February 19, 2023 3:37 pm
Professor Michael Markl, in the biomedical engineering department at Northwestern, leads his own research team, with a specific interest in imaging techniques and solutions to better understanding the mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases. One of the more specific things he was researching was the use of 4D Flow MRIs. A 4D MRI is a flow-jet, more advanced imaging technique used to see a greater picture of the heart and its functions. Professor Markl, along with his team, tested it out to see the accuracy of the results coming from the 4D MRI and to conclude how well healthcare professionals can depend on the machines discoveries.
Markl's Faculty Page at Northwestern: www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/research-faculty/directory/profiles/markl-michael.html
Markl's publication is linked here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34783383/
Professor Markl's research lab works hands on with some of the most advanced cutting-edge technology that can help with faster, more efficient diagnosis, treatment, or just planning. I do look forward to working alongside healthcare workers and building artificial organs, so being introduced to this four-dimensional imaging technique, that can show me how exactly the heart is working, can greatly help me visualize the heart from the inside-out, which'll make it easier to try and replicate it from outside of the body.
A 4D Flow MRI can determine variables such as the velocity of blood flow and the pattern of the blood flow in your body. The colors, as shown on the pictures to the left, are color-coded by the magnitude of the variable being studied, which in this case is the velocity of the blood flow in your heart and aorta.
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A 4D Flow MRI can be used in many different parts of your body such as your neck, brain, liver, heart, and major vessels, studying a 3D image, over a longer span of time.