Development of a Dynamic Heart Phantom Prototype for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

With the advent of the technology in medical imaging, cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a non-invasive procedure, has been used to determine diagnostic information on cardiac function. Given the inherent difficulty in imaging the heart in motion, many efforts have been made to improve cardiac motion tracking and eliminate motion related artifacts. A dynamic heart phantom (DHP) capable of simulating true physiological motions is critical for improving the quality of MR images. In our previous work, a DHP prototype utilizing electronic controls and hydraulic actuation was generated. While the test confirmed the validity of the actuation method, the precision and repeatability were not satisfying. In this work, we focused on redesigning the computer and motor controls, hydraulic system, rotation system, and phantom region to improve the precision and repeatability of the device with the integration of a fiber optic feedback system.