Rapid 3D Imaging of Contrast Flow: Demonstration of a Dual Beam Technique

Abstract

Perfusion imaging in a 3D volume using ultrasound contrast agent may improve vascular characterization compared to 2D imaging. Conventional 3D acquisition requires excessive scan time. A dual transducer technique using conventional systems has been introduced that allows 3D imaging of contrast dynamics with drastically reduced scan times (LeCarpentier et al. 2003). Two transducers are translated across a volume where the leading transducer effects contrast clearance and the following transducer images at desired contrast refill times. With 2D arrays that allow simultaneous clearance and imaging pulses, scan times could be further reduced and the need for two transducers eliminated. The dual transducer technique was demonstrated on a tube phantom, with observed contrast profiles matching those expected. Measured center velocities of (±std dev) 1.46±0.21 and 2.25±0.5 did not statistically differ from expected values of 1.75 and 2.50 (all mm/ s), (p>0.05). This technique is introduced for rapid acquisition of 3D contrast refill images.

Rapid 3-D Imaging of Contrast Flow: Application in a Perfused Kidney Phantom

“…The kidney phantom was mounted beneath the water on a stand and secured with two elastic bands. As previously described (Chen et al 2007), a DT assembly was used to demonstrate the dual beam technique by controlling both transducer separation and translation along the transducers' elevational direction. Although two transducers were used for acquiring the volumetric images in this work, any setup composed of two independent beams, such as a two-dimensional array, could be used.…”

“…The dual-transducer (DT) technique illustrated earlier (Chen et al 2007) is one dual-beam method for collection of three-dimensional data. Sweeping a transducer pair, composed of a clearance transducer and a low-power imaging transducer as a unit at velocity v over a contrast perfused tissue volume collects the refill images of the entire volume at a given refill time as shown in Fig.…”

“…Such a phantom contains a vascular bed and provides an environment to use the dual beam method with a more realistic spatial distribution of flow than the cylindrical tube phantom previously reported (Chen et al 2007). Comparison of perfusion estimates obtained from dual beam acquisitions with those using II can be used to detect differences arising from the change in the contrast clearance zone volume.…”

Quantitative Volumetric Perfusion Mapping of the Microvasculature Using Contrast Ultrasound

“…14 Chen et al have recently demonstrated a dual-beam technique to achieve perfusion estimation using two dual planar imaging transducers; one for destruction, and one for imaging. 15, 16 Chen’s method, which was validated in-vitro, is proposed as a more rapid technique than the single-transducer approach described here, however, would be more challenging to implement in vivo.…”

A method to expedite data acquisition for multiple spatial-temporal analyses of tissue perfusion by contrast-enhanced ultrasound

“…all of the presented techniques call for optimized and specialized processing to achieve an efficient and robust assessment of perfusion. For data acquisition in 3-d an approach is proposed in [29] using a dual beam technique. In the present paper, however, a fast approach of interleaving (with respect to the time axis of the TIc) is presented that is applicable to all presented techniques without special hardware [30], [31].…”