Cardiovascular magnetic resonance compatible physical model of the left ventricle for multi-modality characterization of wall motion and hemodynamics

Development of Custom Wall-Less Cardiovascular Flow Phantoms with Tissue-Mimicking Gel

PURPOSE

Flow phantoms are used in experimental settings to aid in the simulation of blood flow. Custom geometries are available, but current phantom materials present issues with degradability and/or mimicking the mechanical properties of human tissue. In this study, a method of fabricating custom wall-less flow phantoms from a tissue-mimicking gel using 3D printed inserts is developed.

METHODS

A 3D blood vessel geometry example of a bifurcated artery model was 3D printed in polyvinyl alcohol, embedded in tissue-mimicking gel, and subsequently dissolved to create a phantom. Uniaxial compression testing was performed to determine the Young's moduli of the five gel types. Angle-independent, ultrasound-based imaging modalities, Vector Flow Imaging (VFI) and Blood Speckle Imaging (BSI), were utilized for flow visualization of a straight channel phantom.

RESULTS

A wall-less phantom of the bifurcated artery was fabricated with minimal bubbles and continuous flow demonstrated. Additionally, flow was visualized through a straight channel phantom by VFI and BSI. The available gel types are suitable for mimicking a variety of tissue types, including cardiac tissue and blood vessels.

CONCLUSION

Custom, tissue-mimicking flow phantoms can be fabricated using the developed methodology and have potential for use in a variety of applications, including ultrasound-based imaging methods. This is the first reported use of BSI with an in vitro flow phantom.

Atrial and ventricular flows across a transcatheter mitral valve

 

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to evaluate the haemodynamic performance of transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) Implant with a focus on turbulence and washout adjacent to the ventricular surface of the leaflets. TMVR holds the promise of treating a large spectrum of mitral valve diseases. However, the haemodynamic performance and flow dynamics of such replacements are not fully understood.

METHODS

A tri-leaflet biopsrosthetic TMVR represented by Caisson implant of size 36A was implanted in the mitral position of a left heart simulator pulse duplicating system under physiological conditions. The 36A implant covers an anterior-posterior range of 26-32 mm and a commissure-to-commissure range of 30-36 mm. Transmitral pressure gradient, effective orifice area and regurgitant fraction were calculated. Particle image velocimetry was performed to evaluate turbulence in 2 perpendicular planes (Reynolds and viscous shear stresses, respectively). Additionally, dye experiments were performed to visualize washout.

RESULTS

Transmitral pressure gradient was 1.29 ± 0.27 mmHg and effective orifice area was 2.96 ± 0.28 cm2. Regurgitant fraction was 14.13 ± 0.08%. Total washout was 4.27 cardiac cycles. Largest viscous shear stress reaches 3.7 Pa and 2.4 Pa in ventricle and atrium, respectively. Reynolds shear stress in the atrial side was <10 Pa. In the ventricular side, the largest Reynolds shear stress reached ∼35 Pa.

CONCLUSIONS

TMVR leads to favourable haemodynamics with low degree of turbulence combined with fast washout around the leaflets indicating promising potential for freedom from blood damage potential and thrombosis corroborated by initial clinical studies as part of the valves's Early Feasibility Study.

Energy loss associated with in-vitro modeling of mitral annular calcification

Introduction

Study aims were to compare hemodynamics and viscous energy dissipation (VED) in 3D printed mitral valves–one replicating a normal valve and the other a valve with severe mitral annular calcification (MAC). Patients with severe MAC develop transmitral gradients, without the commissural fusion typifying rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS), and may have symptoms similar to classical MS. A proposed mechanism relates to VED due to disturbed blood flow through the diseased valve into the ventricle.

Methods

A silicone model of a normal mitral valve (MV) was created using a transesophageal echocardiography dataset. 3D printed calcium phantoms were incorporated into a second valve model to replicate severe MAC. The synthetic MVs were tested in a left heart duplicator under rest and exercise conditions. Fine particles were suspended in a water/glycerol blood analogue for particle image velocimetry calculation of VED.

