TY - GEN
T1 - An Organ Flow Model for Developing Vascular Characterization Using Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) Imaging
AU - Voulgaridou, Vasiliki
AU - McDougall, Steven
AU - Boujelben, Ahmed
AU - Butler, Mairead
AU - Diamantis, Konstantinos
AU - Sboros, Vassilis
PY - 2020/11/17
Y1 - 2020/11/17
N2 - Whilst the detection of structural and dynamic variations in small blood vessels could aid the early detection of a large number of non-communicable diseases, current imaging methods do not provide reliable measurements of such changes. A realistic Small Vessel Vascular Bed (SVVB) model is presented here that can address microvascular changes and flow-redistribution related to such diseases. The location of abnormal structures within the SVVB may result in varying degrees of flow redistribution, which can have a different impact on CEUS images. In a series of in silico experiments, the SVVB was traversed by MB bolus injections and CEUS parametric mapping was used to detect regions of abnormal perfusion. In general, it was shown that alterations to the flow in the SVVB were reflected in parametric maps but the dynamic adaptation of the flow presents a significant challenge for CEUS measurements. Specifically, the flow redistribution, which is highly significant when areas around the main flow path are affected, is not possible to quantify or assess with CEUS. Thus, the differentiation of abnormal vascular patterns from normal ones becomes problematic with conventional CEUS quantification approaches.
AB - Whilst the detection of structural and dynamic variations in small blood vessels could aid the early detection of a large number of non-communicable diseases, current imaging methods do not provide reliable measurements of such changes. A realistic Small Vessel Vascular Bed (SVVB) model is presented here that can address microvascular changes and flow-redistribution related to such diseases. The location of abnormal structures within the SVVB may result in varying degrees of flow redistribution, which can have a different impact on CEUS images. In a series of in silico experiments, the SVVB was traversed by MB bolus injections and CEUS parametric mapping was used to detect regions of abnormal perfusion. In general, it was shown that alterations to the flow in the SVVB were reflected in parametric maps but the dynamic adaptation of the flow presents a significant challenge for CEUS measurements. Specifically, the flow redistribution, which is highly significant when areas around the main flow path are affected, is not possible to quantify or assess with CEUS. Thus, the differentiation of abnormal vascular patterns from normal ones becomes problematic with conventional CEUS quantification approaches.
KW - Flow
KW - Flow-imaging
KW - Medical imaging
KW - Microbubble-contrast-agents
KW - Parametric map
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097891042&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/IUS46767.2020.9251467
DO - 10.1109/IUS46767.2020.9251467
M3 - Conference contribution
T3 - IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS)
BT - 2020 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS)
PB - IEEE
T2 - 2020 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium
Y2 - 7 September 2020 through 11 September 2020
ER -