Quantification of blood flow patterns in human vessels by magnetic resonance imaging

The quantitative assessment of velocity fields can help to get a better understanding of complicated flow patterns which are considered to play an important role in atherosclerotic plaque formation. Magnetic resonance imaging offers the possibility of non-invasive visualization and quantification of blood flow in many larger human arteries and veins. However, the assessment of complex blood flow patterns with conventional gradient echo flow sequences suffer from severe image artifacts. In order to overcome these problems, a partial echo signal acquisition technique which strongly reduces such artifacts may be applied. Using this technique, three dimensional velocity fields were measured in a bifurcation model, in the human carotid bifurcation and in the human aorta, right downstream of the aortic valve.