Results

Catheter mean transmitral gradients were slightly higher in the MAC valve compared to the normal MV, both at rest (3.2 vs. 1.3 mm Hg) and with exercise (5.9 vs. 5.0 mm Hg); Doppler gradients were 2.7 vs. 2.1 mm Hg at rest and 9.9 vs 8.2 mm Hg with exercise. VED was similar between the two valves at rest. During exercise, VED increased to a greater extent for the MAC valve (240%) versus the normal valve (127%).

Conclusion

MAC MS is associated with slightly increased transmitral gradients but markedly increased VED during exercise. These energy losses may contribute to the exercise intolerance and exertional dyspnea present in MAC patients.

Diastolic Vortex Alterations With Reducing Left Ventricular Volume: An In Vitro Study

Despite the large number of studies of intraventricular filling dynamics for potential clinical applications, little is known as to how the diastolic vortex ring properties are altered with reduction in internal volume of the cardiac left ventricle (LV). The latter is of particular importance in LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) and in congenital diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), where LV hypertrophy (LVH) can reduce LV internal volume. We hypothesized that peak circulation and the rate of decay of circulation of the diastolic vortex would be altered with reducing end diastolic volume (EDV) due to increasing confinement. We tested this hypothesis on physical models of normal LV and HCM geometries, under identical prescribed inflow profiles and for multiple EDVs, using time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) measurements on a left heart simulator. Formation and pinch-off of the vortex ring were nearly unaffected with changes to geometry and EDV. Pinch-off occurred before the end of early filling (E-wave) in all test conditions. Peak circulation of the vortex core near the LV outflow tract (LVOT) increased with lowering EDV and was lowest for the HCM model. The rate of decay of normalized circulation in dimensionless formation time (T*) increased with decreasing EDV. When using a modified version of T* that included average LV cross-sectional area and EDV, normalized circulation of all tested EDVs collapsed closely in the normal LV model (10% maximum difference between EDVs). Collectively, our results show that LV shape and internal volume play a critical role in diastolic vortex ring dynamics.

Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Heart Rate on Flow in the Left Ventricle in Health and Disease-Aortic Valve Regurgitation

There is much debate in the literature surrounding the effects of heart rate on aortic regurgitation (AR). Despite the contradictory information, it is still widely believed that an increase in heart rate is beneficial due to the disproportionate shortening of the duration of diastole relative to systole, permitting less time for the left ventricle to fill from regurgitation. This in vitro work investigates how a change in heart rate affects the left ventricular fluid dynamics in the absence and presence of acute AR. The experiments are performed on a novel double-activation left heart simulator previously used for the study of chronic AR. The intraventricular velocity fields are acquired via time-resolved planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) in a clinically relevant plane. Considering fluid dynamic factors, an increase in heart rate was observed to have a limited benefit in the case of mild AR and a detrimental effect for more severe AR. With increasing heart rate, mild AR was associated with a decrease in regurgitant volume, a negligible change in regurgitant volume per diastolic second, and a limited reduction in the fraction of retained regurgitant inflow. More severe AR was accompanied by an increase in both regurgitant volume and the fraction of retained regurgitant inflow, implying a less effective pumping efficiency and a longer relative residence time of blood in the ventricle. Globally, the left ventricle's capacity to compensate for the increase in energy dissipation associated with an increase in heart rate diminishes considerably with severity, a phenomenon which may be exploited further as a method of noninvasive assessment of the severity of AR. These findings may affect the clinical belief that tachycardia is preferred in acute AR and should be investigated further in the clinical setting.

