrix ( tensor ) is used , and the signal loss is measured for at least six directions of diffusion gradient . the matrix can be transformed to one that is independent of the directions along which the gradients were applied , and therefore of the orientation of the patient in the magnet . in the preferred method , two measurements are of particular interest . first , the trace of the tensor ( i . e . the sum of the diagonal elements ) is relatively uniform throughout normal brain , despite its anisotropic structure . it can be thought of as the diffusion coefficient averaged over all directions . second , an anisotropy index , such as the ratio of the diffusion coefficient in the most freely diffusible direction to that in the least freely diffusible , is highly sensitive to the directionality of the tissue structure . to measure high values in a directional structure the voxel size should be small enough so that there is no averaging of directions within the voxel . loss of tissue structure is likely to decrease the anisotropy , as the tissue becomes more like a homogeneous suspension . clinical observations of changes in diffusion behavior have been made in multiple sclerosis , in stroke , where the reduction in diffusion preceds the increase in t2 , and in experimental epilepsy . in the fourth example of the mr imaging method of the invention ( fig1 ) macromolecular transport of drugs in tumor tissue is hindered to a lesser extent than in normal tissue , resulting in an altered adc which enables the visualization of injected drug in neoplastic versus normal tissues . a catheter system for delivering fluid to a selected site within a tissue comprises a pump for delivering the fluid and a catheter coupled to the pump . the catheter comprises a first tubular portion that has a generally cylindrical lumen of a first internal diameter and is composed of a relatively impermeable material . a second tubular portion that has an open end is disposed within the lumen and a closed distal end is disposed without the lumen . the second tubular portion is composed of a flexible , porous material having a preselected microporosity that is operable to permit fluid to flow from the catheter into the tissue . the second tubular portion is selectively moveable with respect to the first tubular portion . alternatively , a catheter for delivering first to a selected site within a tissue comprises a first tubular portion that has a generally cylindrical lumen of a first internal diameter and is composed of a relatively impermeable material . a second tubular portion that has an open end is disposed within the lumen and a closed distal end is disposed without the lumen . the second tubular portion is composed of a flexible , porous material that has a semipermeable membrane with pre - selected molecular weight exclusion that is operable to permit fluid to flow from the catheter into the organism . the second tubular portion is selectively moveable with respect to the first tubular portion .
the invention is an apparatus and method for treatments and targeted drug delivery into a living patient , particularly but not exclusively using magnetic resonance imaging . the apparatus and method are useful in delivery to all types of living tissue and uses mr imaging to track the location of drug delivery and estimating the rate of drug delivery . an mr - visible drug delivery device positioned at a target site delivers a diagnostic or therapeutic drug solution into the tissue . the spinal distribution kinetics of the injected or infused drug agent are monitored quantitatively and non - invasively using water proton directional diffusion mr imaging to establish the efficacy of drug delivery at a targeted location .