Accurate noninvasive quantitation of blood flow, cross-sectional lumen vessel area and wall shear stress by three-dimensional paraboloid modeling of magnetic resonance imaging velocity data.

OBJECTIVES: We present a new method in which a priori knowledge of the blood velocity fields within the boundary layer at the vessel wall, combined with acquisition of high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) blood velocity data, allow exact modeling at the subpixel level.

BACKGROUND: Methods are lacking for accurate, noninvasive estimation of blood flow, dynamic cross-sectional lumen vessel area and wall shear stress.

METHODS: Using standard acquisition of MRI blood flow velocity data, we fitted all data points (n = 69) within the boundary layer of the velocity profile to a three-dimensional paraboloid, which enabled calculation of absolute volume blood flow, circumferential vessel wall position, lumen vessel area and wall shear stress. The method was tested in a 8.00 +/ 0.01-mm diameter glass tube model and applied in vivo to the common carotid artery of seven volunteers.

RESULTS: In vitro the lumen area was assessed with a mean error of 0.6%. The 95% confidence interval included the specified tube dimensions. Common carotid mean blood flow was 7.42 ml/s, and mean (standard error) diastolic/systolic vessel area was 33.25 (0.72 [2.2%])/43.46 (0.65 [1.5%]) mm2. Mean/peak wall shear stress was 0.95 (0.04 [4.2%])/2.56 (0.08 [3.1%]) N/m2.

CONCLUSIONS: We describe a new noninvasive method for highly accurate estimation of blood flow, cross-sectional lumen vessel area and wall shear stress. In vitro results and statistical analysis demonstrate the feasibility of the method, and the first in vivo results are comparable to published data.