Introduction of a CMR-conditional cardiac phantom simulating cardiac anatomy and function and enabling training of interventional CMR procedures

Interventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures promise to open-up new vistas regarding clinically relevant diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures in the field of cardiology. However, a number of major limitations and challenges regarding interventional cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) procedures still delay their translation from pre-clinical studies to human application. A CMR-conditional cardiac phantom was constructed using MR-safe or -conditional materials only that is based on a unique modular composition allowing quick replacement of individual components. A maximal flow of 76 ml/sec in the aorta and 111 ml/sec in the pulmonary artery were measured, whereas the maximal flow velocity was 56 cm/sec and 89 cm/sec, respectively. A conventional wedge-pressure catheter was advanced over a MRI-conditional guidewire into the right ventricle and thereafter positioned in the pulmonary artery. Pulmonary artery pressure was measured, obtaining the following values for our cardiac phantom: max/min/mean = 16/10/12 mmHg. The presented CMR-conditional cardiac phantom is the first of its kind that does not only mimic cardiac mechanics with adjustable fluid pressure in a four chamber setup that is closely adapted to that of the human heart, but also enables introduction and testing of interventional tools such as guidewires and catheters.

Simulation of personalised haemodynamics by various mounting positions of a prosthetic valve using computational fluid dynamics

Diseases of the cardiovascular system account for nearly 42% of all deaths in the European Union. In Germany, approximately 12,000 patients receive surgical replacement of the aortic valve due to heart valve disease alone each year. A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model based on patient-specific anatomy derived from four-dimensional (4D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data was developed to investigate preoperatively the flow-induced impact of mounting positions of aortic prosthetic valves to select the best orientation for individual patients. Systematic steady-state analysis of blood flow for different rotational mounting positions of the valve is only possible using a virtual patient model. A maximum velocity of 1 m/s was used as an inlet boundary condition, because the opening angle of the valve is at its largest at this velocity. For a comparative serial examination, it is important to define the standardised general requirements to avoid impacts other than the rotated implantation of the prosthetic aortic valve. In this study, a uniform velocity profile at the inlet for the inflow of the aortic valve and the real aortic anatomy were chosen for all simulations. An iterative process, with the weighted parameters flow resistance (1), shear stress (2) and velocity (3), was necessary to determine the best rotated orientation. Blood flow was optimal at a 45° rotation from the standard implantation orientation, which will offer a supply to the coronary arteries.

Review of Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (JCMR) 2015-2016 and transition of the JCMR office to Boston

The Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (JCMR) is the official publication of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR). In 2016, the JCMR published 93 manuscripts, including 80 research papers, 6 reviews, 5 technical notes, 1 protocol, and 1 case report. The number of manuscripts published was similar to 2015 though with a 12% increase in manuscript submissions to an all-time high of 369. This reflects a decrease in the overall acceptance rate to <25% (excluding solicited reviews). The quality of submissions to JCMR continues to be high. The 2016 JCMR Impact Factor (which is published in June 2016 by Thomson Reuters) was steady at 5.601 (vs. 5.71 for 2015; as published in June 2016), which is the second highest impact factor ever recorded for JCMR. The 2016 impact factor means that the JCMR papers that were published in 2014 and 2015 were on-average cited 5.71 times in 2016.In accordance with Open-Access publishing of Biomed Central, the JCMR articles are published on-line in the order that they are accepted with no collating of the articles into sections or special thematic issues. For this reason, over the years, the Editors have felt that it is useful to annually summarize the publications into broad areas of interest or themes, so that readers can view areas of interest in a single article in relation to each other and other recent JCMR articles. The papers are presented in broad themes with previously published JCMR papers to guide continuity of thought in the journal. In addition, I have elected to open this publication with information for the readership regarding the transition of the JCMR editorial office to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston and the editorial process.Though there is an author publication charge (APC) associated with open-access to cover the publisher's expenses, this format provides a much wider distribution/availability of the author's work and greater manuscript citation. For SCMR members, there is a substantial discount in the APC. I hope that you will continue to send your high quality manuscripts to JCMR for consideration. Importantly, I also ask that you consider referencing recent JCMR publications in your submissions to the JCMR and elsewhere as these contribute to our impact factor. I also thank our dedicated Associate Editors, Guest Editors, and reviewers for their many efforts to ensure that the review process occurs in a timely and responsible manner and that the JCMR continues to be recognized as the leading publication in our field.

