Quantitative velocity images from thick slab 2D phase contrast

Magn Reson Med. 1993 Feb;29(2):216-25. doi: 10.1002/mrm.1910290210.

Abstract

Thick slab two-dimensional phase contrast (2D PC) angiography provides a large amount of anatomical information in a short acquisition time. Quantitative velocity information is, however, destroyed by the necessary projection dephasing gradient. We present a 2D PC acquisition scheme which retains quantitative velocity information in a thick slab acquisition. A thick slab acquisition produces an image which is a projection through an entire vessel. Accurate velocity measurements must take into account the intravoxel phase cancellation caused by a distribution of velocities within the vessel. In addition to the description of the data acquisition scheme, we outline a method for determining the mean velocity within a vessel having a laminar flow distribution. It is shown that without the consideration for intravoxel phase cancellation, the mean velocity measurement from thick slab images overestimates the true mean velocity by 10%.

MeSH terms

  • Blood Flow Velocity / physiology
  • Blood Vessels / anatomy & histology*
  • Humans
  • Image Enhancement / methods
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Models, Structural