Evaluating the precision and reproducibility of non-invasive deformation measurements in an arterial phantom

Computer modeling combined with non-invasive measurement modalities may provide a means to advanced diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases; however, development and validation of novel methods is often impeded by the challenge of gathering relevant clinical data. We present an experimental rig and phantom model of the left common carotid artery developed to generate data necessary for the validation of a computational model of the artery. The flow rates and pressures at the inlet and outlet, and deformation of the phantom were measured simultaneously with optical and ultrasound systems. A statistical analysis of the precision and reproducibility of the measurements found experiment-to-experiment variations were less than 3.1 mmHg, 0.023 L/min, and 0.012 mm for pressure, flow and displacement respectively. The mean difference between ultrasound measured displacement and camera measured displacement was 0.0113 mm.