Realistic aortic phantom to study hemodynamics using MRI and cardiac catheterization in normal and aortic coarctation conditions.

PURPOSE

To design and characterize a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible aortic phantom simulating normal and aortic coarctation (AoCo) conditions and to compare its hemodynamics with healthy volunteers and AoCo patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The phantom is composed of an MRI-compatible pump, control unit, aortic model, compliance chamber, nonreturn, and shutoff valves. The phantom without and with AoCo (13, 11, and 9 mm) was studied using 2D and 3D phase-contrast data and with a catheterization unit to measure pressures. The phantom data were compared with the mean values of 10 healthy volunteers and two AoCo patients.

RESULTS

Hemodynamic parameters in the normal phantom and healthy volunteers were: heart rate: 68/61 bpm, cardiac output: 3.5/4.5 L/min, peak flow and peak velocity (Vpeak) in the ascending aorta (AAo): 270/357 mL/s (significantly, P < 0.05) and 97/107 cm/s (not significantly, P = 0.16), and pressure in the AAo of the normal phantom of 131/58 mmHg. Hemodynamic parameters in the 13, 11, and 9 mm coarctation phantoms and Patients 1 and 2 were: heart rate: 75/75/75/97/78 bpm, cardiac output: 3.3/3.0/2.9/4.0/5.8 L/min, peak flow in the AAo: 245/265/215/244/376 mL/s, Vpeak in the AAo: 96/95/81/196/187 cm/s, Vpeak after the AoCo: 123/187/282/247/165 cm/s, pressure in the AAo: 124/56, 127/51, 133/50, 120/51 and 87/39 mmHg, and a trans-coarctation systolic pressure gradient: 7, 10, 30, 20, and 11 mmHg.

CONCLUSION

We propose and characterize a normal and an AoCo phantom, whose hemodynamics, including velocity, flow, and pressure data are within the range of healthy volunteers and patients with AoCo. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:683-697.