title: High resolution 3D color flow mapping: applied to the assessment of breast vasculature.
abstract: In order to develop a three dimensional (3D) color flow map of low velocity flow through small vessels, we explore the use of a high resolution velocity estimation technique and a new technique for the differentiation of regions of flow and stationary tissue. Following the transmission of a wideband signal, a signal processing strategy that tracks the motion of small regions of blood is used to estimate velocity. We find that the use of wideband transmission, with coherent estimation over a long pulse train, provides the opportunity to map very low velocity flow, and to detect flow at beam-vessel angles near 90 degrees. The use of 3D continuity processing to differentiate flow and stationary tissue is shown to improve noise immunity. In-vitro and in-vivo velocity maps are presented. The 3D velocity profile is then constructed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 22903, USA.
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zagar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sokil-Melgar
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Algazi
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001940:Breast / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000379:methods*