VASCULAR ELASTOGRAPHY: A VALIDATION STUDY

Richard G. P. Lopata*, Mathijs F. J. Peters, Jan Nijs, Cees W. J. Oomens, Marcel C. M. Rutten, Frans N. van de Vosse

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Vascular elastography techniques are promising tools for mechanical characterization of diseased arteries. These techniques are usually validated with simulations or phantoms or by comparing results with histology or other imaging modalities. In the study described here, vascular elastography was applied to porcine aortas in vitro during inflation testing (n = 10) and results were compared with those of standard bi-axial tensile testing, a technique that directly measures the force applied to the tissue. A neo-Hookean model was fit to the stress-strain data, valid for large deformations. Results indicated good correspondence between the two techniques, with GUS = 110 ? 11 kPa and GTT = 108 ? 10 kPa for ultrasound and tensile testing, respectively. Bland-Altman analysis revealed little bias (GUS-GTT = 2 ? 20 kPa). The next step will be the application of a non-linear material model that is also adaptable for in vivo measurements. World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1882-1895
JournalUltrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume40
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2014

Keywords

  • Ultrasound
  • Aorta
  • Elastography
  • Bi-axial tensile test
  • Mechanical characterization

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