This study aims to gain insights into aortic blood flow in healthy volunteers using PC 4D-flow MRI
The goal of this observational study is to obtain PC 4D flow MRI scans in seventy healthy volunteers (without any known history of cardiovascular disease) to quantify local blood flow in the thoraco-abdominal aorta and its primary side branches and extract boundary conditions for future in-vitro and in-silico studies. Furthermore, the 3D geometry of the vessels within investigated FOVs, starting from ascending aorta to internal/external iliac arteries, will be obtained by performing a separate MRI sequence. Participants will be asked to undergo MRI scans and are asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding their age, weight, height, and gender. By relating this data to the blood flow patterns observed in the aorta, conclusions can be drawn on the differences in blood flow with gender and how aortic blood flow changes with age.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
70
Subjects will undergo MRI scans of the thorax and abdomen from which we will derive aortic blood flow velocity fields. This intervention will be performed in the same manner on all groups.
Subjects fill in a questionnaire regarding their weight, height, age and gender. They also fill in a safety check form to test if MRI can be applied safely.
TechMed centre, University of Twente
Enschede, Overijssel, Netherlands
RECRUITINGAortic blood flow velocity fields
Velocity fields will be acquired, consisting of vectors that describe the velocity magnitude (cm/s) and direction (dimensionless) of blood flow in the aorta. For visualisation purposes, arrows will be used to overlay the shape of the volunteers aorta. Colours of the arrrows indicate the velocity magnitude and direction of the arrows inicate the direction of flow. Velocity fields are generated for the the full aorta, from the ascending aorta to internal/external iliac arteries, including branched arteries such as subclavian arteries, common carotid artery, and visceral branch vessels.
Time frame: Day 1
Age of volunteer
Age of volunteer (in years) for division into groups based on gender and age, gathered using a questionnaire.
Time frame: Day 1
Gender of volunteer
Gender of volunteer (male/female/other) for division into groups based on gender and age, gathered using a questionnaire.
Time frame: Day 1
Height of volunteer
Height (in m) for BMI (in kg/m\^2) calculation, gathered using a questionnaire.
Time frame: Day 1
Weight of volunteer
Weight (in kg) for BMI (in kg/m\^2) calculation, gathered using a questionnaire.
Time frame: Day 1
Aortic blood flow waveforms
Waveforms will be acquired that show how aortic blood flow in a certain region of interest progresses over the cardiac cycle, presented as plots of velocity magnitude (cm/s) over time (s). Regions of interest are selected in the ascending aorta, descending aorta, carotid arteries, subclavian arteries, renal arteries, suprarenal aorta, abdominal aorta, common iliac arteries, internal iliac arteries, and external iliac arteries.
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Time frame: Day 1
Wall shear stress
Wall shear stress (Pa) is a hemodynamic parameter expressing the force acting on a certain area of the vessel wall by the flow of blood. This parameter will be extracted from the blood flow velocity vectors in a certain region of interest (e.g. in the ascending aorta, descending aorta, renal arteries, or iliac arteries) and will be plotted over the cardiac cycle.
Time frame: Day 1
Oscillatory Shear Index
Oscillatory Shear Index (dimensionless) is a hemodynamic parameter that defines how much the wall shear stress field changes directions over time, which can tell something about whether the forces on the wall (and the flow of blood) are more uniform or more complex. This parameter will be extracted from the blood flow velocity vectors in a certain region of interest (e.g. in the ascending aorta, descending aorta, renal arteries, or iliac arteries) and will be plotted over the cardiac cycle.
Time frame: Day 1
Kinetic Energy
Kinetic Energy (J) in the field of fluid mechanics describes the energy related to the flow of blood in a certain region of interest with a certain mass or volume. This parameter will be extracted from the blood flow velocity vectors in a certain region of interest (e.g. in the ascending aorta, descending aorta, renal arteries, or iliac arteries) and will be plotted over the cardiac cycle.
Time frame: Day 1
Turbulent Kinetic Energy
Turbulent Kinetic Energy (J/kg) is a hemodynamic parameter describing the energy related to the fluctuations in blood flow velocity. This parameter will be extracted from the blood flow velocity vectors in a certain region of interest (e.g. in the ascending aorta, descending aorta, renal arteries, or iliac arteries) and will be plotted over the cardiac cycle.
Time frame: Day 1
Helicity
Helicity (m\^4/s\^2) is a hemodynamic parameter that describes how much the blood flow follows a corkscrew-like pattern. This parameter will be extracted from the blood flow velocity vectors in a certain region of interest (e.g. in the ascending aorta, descending aorta, renal arteries, or iliac arteries) and will be plotted over the cardiac cycle.
Time frame: Day 1
Vorticity
Vorticity (s\^-1) is a hemodynamic parameter that reflects the rotational nature of the blood flow. This parameter will be extracted from the blood flow velocity vectors in a certain region of interest (e.g. in the ascending aorta, descending aorta, renal arteries, or iliac arteries) and will be plotted over the cardiac cycle.
Time frame: Day 1