Aortic Regurgitation Generates a Kinematic Obstruction Which Hinders Left Ventricular Filling

An incompetent aortic valve (AV) results in aortic regurgitation (AR), where retrograde flow of blood into the left ventricle (LV) is observed. In this work, we parametrically characterized the detailed changes in intra-ventricular flow during diastole as a result of AR in a physiological in vitro left-heart simulator (LHS). The loss of energy within the LV as the level of AR increased was also assessed. The validated LHS consisted of an optically-clear, flexible wall LV and a modular AV holder. Two-component, planar, digital particle image velocimetry was used to visualize and quantify intra-ventricular flow. A large coherent vortical structure which engulfed the whole LV was observed under control conditions. In the cases with AR, the regurgitant jet was observed to generate a "kinematic obstruction" between the mitral valve and the LV apex, preventing the trans-mitral jet from generating a coherent vortical structure. The regurgitant jet was also observed to impinge on the inferolateral wall of the LV. Energy dissipation rate (EDR) for no, trace, mild, and moderate AR were found to be 1.15, 2.26, 3.56, and 5.99 W/m³, respectively. This study has, for the first time, performed an in vitro characterization of intra-ventricular flow in the presence of AR. Mechanistically, the formation of a "kinematic obstruction" appears to be the cause of the increased EDR (a metric quantifiable in vivo) during AR. EDR increases non-linearly with AR fraction and could potentially be used as a metric to grade severity of AR and develop clinical interventional timing strategies for patients.

Review of Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 2015

There were 116 articles published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (JCMR) in 2015, which is a 14 % increase on the 102 articles published in 2014. The quality of the submissions continues to increase. The 2015 JCMR Impact Factor (which is published in June 2016) rose to 5.75 from 4.72 for 2014 (as published in June 2015), which is the highest impact factor ever recorded for JCMR. The 2015 impact factor means that the JCMR papers that were published in 2013 and 2014 were cited on average 5.75 times in 2015. The impact factor undergoes natural variation according to citation rates of papers in the 2 years following publication, and is significantly influenced by highly cited papers such as official reports. However, the progress of the journal's impact over the last 5 years has been impressive. Our acceptance rate is <25 % and has been falling because the number of articles being submitted has been increasing. In accordance with Open-Access publishing, the JCMR articles go on-line as they are accepted with no collating of the articles into sections or special thematic issues. For this reason, the Editors have felt that it is useful once per calendar year to summarize the papers for the readership into broad areas of interest or theme, so that areas of interest can be reviewed in a single article in relation to each other and other recent JCMR articles. The papers are presented in broad themes and set in context with related literature and previously published JCMR papers to guide continuity of thought in the journal. We hope that you find the open-access system increases wider reading and citation of your papers, and that you will continue to send your quality papers to JCMR for publication.

Role of Mitral Annulus Diastolic Geometry on Intraventricular Filling Dynamics

The mitral valve (MV) is a bileaflet valve positioned between the left atrium and ventricle of the heart. The annulus of the MV has been observed to undergo geometric changes during the cardiac cycle, transforming from a saddle D-shape during systole to a flat (and less eccentric) D-shape during diastole. Prosthetic MV devices, including heart valves and annuloplasty rings, are designed based on these two configurations, with the circular design of some prosthetic heart valves (PHVs) being an approximation of the less eccentric, flat D-shape. Characterizing the effects of these geometrical variations on the filling efficiency of the left ventricle (LV) is required to understand why the flat D-shaped annulus is observed in the native MV during diastole in addition to optimizing the design of prosthetic devices. We hypothesize that the D-shaped annulus reduces energy loss during ventricular filling. An experimental left heart simulator (LHS) consisting of a flexible-walled LV physical model was used to characterize the filling efficiency of the two mitral annular geometries. The strength of the dominant vortical structure formed and the energy dissipation rate (EDR) of the measured fields, during the diastolic period of the cardiac cycle, were used as metrics to quantify the filling efficiency. Our results indicated that the O-shaped annulus generates a stronger (25% relative to the D-shaped annulus) vortical structure than that of the D-shaped annulus. It was also found that the O-shaped annulus resulted in higher EDR values throughout the diastolic period of the cardiac cycle. The results support the hypothesis that a D-shaped mitral annulus reduces dissipative energy losses in ventricular filling during diastole and in turn suggests that a symmetric stent design does not provide lower filling efficiency than an equivalent asymmetric design.

