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Biomimetic phantom for the validation of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging
Author(s) -
Hubbard Penny L.,
Zhou FengLei,
Eichhorn Stephen J.,
Parker Geoffrey J.M.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.25107
Subject(s) - imaging phantom , diffusion mri , materials science , fractional anisotropy , scanner , white matter , magnetic resonance imaging , biomedical engineering , nuclear magnetic resonance , reproducibility , diffusion , nuclear medicine , medicine , optics , physics , chemistry , radiology , chromatography , thermodynamics
Purpose A range of advanced diffusion MRI (dMRI) techniques are currently in development which characterize the orientation of white matter fibers using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). There is a need for a physical phantom with microstructural features of the brain's white matter to help validate these methods. Methods Hollow, co‐electrospun, aligned fibers with a tuneable size distribution have been produced in bulk and with an MR visible solvent infused into the pores. The morphology and size of the phantoms was assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and compared with DTI results obtained on both a clinical and preclinical scanner. Results By varying inner diameter of the phantom fibers (from SEM: 9.5 μm, 11.9 μm, 13.4 μm) the radial diffusivity and fractional anisotropy, calculated from DTI, vary between 0.38 ± 0.05 × 10 3 and 0.61 ± 0.06 × 10 3 cm s −1 and between 0.45 ± 0.05 and 0.33 ± 0.04, respectively. Conclusion We envisage that these materials will be used for the validation of novel and established methods within the field of diffusion MRI, as well as for routine quality assurance purposes and for establishing scanner performance in multicenter trials. Magn Reson Med 73:299–305, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.