Evans A J, Hedlund L W, Herfkens R J
Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
Invest Radiol. 1988 Aug;23(8):579-83. doi: 10.1097/00004424-198808000-00007.
Fast scan magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisitions are a rapid noninvasive means of evaluating the cardiovascular system. Because the appearance of flowing blood is highly variable, the interpretation of these images is sometimes difficult. A nonferromagnetic phantom that could generate lifelike pulsatile flow and also simulate the motions of the beating heart would facilitate image interpretation. This paper describes an MRI-compatible cardiovascular phantom that mimics the motions of the heart and also creates physiologic pulsatile flow. The phantom consists of a ventricle and an air pump that drives it. The pump is connected to the ventricle with seven meters of air hose so that the pump (which has ferromagnetic parts) can be placed outside the magnet room. The ventricle is placed in an airtight Plexiglas cylinder and the pump alternately pressurizes and depressurizes the cylinder, driving fluid in and out of the ventricle. The motions of the ventricular wall simulate the motions of the heart, and the pulsatile flow generated is of physiologic velocities and volumes. This phantom also can be used with other methods of evaluating cardiovascular function, such as MUGAS, angiography, and Doppler, allowing correlation between MRI and other modalities. Finally, the phantom can be used to study almost any aspect of cardiovascular function from pulsatile flow velocity to ventricular studies (ejection fractions, cardiac output, wall motion) and even studies of stenotic or regurgitant valves.
快速扫描磁共振成像（MRI）采集是评估心血管系统的一种快速非侵入性手段。由于流动血液的表现高度可变，这些图像的解读有时会很困难。一种能够产生逼真搏动血流并模拟跳动心脏运动的非铁磁性体模将有助于图像解读。本文描述了一种与MRI兼容的心血管体模，它能模拟心脏运动并产生生理性搏动血流。该体模由一个心室和一个驱动它的气泵组成。气泵通过七米长的空气软管连接到心室，这样气泵（含有铁磁性部件）就可以放置在磁体室之外。心室放置在一个气密的有机玻璃圆筒中，气泵交替对圆筒加压和减压，驱使液体进出心室。心室壁的运动模拟心脏运动，产生的搏动血流具有生理速度和容积。这个体模还可以与其他评估心血管功能的方法一起使用，如核素心血管造影、血管造影和多普勒检查，从而实现MRI与其他检查方式之间的相关性研究。最后，该体模可用于研究心血管功能的几乎任何方面，从搏动血流速度到心室研究（射血分数、心输出量、壁运动），甚至用于研究狭窄或反流瓣膜。
