Preclinical Ultrasound Imaging—A Review of Techniques and Imaging Applications

Ultrasound imaging is a well-established clinical imaging technique providing real-time, quantitative anatomical and physiological information in humans. The lack of ionizing radiation and relative low purchase and maintenance costs results in it being one of the most frequently used clinical imagin...

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Main Authors: Carmel M. Moran, Adrian J. W. Thomson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphy.2020.00124/full
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author Carmel M. Moran
Adrian J. W. Thomson
author_facet Carmel M. Moran
Adrian J. W. Thomson
author_sort Carmel M. Moran
collection DOAJ
description Ultrasound imaging is a well-established clinical imaging technique providing real-time, quantitative anatomical and physiological information in humans. The lack of ionizing radiation and relative low purchase and maintenance costs results in it being one of the most frequently used clinical imaging techniques with increasing use for guiding interventional clinical procedures. Until 20 years ago, translation of clinical ultrasound practices to preclinical applications proved a significant technological challenge due to the smaller size (25 g vs. 70 kg) and rapid conscious heart-rate (500–700 bpm vs. 60 bpm) of the mouse requiring an increase in both spatial and temporal resolution of 10–20-fold in order to achieve diagnostic information comparable to that achieved clinically. Since 2000 [1], these technological challenges have been overcome and commercial high frequency ultrasound scanners have enabled longitudinal studies of disease progression in small animal models to be undertaken. Adult, neonatal and embryonic rats, mice and zebrafish can now be scanned with resolutions down to 30 microns and with sufficient temporal resolution to enable cardiac abnormalities in all these species to be identified. In mice and rats, quantification of blood flow in cardiac chambers, renal, liver and uterine vessels, and intra-mural tissue movements can be obtained using the Doppler technique. Ultrasonic contrast microbubbles used routinely for clinical applications are now being further developed to include targeting mechanisms and drug-loading capabilities and the results in animal models bode well for translation for targeted drug delivery in humans.
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spelling doaj.art-d1612a97c0944dc599e85d9fb19795dd2022-12-22T03:49:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physics2296-424X2020-05-01810.3389/fphy.2020.00124516043Preclinical Ultrasound Imaging—A Review of Techniques and Imaging ApplicationsCarmel M. MoranAdrian J. W. ThomsonUltrasound imaging is a well-established clinical imaging technique providing real-time, quantitative anatomical and physiological information in humans. The lack of ionizing radiation and relative low purchase and maintenance costs results in it being one of the most frequently used clinical imaging techniques with increasing use for guiding interventional clinical procedures. Until 20 years ago, translation of clinical ultrasound practices to preclinical applications proved a significant technological challenge due to the smaller size (25 g vs. 70 kg) and rapid conscious heart-rate (500–700 bpm vs. 60 bpm) of the mouse requiring an increase in both spatial and temporal resolution of 10–20-fold in order to achieve diagnostic information comparable to that achieved clinically. Since 2000 [1], these technological challenges have been overcome and commercial high frequency ultrasound scanners have enabled longitudinal studies of disease progression in small animal models to be undertaken. Adult, neonatal and embryonic rats, mice and zebrafish can now be scanned with resolutions down to 30 microns and with sufficient temporal resolution to enable cardiac abnormalities in all these species to be identified. In mice and rats, quantification of blood flow in cardiac chambers, renal, liver and uterine vessels, and intra-mural tissue movements can be obtained using the Doppler technique. Ultrasonic contrast microbubbles used routinely for clinical applications are now being further developed to include targeting mechanisms and drug-loading capabilities and the results in animal models bode well for translation for targeted drug delivery in humans.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphy.2020.00124/fullultrasoundpreclinicalmouse modelrat modelzebrafish
spellingShingle Carmel M. Moran
Adrian J. W. Thomson
Preclinical Ultrasound Imaging—A Review of Techniques and Imaging Applications
Frontiers in Physics
ultrasound
preclinical
mouse model
rat model
zebrafish
title Preclinical Ultrasound Imaging—A Review of Techniques and Imaging Applications
title_full Preclinical Ultrasound Imaging—A Review of Techniques and Imaging Applications
title_fullStr Preclinical Ultrasound Imaging—A Review of Techniques and Imaging Applications
title_full_unstemmed Preclinical Ultrasound Imaging—A Review of Techniques and Imaging Applications
title_short Preclinical Ultrasound Imaging—A Review of Techniques and Imaging Applications
title_sort preclinical ultrasound imaging a review of techniques and imaging applications
topic ultrasound
preclinical
mouse model
rat model
zebrafish
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphy.2020.00124/full
work_keys_str_mv AT carmelmmoran preclinicalultrasoundimagingareviewoftechniquesandimagingapplications
AT adrianjwthomson preclinicalultrasoundimagingareviewoftechniquesandimagingapplications