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

ABSTRACT

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;44683-697.