Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2025
Development and Evaluation of 3D-Printed Cardiovascular Phantoms for Interventional Planning and Training
Published on: January 18, 2021
Hemodynamics in a three-dimensional printed aortic model: a comparison of four-dimensional phase-contrast magnetic
Jieun Park1, Junghun Kim2, Sinjae Hyun3
1Nonlinear Dynamics Research Center, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
Objective:
This study aims to compare an electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated four-dimensional (4D) phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using variables controlled in a laboratory environment to minimize bias factors.
Materials And Methods:
Data from 4D PC-MRI were compared with computational fluid dynamics using steady and pulsatile flows at various inlet velocities. Anatomically realistic models for a normal aorta, a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, and an abdominal aortic aneurysm were constructed using a three-dimensional printer.
Results:
For the normal aorta model, the errors in the peak and the average velocities were within 5%. The peak velocities of the penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer and the abdominal aortic aneurysm models displayed a more extensive range of differences because of the high-speed and vortical fluid flows generated by the shape of the blood vessel. However, the average velocities revealed only relatively minor differences.
Conclusions:
This study compared the characteristics of PC-MRI and CFD through a phantom study that only included controllable experimental parameters. Based on these results, 4D PC-MRI and CFD are powerful tools for analyzing blood flow patterns in vivo. However, there is room for future developments to improve velocity measurement accuracy.
