Related Experiment Videos
Quantification of in-plane motion of the coronary arteries during the cardiac cycle: implications for acquisition
M B Hofman1, S A Wickline, C H Lorenz
1Center for Cardiovascular MR, Cardiovascular Division, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. mbmh@ccmr.wustl.edu
Insights
Coronary artery motion during the cardiac cycle causes blurring in MR imaging. Minimizing acquisition window duration is crucial for accurate coronary flow quantification and high-resolution angiography.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular imaging
- Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Cardiac motion, specifically coronary artery displacement during the heart cycle, significantly impacts Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging.
- Longer acquisition windows, common in breath-hold coronary flow measurements, exacerbate image blurring and compromise flow quantification accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the sensitivity of MR imaging techniques to the in-plane motion of different coronary arteries.
- To quantify the temporal variations in coronary artery position throughout the cardiac cycle.
- To determine optimal acquisition parameters for high-resolution coronary angiography and flow measurements.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of temporal variation in coronary artery position in a plane perpendicular to the vessel's proximal portion.
- Calculation of estimated coronary vessel blurring based on measured motion.
- Analysis of motion magnitude differences between the right and left coronary arteries.
Main Results:
- Substantial displacement of coronary arteries was observed during the cardiac cycle.
- The magnitude of motion was approximately twice as large for the right coronary artery compared to the left coronary artery.
- Estimated vessel blurring indicated that acquisition window durations should be limited to 25-120 msec for high spatial resolution coronary flow acquisitions, varying by artery.
Conclusions:
- Coronary artery motion is a significant factor affecting MR imaging quality and accuracy.
- Acquisition window duration is a critical parameter that needs to be minimized (25-120 msec) for precise coronary flow quantification and high-resolution imaging.
- These findings provide essential data for optimizing acquisition window placement in coronary angiography and flow studies.
Abstract:
Motion of the coronary arteries during the heart cycle can result in image blurring and inaccurate flow quantification by MR. This condition applies particularly for longer acquisition windows that are typical of breath-hold coronary flow measurements. To determine the sensitivity of the technique to in-plane motion of different coronary arteries, the temporal variation in coronary position was measured in a plane perpendicular to the proximal portion of the vessel. The results indicated the presence of substantial displacement of the coronary arteries within the cardiac cycle, with a magnitude of motion approximately twice as large for the right as for the left coronary arteries. An estimation of the resulting vessel blurring was calculated, showing that the duration of the acquisition window for high spatial resolution coronary flow acquisitions should be less than 25 to 120 msec, depending on the specific coronary artery studied. In addition, these data specify optimal acquisition window placement for high resolution coronary angiography.