Using Optical Flow Tracing of MRI Flow Artifacts to Validate CFD Findings

R. H. Lauridsen, S. Ringgaard, and S. Alberg Thrysøe
MR-Center
Aarhus University Hospital
Aarhus, Denmark
Published in 2011

The aim of this study is to use tracking of flow artifacts in Magnetic Resonance Imaging of fluids to validate CFD. Phase Contrast MRI will also be used for comparison.

The correlation between flow of the fluid and movement of the artifacts is investigated using an aorta flow phantom, which is modeled from a human aorta and printed in thermo plastic. An Optical Flow algorithm is used to track the flow artifacts, and flow fields are computed for comparison with CFD. The method has potential as an alternative method for flow validation, and works in its current state for qualitative comparison of flow patterns. As velocities are underestimated it is not yet suitable for velocity measurements.

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