A D-Shaped Bileaflet Bioprosthesis which Replicates Physiological Left Ventricular Flow Patterns

Prior studies have shown that in a healthy heart, there exist a large asymmetric vortex structure that aids in establishing a steady flow field in the left ventricle. However, the implantation of existing artificial heart valves at the mitral position is found to have a negative effect on this physiological flow pattern. In light of this, a novel D-shaped bileaflet porcine bioprosthesis (GD valve) has been designed based on the native geometry mitral valve, with the hypothesis that biomimicry in valve design can restore physiological left ventricle flow patterns after valve implantation. An in-vitro experiment using two dimensional particle velocimetry imaging was carried out to determine the hemodynamic performance of the new bileaflet design and then compared to that of the well-established St. Jude Epic valve which functioned as a control in the experiment. Although both valves were found to have similar Reynolds shear stress and Turbulent Kinetic Energy levels, the novel D-shape valve was found to have lower turbulence intensity and greater mean kinetic energy conservation.

The hemodynamic effects of acute aortic regurgitation into a stiffened left ventricle resulting from chronic aortic stenosis

Acute aortic regurgitation (AR) post-chronic aortic stenosis is a prevalent phenomenon occurring in patients who undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) surgery. The objective of this work was to characterize the effects of left ventricular diastolic stiffness (LVDS) and AR severity on LV performance. Three LVDS models were inserted into a physiological left heart simulator. AR severity was parametrically varied through four levels (ranging from trace to moderate) and compared with a competent aortic valve. Hemodynamic metrics such as average diastolic pressures (DP) and reduction in transmitral flow were measured. AR index was calculated as a function of AR severity and LVDS, and the work required to make up for lost volume due to AR was estimated. In the presence of trace AR, higher LVDS had up to a threefold reduction in transmitral flow (13% compared with 3.5%) and a significant increase in DP (2-fold). The AR index ranged from ∼42 to 16 (no AR to moderate AR), with stiffer LVs having lower values. To compensate for lost volume due to AR, the low, medium, and high LVDS models were found to require 5.1, 5.5, and 6.6 times more work, respectively. This work shows that the LVDS has a significant effect on the LV performance in the presence of AR. Therefore, the LVDS of potential TAVR patients should be assessed to gain an initial indication of their ability to tolerate post-procedural AR.

Atrial systole enhances intraventricular filling flow propagation during increasing heart rate

Diastolic fluid dynamics in the left ventricle (LV) has been examined in multiple clinical studies for understanding cardiac function in healthy humans and developing diagnostic measures in disease conditions. The question of how intraventricular filling vortex flow pattern is affected by increasing heart rate (HR) is still unanswered. Previous studies on healthy subjects have shown a correlation between increasing HR and diminished E/A ratio of transmitral peak velocities during early filling (E-wave) to atrial systole (A-wave). We hypothesize that with increasing HR under constant E/A ratio, E-wave contribution to intraventricular vortex propagation is diminished. A physiologic in vitro flow phantom consisting of a LV physical model was used for this study. HR was varied across 70, 100 and 120 beats per minute (bpm) with E/A of 1.1-1.2. Intraventricular flow patterns were characterized using 2D particle image velocimetry measured across three parallel longitudinal (apical-basal) planes in the LV. A pair of counter-rotating vortices was observed during E-wave across all HRs. With increasing HR, diminished vortex propagation occurred during E-wave and atrial systole was found to amplify secondary vorticity production. The diastolic time point where peak vortex circulation occurred was delayed with increasing HR, with peak circulation for 120bpm occurring as late as 90% into diastole near the end of A-wave. The role of atrial systole is elevated for higher HR due to the limited time available for filling. Our baseline findings and analysis approach can be applied to studies of clinical conditions where impaired exercise tolerance is observed.