A novel technique for the assessment of mechanical properties of vascular tissue.

Accurate estimation of mechanical properties of the different atherosclerotic plaque constituents is important in assessing plaque rupture risk. The aim of this study was to develop an experimental set-up to assess material properties of vascular tissue, while applying physiological loading and being able to capture heterogeneity. To do so, a ring-inflation experimental set-up was developed in which a transverse slice of an artery was loaded in the radial direction, while the displacement was estimated from images recorded by a high-speed video camera.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of carotid atherosclerotic plaque: model selection, reproducibility, and validation.

Purpose: To compare four known pharmacokinetic models for their ability to describe dynamic contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of carotid atherosclerotic plaques, to determine reproducibility, and to validate the results with histologic findings.

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by the institutional medical ethics committee. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients.