Effect of acquisition parameters on the accuracy of velocity encoded cine magnetic resonance imaging blood flow measurements. |
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Authors: | Gerald Greil Tal Geva Stephan E Maier Andrew J Powell |
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Affiliation: | Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. |
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Abstract: | PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of acquisition parameters on the accuracy of 2D velocity encoded cine magnetic resonance imaging (VEC MRI) flow measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a pulsatile flow phantom, through-plane flow measurements were performed on a flexible vessel made of polyvinyl alcohol cryogel (PVA), a material that mimics the MR signal and biomechanical properties of aortic tissue. RESULTS: Repeated VEC MRI flow measurements (N = 20) under baseline conditions yielded an error of 0.8 +/- 1.5%. Slice thickness, angle between flow and velocity encoding directions, spatial resolution, velocity encoding range, and radio frequency (RF) flip angles were varied over a clinically relevant range. Spatial resolution had the greatest impact on accuracy, with a 9% overestimation of flow at 16 pixels per vessel cross-section. CONCLUSION: VEC MRI proved to be an accurate and reproducible technique for pulsatile flow measurements over the range of acquisition parameters examined as long as sufficient spatial resolution was prescribed. |
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Keywords: | magnetic resonance imaging blood flow velocity encoded cine MRI polyvinyl alcohol cryogel pulsatile blood flow MR phase velocity imaging |
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