血管壁高频超声弹性显微成像

利用血管内高频超声(Intravascular Ultrasound,IVUS)成像技术,对IVUS图像灰度值进行换能器偏心校正后,提出基于遗传算法的管壁组织运动分阶叠加光流估计方法获得血管内施压条件下组织微元位移与应变分布,采用弹性重构方法在世界上首次获得了实际血管壁真正意义上的横断面弹性显微图像。由离体猪血管实验结果证实.将血管力学实验研究推进到二维亚毫米微结构层次,有希望为经皮腔内冠状动脉血管成形术(Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty, PTCA)过程监控与治疗评价提供新的技术手段。     

Microscopic elasticity imaging of vessel walls based on intravascular ultrasound

The effect of the transducer eccentricity on grayscales of intravascualr ultrasound images was corrected based on the scattering properties of high frequency ultrasound in vessel walls. The displacement and strain distributions of vessel walls produced by tissue microelement motion were obtained using a novel motion estimation method in steps and sum based on the optical flow and genetic algorithm. Furthermore, authors firstly reconstructed "real" elasticity distribution images of cross section tissues of vessel walls in the world. In vitro experimental results of porcine artery demonstrated the methods mentioned above are reasonable. Experimental investigation of vascular mechanics can be advanced to 2D sub-millimeter microstructure levels. These studies have potential to provide new technology means in monitoring and evaluation of Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty process.     

Ultrasonic speed microscopy for imaging of coronary artery

We have been developing a scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) system for medicine and biology featuring quantitative measurement of ultrasonic speed and attenuation of soft tissues. In the present study, we will propose a new concept ultrasonic speed microscopy that can measure the thickness and ultrasonic speed using fast Fourier transform of a single pulsed wave instead of continuous waves used in conventional SAM systems. Six coronary arteries were frozen and sectioned approximately 10 microm in thickness. They were mounted on glass slides without cover slips. The scanning time of a frame with 300 x 300 pixels was 121 s and two-dimensional distribution of ultrasonic speed was obtained. The ultrasonic speed was 1720 m/s in the thickened intima with collagen fiber, 1520 m/s in lipid deposition underlying fibrous cap and 1830 m/s in calcified lesion in the intima. These basic measurements will help understanding echogenecity in intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images. Imaging of coronary artery with the ultrasonic speed microscopy provides important information for study of IVUS coronary imaging.     

血管内超声图像的仿真

血管内超声(IVUS)图像的仿真有助于检验诸如图像分割等图像处理算法的性能。提出一种IVUS图像仿真的方法。该方法在极坐标图像生成模型中引入环晕、导丝伪影,并分别对粥样硬化斑块的纤维、脂质、钙化三个区域进行模拟,实现静态图像的仿真;运用血管随心脏搏动的变化规律,实现序列图像的仿真。通过对15例真实IVUS图像、每例各50次的实验表明,相对于传统的极坐标图像生成模型,该方法仿真的图像与真实图像的相关系数提高了56.9%,互信息提高了24.3%,其仿真效果更加接近真实图像。     

A simulation study on tissue harmonic imaging with a single-element intravascular ultrasound catheter

Recently, in vivo feasibility of tissue harmonic imaging with a mechanically rotated intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter was experimentally demonstrated. To isolate the second harmonic signal content, a combination of pulse inversion and analog filtering was used. In this paper the development of a simulation tool to investigate nonlinear IVUS beams is reported, and the influence of transducer rotation and axial catheter-to-tissue motion on the efficiency of PI signal processing is evaluated. Nonlinear beams were simulated in homogeneous tissue-mimicking media at a transmit frequency of 20 MHz, which resulted in second harmonic pressure fields at 40 MHz. The competing effects of averaging and decorrelation between neighboring rf lines on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were studied for a single point scatterer. An optimal SNR was achieved when lines were combined over 3 degrees - 3.75 degrees. When the transducer was rotated with respect to point scatterers, simulating the acoustic response of tissue, the fundamental frequency suppression using PI degraded rapidly with increasing interpulse angles. The effect of axial catheter-to-tissue motion on the efficiency of pulse inversion seemed to be of less influence for realistic motion values. The results of this study will aid in the optimization of harmonic IVUS imaging systems.     

