Stroboscopic NMR Microscopy of the Carotid Artery

We report H NMR microimages of a dynamic system, the carotid artery of the rat. Our results provide the first direct in vivo measurements of the Young's modulus of the carotid artery wall of normal rats and those dosed with vasoactive drugs. We have also found a blood flow pattern "signature" near the carotid bifurcation, which is apparently sensitive to stenoses in the vessels of the neck.