Millisecond Magnetic Particle Imaging of a cerebral aneurysm phantom with and without flow diverter stent

Undetected, asymptomatic brain aneurysms include the high risk of progressive expansion, followed by rupture, hemorrhage and finally death in approximately 80% of the cases. Therefore, imaging techniques to assess the state of aneurysms and the success of the treatment of aneurysms are of high relevance. For this purpose, we manufactured artery phantoms with aneurysms by 3D silicon printing. Using MRI data sets including cerebral aneurysms that were specific to patients, the artery was created. By Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI), we were able to resolve the location and movement of the tracer in the different parts of the artery phantom with millisecond resolution. To assess the success of treating aneurysms with flow diverter stents, we compared flow MPI measurements in a 3D-printed artery without a flow diverter stent with images in a treated artery with a flow diverter stent inside the vessel. Our results provide valuable information on the capabilities and prospects of MPI of vascular structures and the detection and quantification of flow changes in untreated and treated aneurysms for future in vivo applications.