In vivo bistatic dual-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta
Introduction: In this paper we introduce in vivo multi-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta. Monitoring of the geometry and growth of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is paramount for risk stratification and intervention planning. However, such an assessment is limited...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1320456/full |
| _version_ | 1797236872570732544 |
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| author | Vera H. J. van Hal Hein de Hoop Marc R. H. M. van Sambeek Marc R. H. M. van Sambeek Hans-Martin Schwab Richard G. P. Lopata |
| author_facet | Vera H. J. van Hal Hein de Hoop Marc R. H. M. van Sambeek Marc R. H. M. van Sambeek Hans-Martin Schwab Richard G. P. Lopata |
| author_sort | Vera H. J. van Hal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: In this paper we introduce in vivo multi-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta. Monitoring of the geometry and growth of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is paramount for risk stratification and intervention planning. However, such an assessment is limited by the lateral lumen-wall contrast and resolution of conventional ultrasound. Here, an in vivo dual-aperture bistatic imaging approach is shown to improve abdominal ultrasound and strain imaging quality significantly. By scanning the aorta from different directions, a larger part of the vessel circumference can be visualized.Methods: In this first-in-man volunteer study, the performance of multi-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aortic wall was assessed in 20 healthy volunteers. Dual-probe acquisition was performed in which two curved array transducers were aligned in the same imaging plane. The transducers alternately transmit and both probes receive simultaneously on each transmit event, which allows for the reconstruction of four ultrasound signals. Automatic probe localization was achieved by optimizing the coherence of the trans-probe data, using a gradient descent algorithm. Speckle-tracking was performed on the four individual bistatic signals, after which the respective axial displacements were compounded and strains were calculated.Results: Using bistatic multi-aperture ultrasound imaging, the image quality of the ultrasound images, i.e., the angular coverage of the wall, was improved which enables accurate estimation of local motion dynamics and strain in the abdominal aortic wall. The motion tracking error was reduced from 1.3 mm ± 0.63 mm to 0.16 mm ± 0.076 mm, which increased the circumferential elastographic signal-to-noise ratio (SNRe) by 12.3 dB ± 8.3 dB on average, revealing more accurate and homogeneous strain estimates compared to single-perspective ultrasound.Conclusion: Multi-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography is feasible in vivo and can provide the clinician with vital information about the anatomical and mechanical state of AAAs in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:10:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9544436f44974d3193e60b29925096c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:10:45Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9544436f44974d3193e60b29925096c12024-03-28T11:27:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2024-03-011510.3389/fphys.2024.13204561320456In vivo bistatic dual-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aortaVera H. J. van Hal0Hein de Hoop1Marc R. H. M. van Sambeek2Marc R. H. M. van Sambeek3Hans-Martin Schwab4Richard G. P. Lopata5Photoacoustics and Ultrasound Laboratory Eindhoven (PULS/e), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, NetherlandsPhotoacoustics and Ultrasound Laboratory Eindhoven (PULS/e), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, NetherlandsPhotoacoustics and Ultrasound Laboratory Eindhoven (PULS/e), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, NetherlandsDepartment of Vascular Surgery, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, NetherlandsPhotoacoustics and Ultrasound Laboratory Eindhoven (PULS/e), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, NetherlandsPhotoacoustics and Ultrasound Laboratory Eindhoven (PULS/e), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, NetherlandsIntroduction: In this paper we introduce in vivo multi-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta. Monitoring of the geometry and growth of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is paramount for risk stratification and intervention planning. However, such an assessment is limited by the lateral lumen-wall contrast and resolution of conventional ultrasound. Here, an in vivo dual-aperture bistatic imaging approach is shown to improve abdominal ultrasound and strain imaging quality significantly. By scanning the aorta from different directions, a larger part of the vessel circumference can be visualized.Methods: In this first-in-man volunteer study, the performance of multi-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aortic wall was assessed in 20 healthy volunteers. Dual-probe acquisition was performed in which two curved array transducers were aligned in the same imaging plane. The transducers alternately transmit and both probes receive simultaneously on each transmit event, which allows for the reconstruction of four ultrasound signals. Automatic probe localization was achieved by optimizing the coherence of the trans-probe data, using a gradient descent algorithm. Speckle-tracking was performed on the four individual bistatic signals, after which the respective axial displacements were compounded and strains were calculated.Results: Using bistatic multi-aperture ultrasound imaging, the image quality of the ultrasound images, i.e., the angular coverage of the wall, was improved which enables accurate estimation of local motion dynamics and strain in the abdominal aortic wall. The motion tracking error was reduced from 1.3 mm ± 0.63 mm to 0.16 mm ± 0.076 mm, which increased the circumferential elastographic signal-to-noise ratio (SNRe) by 12.3 dB ± 8.3 dB on average, revealing more accurate and homogeneous strain estimates compared to single-perspective ultrasound.Conclusion: Multi-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography is feasible in vivo and can provide the clinician with vital information about the anatomical and mechanical state of AAAs in the future.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1320456/fullabdominal aortaelastographymulti-apertureultrasoundcoherent compounding |
| spellingShingle | Vera H. J. van Hal Hein de Hoop Marc R. H. M. van Sambeek Marc R. H. M. van Sambeek Hans-Martin Schwab Richard G. P. Lopata In vivo bistatic dual-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta Frontiers in Physiology abdominal aorta elastography multi-aperture ultrasound coherent compounding |
| title | In vivo bistatic dual-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta |
| title_full | In vivo bistatic dual-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta |
| title_fullStr | In vivo bistatic dual-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta |
| title_full_unstemmed | In vivo bistatic dual-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta |
| title_short | In vivo bistatic dual-aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta |
| title_sort | in vivo bistatic dual aperture ultrasound imaging and elastography of the abdominal aorta |
| topic | abdominal aorta elastography multi-aperture ultrasound coherent compounding |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1320456/full |
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