血管内超声技术估计冠状动脉阻抗的方法和实验

为了更准确全面地评估冠状动脉的动力学特性,采用血管内超声技术和血压测量设备获取冠状动脉内的超声图像、血流多普勒信号和血压曲线。使用动态轮廓模型从血管内的超声图像测量出管腔的截面积曲线,使用形态学和动态规划法提取多普勒信号中的流速信息,在心电同步下计算出血流量随心动周期的变化。结合血管内的血压曲线,通过傅里叶级数计算出冠状动脉等效阻抗。通过对人工控制下猪心肌微循环障碍实验的数据分析,观察到本方法估计出的血管阻抗可以反映冠状动脉的供血能力、扩张能力随微循环功能衰弱的变化。这一技术的实现,有望为医学临床提供一种新的辅助诊断参数。     

Targeting and deep-penetrating delivery strategy for stented coronary artery by magnetic guidance and ultrasound stimulation

Stent placement is an effective treatment for atherosclerosis, but is suffered from in-stent restenosis (ISR) caused by stent mechanical damage. Conventional ISR treatment such as drug-eluting stents (DES) is challenged by the low therapeutic efficacy and severe complications, unchangeable drug dosage for individuals, and limited drug penetration in the vascular tissue. We hypothesize that magnetic targeting and deep-penetrating delivery strategy by magnetic guidance and ultrasound stimulation might be an effective approach for ISR treatment. In the present study, antiproliferative drug (paclitaxel, PTX) loaded poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (PLGA-PTX) were embedded within the shells of the magnetic nanoparticle coated microbubbles (MMB-PLGA-PTX). Once being targeted to the stent under a magnetic field, a low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is applied to activate stable microbubble oscillations, thereby triggering the release of PLGA-PTX. The generated mechanical force and microstreaming facilitate the penetration of released PLGA-PTX into the thickened vascular tissue and enhance their internalization by smooth muscle cells (SMCs), thereby reducing the clearance by blood flow. In an ex vivo experiment, magnetic targeting improved the accumulation amount of MMB-PLGA-PTX by 10 folds, while the LIFU facilitated the penetration of released PLGA-PTX into the tunica media region of the porcine coronary artery, resulting in prolonged retention time at the stented vascular tissue. With the combination effects, this strategy holds great promise in the precision delivery of antiproliferative drugs to the stented vascular tissue for ISR treatment.     

Computer simulation of intravascular ultrasound plaque images

A method is proposed to simulate intravascular ultrasound （IVUS） images of athero-sclerotic plaques. To accomplish the simulation of static IVUS plaque images, the ringdown and guidewire artifacts are introduced into the polar image-formation model （PIFM）, and the fibrous, lipid and calcific contents are synthesized in plaques respectively. The simulation of sequential IVUS images can be achieved by utilizing characteristics of the pulsatile artery. The results on static images demonstrate that it outperforms the PIFM method by 56.9% in terms of the correlation coefficient （CC）, and 24.3% in terms of the mutual information （MI）. The results on sequential images demonstrate that it outperforms the PIFM method by 51.0% in terms of CC, and 10.3% in terms of MI.     

超声脉动环颈动脉局域脉搏波速检测性能评估

基于超声同时检测血流速度(U)和管腔直径(D)脉动变化的血流量-横截面积(QA)和直径-速度(ln (D) U)法是当前局域脉搏波速(PWV)检测的研究热点。通过仿真和临床实验系统比较了QA与ln (D) U方法的检测精度。对临床实测的颈动脉管腔半径和中心血流速度脉动变化,利用FIELDⅡ建立估计PWV的理论模型。30例仿真结果表明,QA法和ln (D) U法检测PWV与理论预设值的归一化均方根误差分别为0.30±0.08和0.45±0.13;两个年龄组20例临床结果表明,QA法和ln (D) U法对同一受试者连续两次颈动脉PWV检测的相关系数为0.94,变异系数分别为12.08V和13.17V。仿真和临床实验结果均表明QA法局域PWV的检测性能更好。     

Assessment of ultrasound pulsation loops for measurement of local pulse wave velocity of carotid artery

Flow-area (QA) method and ln(diameter)-velocity (ln(D)U) methods based on si-multaneous measurements of velocity (U) and arterial diameter (D) using ultrasound ...     

Observation of ultrasound velocity gradient in fullerene ceramics by acoustic microscopy

A scanning acoustic microscope is used to study the distribution of elastic properties in small samples (O 3 x 2 mm3) of new hard phases of C60. The specimens under investigation were synthesized from pure C60 powder under pressure P = 8 GPa in the temperature range 500-1650 K. The time-of-flight mode was used for bulk sound wave velocity determination in a direction parallel to the cylinder's axis. Longitudinal sound wave velocities greater than 10,000 m/s were found for all specimens treated at temperatures higher than 1000 K. Using the B-scan mode allowed us to observe the velocity gradient in the sample's periphery. The heterogeneous internal structure of the specimen is visualized in the images formed in C- and B-scan modes.     

