title: Evaluation of an ultrasonic echo-tracking method for measurements of arterial wall movements in two dimensions.
abstract: The longitudinal movement of blood vessel walls has so far gained little or no attention, as it has been presumed that these movements are of a negligible magnitude. However, modern high-resolution ultrasound scanners can demonstrate that the inner layers of the arterial wall exhibit considerable movements in the longitudinal direction. This paper evaluates a new, noninvasive, echo-tracking technique, which simultaneously can track both the radial and the longitudinal movements of the arterial wall with high resolution in vivo. Initially, the method is evaluated in vitro using a specially designed ultrasound phantom, which is attached to and moved by an X-Y system, the movement of which was compared with two high-resolution triangulation lasers. The results show an inaccuracy of 2.5% full scale deflection (fsd), reproducibility of 12 microm and a resolution of 5 microm, which should be more than sufficient for in vivo studies. The ability of the method is also demonstrated in a limited in vivo study in which a preselected part of the inner vessel wall of the right common carotid artery of a healthy volunteer is tracked in two dimensions over many cardiac cycles. The results show well reproducible x-y movement loops in which the recorded radial and longitudinal movements both are of the magnitude millimetre.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Measurements, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. magnus.cinthio@elmat.lth.se
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cinthio
authors.forename: Asa Rydén
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ahlgren
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jansson
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Hans W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lindström
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016880:Anisotropy; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity