Arterial compliance and pulse pressure MR measurements: an optimized procedure combining a phase contrast multi movie and a 1D technique

An approach to estimate the compliance and pulse pressure within a vessel segment by relating the fluid flow rate and the vessel area measured by MR phase imaging has been recently proposed. The technique is based on estimates of the vascular compliance and vessel distension, which can be obtained from the correlation of the second spatial and temporal flow rate derivatives and the rate at which the flow propagates along the vessel segment. Combining the compliance with the changing in flow rate, yields the pulse pressure waveform. The technique has been improved first with an interlaced slice and frame sequence for multi movie acquisition and secondly, with a fast robust 1D method for more accurate compliance measurements. The results are given for arterial models, showing a good agreement between the experimental pressure waveforms and the reference pressure curve.