Multidimensional Analysis of the Adult Human Heart in Health and Disease Using Hierarchical Phase-Contrast Tomography

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Current clinical imaging (CT, MRI) lacks resolution for detailed cardiac microanatomy.
• Hierarchical phase-contrast tomography (HiP-CT) utilizes advanced synchrotron sources for micron-resolution imaging.
• HiP-CT enables detailed imaging of intact organs without exogenous contrast agents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess HiP-CT's capability in visualizing macro- to microanatomy of normal and abnormal adult human hearts ex vivo.
• To evaluate the potential of HiP-CT for detailed cardiac structural analysis.

Main Methods:

• Two formalin-fixed adult human donor hearts (one healthy, one with cardiovascular pathologies) were imaged ex vivo.
• Nondestructive imaging was performed using HiP-CT at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
• Imaging achieved resolutions from approximately 20 µm down to 2.3 µm without sectioning or contrast agents.

Main Results:

• HiP-CT provided high-spatial-resolution, multiscale imaging of cardiac structures, including myocardium, valves, coronary arteries, and conduction system.
• Detailed visualization of the cardiac conduction system revealed fatty infiltration, vascular supply, and pathways.
• Quantitative assessment of features in both healthy and diseased hearts was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• HiP-CT successfully generated high-resolution 3D images of ex vivo adult human hearts, both normal and diseased.
• Whole-heart imaging at ~20 µm resolution and regional imaging down to 2.3-6.4 µm were achieved non-destructively.
• HiP-CT offers a powerful tool for detailed cardiovascular anatomy and pathology research without contrast agents or sectioning.