title: Measurement of flow velocity fields in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals using micro ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (micro-EPIV).
abstract: Determining a multidimensional velocity field within microscale opaque fluid flows is needed in areas such as microfluidic devices, biofluid mechanics and hemodynamics research in animal studies. The ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (EchoPIV) technique is appropriate for measuring opaque flows by taking advantage of PIV and B-mode ultrasound contrast imaging. However, the use of clinical ultrasound systems for imaging flows in small structures or animals has limitations associated with spatial resolution. This paper reports on the development of a high-resolution EchoPIV technique (termed as micro-EPIV) and its application in measuring flows in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals. Phantom experiments demonstrate the validity of the technique, providing velocity estimates within 4.1% of the analytically derived values with regard to the flows in a small straight vessel-mimic phantom, and velocity estimates within 5.9% of the computationally simulated values with regard to the flows in a small stenotic vessel-mimic phantom. Animal studies concerning arterial and venous flows of living rats and rabbits show that the micro-EPIV-measured peak velocities within several cardiac cycles are about 25% below the values measured by the ultrasonic spectral Doppler technique. The micro-EPIV technique is able to effectively measure the flow fields within microscale opaque fluid flows.
authors.affiliation: Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Qiaofeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Chunxiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hairong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001775:Blood Circulation; D016122:Brachiocephalic Trunk / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014463:Ultrasonography