Reifart Joerg, Iaizzo Paul
Visible Heart® Laboratories, Institute for Engineering in Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
J Imaging. 2024 Jul 18;10(7):173. doi: 10.3390/jimaging10070173.
Identifying the detailed anatomies of the coronary microvasculature remains an area of research; one needs to develop methods for non-destructive, high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging of these vessels for computational modeling. Currently employed Micro-Computed Tomography (Micro-CT) protocols for vasa vasorum analyses require organ dissection and, in most cases, non-clearable contrast agents. Here, we describe a method developed for a non-destructive, economical means to achieve high-resolution images of the human coronary microvasculature without organ dissection. Formalin-fixed human hearts were cannulated using venogram balloon catheters, which were then fixed into the specimen's aortic root. The canulated hearts, protected by a polyethylene bag, were placed in radiolucent containers filled with insulating polyurethane foam to reduce movement. For vasculature staining, iodine potassium iodide (IKI, Lugol's solution; 6.3% Potassium Iodide, 4.1% Iodide) was injected. Contrast distributions were monitored using a North Star Imaging X3000 micro-CT scanner with low-radiation settings, followed by high-radiation scanning (3600 rad, 60 kV, 900 mA) for the final high-resolution imaging. We successfully imaged four intact human hearts presenting with chronic total coronary occlusions of the right coronary artery. This imaging enabled detailed analyses of the vasa vasorum surrounding stenosed and occluded segments. After imaging, the hearts were cleared of iodine and excess polyurethane foam and returned to their initial formalin-fixed state for indefinite storage. Conclusions: the described methodologies allow for the non-destructive, high-resolution micro-CT imaging of coronary microvasculature in intact human hearts, paving the way for detailed computational 3D microvascular reconstructions with a macrovascular context.
确定冠状动脉微血管的详细解剖结构仍是一个研究领域；人们需要开发用于这些血管的非破坏性、高分辨率三维成像的方法，以进行计算建模。目前用于血管滋养管分析的微型计算机断层扫描（Micro-CT）协议需要进行器官解剖，而且在大多数情况下，使用的是不可清除的造影剂。在此，我们描述了一种开发出来的方法，该方法以非破坏性、经济的方式实现了对人类冠状动脉微血管的高分辨率成像，且无需进行器官解剖。使用静脉造影球囊导管对福尔马林固定的人类心脏进行插管，然后将导管固定到标本的主动脉根部。将插管后的心脏用聚乙烯袋保护起来，放入装有绝缘聚氨酯泡沫的射线可透过容器中，以减少移动。为了进行血管染色，注入了碘化钾碘溶液（IKI，卢戈氏溶液；6.3%碘化钾，4.1%碘）。使用具有低辐射设置的北极星成像X3000微型计算机断层扫描仪监测造影剂分布，随后进行高辐射扫描（3600拉德，60千伏，900毫安）以进行最终的高分辨率成像。我们成功地对4颗患有右冠状动脉慢性完全闭塞的完整人类心脏进行了成像。这种成像使得能够对狭窄和闭塞段周围的血管滋养管进行详细分析。成像后，将心脏中的碘和多余的聚氨酯泡沫清除，使其恢复到最初福尔马林固定的状态以便无限期保存。结论：所描述的方法允许对完整人类心脏中的冠状动脉微血管进行非破坏性、高分辨率的微型计算机断层扫描成像，为在宏观血管背景下进行详细的计算三维微血管重建铺平了道路。
