Progress towards patient-specific computational flow modeling of the left heart via combination of magnetic resonance imaging with computational fluid dynamics.

A combined computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methodology has been developed to simulate blood flow in a subject-specific left heart. The research continues from earlier experience in modeling the human left ventricle using time-varying anatomical MR scans. Breathing artifacts are reduced by means of a MR navigator echo sequence with feedback to the subject, allowing a near constant breath-hold diaphragm position.

Virtual tagging: numerical considerations and phantom validation.

This paper presents a virtual tagging framework for measuring, as well as visualising, myocardial deformation using magnetic resonance (MR) velocity imaging. Tagging grids are allocated artificially according to the deformation gradient with varying shapes and densities. The control points are then deformed such that the difference between the induced deformation velocity and that of actually measured MR data is minimum.

The use of visual search for knowledge gathering in image decision support.

This paper presents a new method of knowledge gathering for decision support in image understanding based on information extracted from the dynamics of saccadic eye movements. The framework involves the construction of a generic image feature extraction library, from which the feature extractors that are most relevant to the visual assessment by domain experts are determined automatically through factor analysis. The dynamics of the visual search are analyzed by using the Markov model for providing training information to novices on how and where to look for image features.

Morphodynamics of flow through sinuous curvatures of the heart.

Through cardiac looping during embryonic development, human and other vertebrate hearts adopt sinuous curvatures with marked changes in direction of flow at atrial, ventricular and arterial levels. We used magnetic resonance phase velocity mapping to study flow through the hearts of resting volunteers, and Doppler ultrasound to record changes with exercise. We found asymmetric recirculation of blood during filling phases of all four heart cavities, with blood redirected appropriately for onward passage to the next cavity.

Abnormal subendocardial perfusion in cardiac syndrome X detected by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: In cardiac syndrome X (a syndrome characterized by typical angina, abnormal exercise-test results, and normal coronary arteries), conventional investigations have not found that chest pain is due to myocardial ischemia. Magnetic resonance techniques have higher resolution and therefore may be more sensitive.

Methods: We performed myocardial-perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in 20 patients with syndrome X and 10 matched controls, both at rest and during an infusion of adenosine.

Coronary artery motion with the respiratory cycle during breath-holding and free-breathing: implications for slice-followed coronary artery imaging.

The displacement of the right coronary artery (RCA) origin with respiratory position was determined relative to the dome of the right hemidiaphragm in three orthogonal directions in eight healthy subjects. Both multiple breath-hold and free-breathing acquisitions were used, and motion correction factors for slice-following applications were determined. The correction factors for all three directions showed considerable intersubject variability.