Underestimation of Flow Velocity in 2-D Super-Resolution Ultrasound Imaging

Velocity estimation in ultrasound imaging is a technique to measure the speed and direction of blood flow. The flow velocity in small blood vessels, i.e., arterioles, venules, and capillaries, can be estimated using super-resolution ultrasound imaging (SRUS). However, the vessel width in SRUS is rel...

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Veröffentlicht in:IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control ferroelectrics, and frequency control, 2024-06, Vol.PP, p.1-1
Hauptverfasser: Naji, Mostafa Amin, Taghavi, Iman, Thomsen, Erik Vilain, Larsen, Niels Bent, Jensen, Jorgen Arendt
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Velocity estimation in ultrasound imaging is a technique to measure the speed and direction of blood flow. The flow velocity in small blood vessels, i.e., arterioles, venules, and capillaries, can be estimated using super-resolution ultrasound imaging (SRUS). However, the vessel width in SRUS is relatively small compared with the full-width-half-maximum of the ultrasound beam in the elevation direction (FWHM y ), which directly impacts the velocity estimation. By taking into consideration the small vessel widths in SRUS, it is hypothesized that the velocity is underestimated in 2-D super-resolution ultrasound imaging when the vessel diameter is smaller than the FWHM y . A theoretical model is introduced to show that the velocity of a 3-D parabolic velocity profile is underestimated by up to 33% in 2-D SRUS, if the width of the vessel is smaller than the FWHM y . This model was tested using Field II simulations and 3-D printed micro-flow hydrogel phantom measurements. A Verasonics Vantage 256™ scanner and a GE L8-18i-D linear array transducer with FWHM y of approximately 770 μm at the elevation focus were used in the simulations and measurements. Simulations of different parabolic velocity profiles showed that the velocity underestimation was 36.8%±1.5% (mean±standard deviation). The measurements showed that the velocity was underestimated by 30%±6.9%. Moreover, the results of vessel diameters, ranging from 0.125×FWHM y to 3×FWHM y , indicate that velocities are estimated according to the theoretical model. The theoretical model can, therefore, be used for the compensation of velocity estimates under these circumstances.
ISSN:0885-3010
1525-8955
1525-8955
DOI:10.1109/TUFFC.2024.3416512