Inflow-based pulse wave velocity profiling along the aorta using magnetic resonance imaging

A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus for pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement along the aorta of a subject using MR imaging, said MR apparatus comprising:

• an MR data acquisition scanner;
• a control computer configured to operate said MR data acquisition scanner, while a subject is situated in the scanner, in order to acquire intensity-based MR data respectively from at least two transverse slices spaced from each other along the descending aorta, by executing a multislice cardio synchronized segmented ciné MR data acquisition sequence;
• a reconstruction computer configured to reconstruct an MR slice image, composed of pixels, of each of said at least two slices from the MR data acquired therefrom with said sequence, each of said pixels exhibiting an intensity value in respective MR slice images;
• an analysis computer provided with said MR images to an analysis computer said analysis computer being configured to detect arrival of a pulse wave respectively in different slices from onset flow enhancement based on intensity values of relevant pixels derived respectively from at least two of said MR slice images;
• said analysis computer being configured to calculate PWV from said arrival of said pulse wave respectively in said at least two of said MR slice images;
• and
• said analysis computer being configured to provide an electronic output from the analysis computer that represents the calculated PWV.

A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a computer system of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus that comprises an MR data acquisition scanner, and said programming instructions causing said computer system to:

• operate the MR data acquisition scanner, while a subject is situated in the scanner, in order to acquire intensity-based MR data respectively from at least two transverse slices spaced from each other along the descending aorta, by executing a multislice cardio synchronized segmented ciné MR data acquisition sequence;
• reconstruct an MR slice image, composed of pixels, of each of said at least two slices from the MR data acquired therefrom with said sequence, each of said pixels exhibiting an intensity value in respective MR slice images;
• detect arrival of a pulse wave respectively in different slices from onset flow enhancement based on intensity values of relevant pixels derived respectively from at least two of said MR slice images;
• calculate PWV from said arrival of said pulse wave respectively in said at least two of said MR slice images;
• and
• provide an electronic output from the computer system that represents the calculated PWV.