Simulation of circular array ultrasound transducers for intravascular applications

The beam shape of a circular array transducer that is commonly used in intravascular ultrasound catheters was investigated in linear mode of operation. For this use, a simulation program which can simulate the radio frequency (rf)-response of a number of scatterers has been developed. The program is based on the impulse response method, which is implemented in the frequency domain. Due to the unusual geometry of the transducer, the far field gets peculiarly shaped for large apertures. Instead of having a far field with its maximum intensity in a single lobe on the acoustical axis, the far field splits up into a dual-lobe far field with maximum intensity in two lobes off the acoustical axis. A formula is derived that predicts the occurrence of these beam shapes.     

Automated measurement of ultrasound velocity and attenuation

A fully-automated system has been developed to measure changes in ultrasonic velocity and the attenuation coefficient resulting from changes in temperature and magnetic field. Accuracy and sensitivity comparable to the pulse-echo overlap technique have been achieved together with an increase in temperature resolution and sample throughput as a result of the automation. All components of the instrumentation are commercially available.     

Measurement of ultrasound velocity in human tissue

This paper describes a method of measuring ultrasound velocity to high accuracy in small samples of reasonably homogenous substances. Results obtained with some body fluids and brain tumours are given.     

Flow estimation using an intravascular imaging catheter

Coronary flow assessment can be useful for determining the hemodynamic severity of a stenosis and to evaluate the outcome of interventional therapy. We developed a method for measuring the transverse flow through the imaging plane of an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter. This possibility has raised great clinical interest since it permits simultaneous assessment of vessel geometry and function with the same device. Furthermore, it should give more accurate information than combination devices because lumen diameter and velocity are determined at the same location. Flow velocity is estimated based on decorrelation estimation from sequences of radiofrequency (RF) traces acquired at nearly the same position. Signal gating yields a local estimate of the velocity. Integrating the local velocity over the lumen gives the quantitative flow. This principle has been calibrated and tested through computer modeling, in vitro experiments using a flow phantom and in vivo experiments in a porcine animal model, and validated against a Doppler element containing guide wire (Flowire) in humans. Originally the method was developed and tested for a rotating single element device. Currently the method is being developed for an array system. The great advantage of an array over the single element approach would be that the transducer has no intrinsic motion. This intrinsic motion sets a minimal threshold in the detectable velocity components. Although the principle is the same, the method needs some adaptation through the inherent different beamforming of the transducer. In this paper various aspects of the development of IVUS flow are reviewed.     

Tissue harmonic ultrasonic imaging

Harmonic imaging was originally developed for microbubble contrast agents in the early 90s under the assumption that tissue is linear and all harmonic echoes are generated by the bubbles. In fact, tissue, like bubbles, is a nonlinear medium. Whereas the harmonic echoes from bubbles have their origins in nonlinear scattering, those from tissue are a result of nonlinear propagation. The clinical benefits of tissue harmonic imaging are reduced reverberation noise and overall clutter level, improved border delineation, increased contrast resolution, and reduced phase aberration artifacts. To a large extent these benefits are explained by the properties of nonlinear propagation of the transmitted ultrasonic pulses in the tissue.     

Fractal dimension of 40 MHz intravascular ultrasound radio frequency signals

Objective

Fully automatic tissue characterization in intravascular ultrasound systems is still a challenge for the researchers. The present work aims to evaluate the feasibility of using the Higuchi fractal dimension of intravascular ultrasound radio frequency signals as a feature for tissue characterization.

Methods

Fractal dimension images are generated based on the radio frequency signals obtained using mechanically rotating 40 MHz intravascular ultrasound catheter (Atlantis SR Plus, Boston Scientific, USA) and compared with the corresponding correlation images.

Conclusion

An inverse relation between the fractal dimension images and the correlation images was revealed indicating that the hard or slow moving tissues in the correlation image usually have low fractal dimension and vice-versa. Thus, the present study suggests that fractal dimension images may be used as a feature for intravascular ultrasound tissue characterization and present better resolution then the correlation images.     

Synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging

The paper describes the use of synthetic aperture (SA) imaging in medical ultrasound. SA imaging is a radical break with today's commercial systems, where the image is acquired sequentially one image line at a time. This puts a strict limit on the frame rate and the possibility of acquiring a sufficient amount of data for high precision flow estimation. These constrictions can be lifted by employing SA imaging. Here data is acquired simultaneously from all directions over a number of emissions, and the full image can be reconstructed from this data. The paper demonstrates the many benefits of SA imaging. Due to the complete data set, it is possible to have both dynamic transmit and receive focusing to improve contrast and resolution. It is also possible to improve penetration depth by employing codes during ultrasound transmission. Data sets for vector flow imaging can be acquired using short imaging sequences, whereby both the correct velocity magnitude and angle can be estimated. A number of examples of both phantom and in vivo SA images will be presented measured by the experimental ultrasound scanner RASMUS to demonstrate the many benefits of SA imaging.