In vivo acoustic super-resolution and super-resolved velocity mapping using microbubbles
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Christensen-Jeffries, K
Browning, RJ
Tang, M-X
Dunsby, C
Eckersley, RJ
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The structure of microvasculature cannot be resolved using standard clinical ultrasound (US) imaging frequencies due to the fundamental diffraction limit of US waves. In this work, we use a standard clinical US system to perform in vivo sub-diffraction imaging on a CD1, female mouse aged eight weeks by localizing isolated US signals from microbubbles flowing within the ear microvasculature, and compare our results to optical microscopy. Furthermore, we develop a new technique to map blood velocity at super-resolution by tracking individual bubbles through the vasculature. Resolution is improved from a measured lateral and axial resolution of 112 μm and 94 μm respectively in original US data, to super-resolved images of microvasculature where vessel features as fine as 19 μm are clearly visualized. Velocity maps clearly distinguish opposing flow direction and separated speed distributions in adjacent vessels, thereby enabling further differentiation between vessels otherwise not spatially separated in the image. This technique overcomes the diffraction limit to provide a noninvasive means of imaging the microvasculature at super-resolution, to depths of many centimeters. In the future, this method could noninvasively image pathological or therapeutic changes in the microvasculature at centimeter depths in vivo.
Date Issued
2015-02-01
Date Acceptance
2014-09-04
Citation
IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 2015, 34 (2), pp.433-440
ISSN
0278-0062
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Start Page
433
End Page
440
Journal / Book Title
IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging
Volume
34
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2014 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Engineering, Biomedical
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Imaging Science & Photographic Technology
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Computer Science
Engineering
Biomedical imaging
microbubbles
microvasculature
ultrasonic imaging
ultrasound
resolution
CONTRAST AGENT
ULTRASOUND
MICROSCOPY
ANGIOGENESIS
DISEASES
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2014-09-23