Exploring in vivo blood flow dynamics

With the development of improved MR imaging techniques, there has been a resurgence of interest since the early 1980s. Today, MR flow imaging techniques are regarded as important clinical tools for providing detailed in vivo blood flow information. MR phase velocity mapping is a versatile noninvasive flow quantification method that is well suited for analyzing in vivo flow patterns. Since the introduction of quantitative MR velocity imaging methods, clinical and research applications of these techniques have flourished, enabling noninvasive acquisition of detailed quantitative blood flow information. The success of quantitative flow imaging complements recent advances in computational fluid dynamics, which may provide further understanding of cardiovascular mechanics and the genesis and development of cardiovascular disease.