Development of a high resolution MRI intracranial atherosclerosis imaging phantom

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ju-Yu Chueh, University of Massachusetts; Kajo van der Marel, University of Massachusetts; Matthew J. Gounis, University of Massachusetts; Todd LeMatty, Medical University of South Carolina; Truman R. Brown, Medical University of South Carolina; Sameer Ansari, Northwestern University; Timothy J. Carroll, University of Chicago; Amanda K. Buck, Vanderbilt University; Xiaohong Joe Zhou, University of Illinois; A. Rano Chatterjee, Medical University of South Carolina; Robert M. King, University of Massachusetts; Hui Mao, Emory University; Shaokuan Zheng, University of Massachusetts; Olivia W. Brooks, University of Massachusetts; Jeff W. Rappleye, University of Massachusetts; Richard H. Swartz, University of Toronto; Edward Feldmann, Baystate Health; Tanya N. Turan, Medical University of South Carolina
• Language: English
• Date: 2018-02-01
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/neurintsurg-2016-012974
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery
• ISSN: 1759-8478
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 143
• End Page: +
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported in part by NINDS 5R21-TW010356-02 (to TNT).
• Keywords: Life Sciences & Biomedicine; PLAQUE; Neuroimaging; MRI; HIGH-RISK; Stenosis; FRAMEWORK; Surgery; VESSEL WALL; Neurosciences & Neurology; Vessel Wall; SAMMPRIS; Science & Technology; TRIAL; Atherosclerosis; MAGNETIC-RESONANCE; ARTERIES
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Health Sciences, Radiology; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Background and purpose Currently, there is neither a standard protocol for vessel wall MR imaging of intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) nor a gold standard phantom to compare MR sequences. In this study, a plaque phantom is developed and characterized that provides a platform for establishing a uniform imaging approach for ICAD. Materials and methods A patient specific injection mold was 3D printed to construct a geometrically accurate ICAD phantom. Polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel was infused into the core shell mold to form the stenotic artery. The ICAD phantom incorporated materials mimicking a stenotic vessel and plaque components, including fibrous cap and lipid core. Two phantoms were scanned using high resolution cone beam CT and compared with four different 3 T MRI systems across eight different sites over a period of 18 €months. Inter-phantom variability was assessed by lumen dimensions and contrast to noise ratio (CNR). Results Quantitative evaluation of the minimum lumen radius in the stenosis showed that the radius was on average 0.80 €mm (95% CI 0.77 to 0.82 mm) in model 1 and 0.77 €mm (95% CI 0.74 to 0.81 mm) in model 2. The highest CNRs were observed for comparisons between lipid and vessel wall. To evaluate manufacturing reproducibility, the CNR variability between the two models had an average absolute difference of 4.31 (95% CI 3.82 to 5.78). Variation in CNR between the images from the same scanner separated by 7 €months was 2.5-6.2, showing reproducible phantom durability. Conclusions A plaque phantom composed of a stenotic vessel wall and plaque components was successfully constructed for multicenter high resolution MRI standardization.