TY - JOUR
T1 - ECHO-COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY STRAIN IMAGING OF HEALTHY AND DISEASED CAROTID SPECIMENS
AU - Boekhoven, Renate W.
AU - Rutten, Marcel C. M.
AU - van Sambeek, Marc R.
AU - van de Vosse, Frans N.
AU - Lopata, Richard G. P.
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - To improve our understanding of the mechanical behavior of human atherosclerotic plaque tissue, fully 3-D geometrical, morphological and dynamical information is essential. For this purpose, four-dimensional (3-D+t) strain imaging using an ultrasound tomography approach (echo-computed tomography) was performed in carotid arteries in vitro. The method was applied to a carotid phantom (CPh), a porcine carotid artery (PC) and human carotid atherosclerotic plaque samples (HC, n = 5). Each sample was subjected to an intraluminal pressure, after which 2-D longitudinal ultrasound images were obtained for 36 angles along the circumferential direction. Local deformations were estimated using a 2-D strain algorithm, and 3-D radial strain data were reconstructed. At systole, median luminal strains of 15% (CPh) and 18% (PC) were found, which is in agreement with the stiffness of the material and applied pressure pulse. The elastographic signal-to-noise ratio was consistent in all directions and ranged from 16 to 36 dB. Furthermore, realistic but more complex strain patterns were found for the HC, with 99th percentile systolic strain values ranging from 0.1% to 18%. World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.
AB - To improve our understanding of the mechanical behavior of human atherosclerotic plaque tissue, fully 3-D geometrical, morphological and dynamical information is essential. For this purpose, four-dimensional (3-D+t) strain imaging using an ultrasound tomography approach (echo-computed tomography) was performed in carotid arteries in vitro. The method was applied to a carotid phantom (CPh), a porcine carotid artery (PC) and human carotid atherosclerotic plaque samples (HC, n = 5). Each sample was subjected to an intraluminal pressure, after which 2-D longitudinal ultrasound images were obtained for 36 angles along the circumferential direction. Local deformations were estimated using a 2-D strain algorithm, and 3-D radial strain data were reconstructed. At systole, median luminal strains of 15% (CPh) and 18% (PC) were found, which is in agreement with the stiffness of the material and applied pressure pulse. The elastographic signal-to-noise ratio was consistent in all directions and ranged from 16 to 36 dB. Furthermore, realistic but more complex strain patterns were found for the HC, with 99th percentile systolic strain values ranging from 0.1% to 18%. World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.
KW - Atherosclerosis
KW - Ultrasonography
KW - Strain imaging
KW - Echo-computed tomography
U2 - 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.11.026
DO - 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.11.026
M3 - Article
C2 - 24613555
SN - 0301-5629
VL - 40
SP - 1329
EP - 1342
JO - Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
JF - Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
IS - 6
ER -