1. A geometrically accurate vascular phantom for comparative studies of x-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance vascular imaging: construction and geometrical verification
- Author
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Ken C. Chu, Linda M. Gowman, David W. Holdsworth, Richard Frayne, Maria Drangova, Brian K. Rutt, Daniel W. Rickey, Aaron Fenster, Curtis B. Caldwell, and Paul A. Picot
- Subjects
Flow visualization ,Materials science ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Radiography ,Ultrasound ,Magnetic resonance imaging ,General Medicine ,Blood flow ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Imaging phantom ,Models, Structural ,Carotid Arteries ,Nuclear magnetic resonance ,Evaluation Studies as Topic ,Medical imaging ,medicine ,Humans ,business ,Fiducial marker ,Ultrasonography ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
A technique for producing accurate models of vascular segments for use in experiments that assess vessel geometry and flow has been developed and evaluated. The models are compatible with x-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging systems. In this paper, a model of the human carotid artery bifurcation, is evaluated that has been built using this technique. The phantom consists of a thin-walled polyester-resin replica of the bifurcation through which a blood-mimicking fluid may be circulated. The phantom is surrounded by an agar tissue-mimicking material and a series of fiducial markers. The blood- and tissue-mimicking materials have x-ray, ultrasound, and MR properties similar to blood and tissue; fiducial markers provide a means of aligning images acquired by different modalities. The root-mean-square difference between the inner wall geometry of the constructed model and the desired dimensions was 0.33 mm. Static images were successfully acquired using x-ray, ultrasound, and MR imaging systems, and are free of significant artifacts. Flow images acquired with ultrasound and MR agree qualitatively with each other, and with previously published flow patterns. Volume-flow measurements obtained with ultrasound and MR were within 4.4% of the actual values.
- Published
- 1993