title: Echo-computed tomography strain imaging of healthy and diseased carotid specimens.
abstract: To improve our understanding of the mechanical behavior of human atherosclerotic plaque tissue, fully 3-D geometrical, morphological and dynamical information is essential. For this purpose, four-dimensional (3-D+t) strain imaging using an ultrasound tomography approach (echo-computed tomography) was performed in carotid arteries in vitro. The method was applied to a carotid phantom (CPh), a porcine carotid artery (PC) and human carotid atherosclerotic plaque samples (HC, n = 5). Each sample was subjected to an intraluminal pressure, after which 2-D longitudinal ultrasound images were obtained for 36 angles along the circumferential direction. Local deformations were estimated using a 2-D strain algorithm, and 3-D radial strain data were reconstructed. At systole, median luminal strains of 15% (CPh) and 18% (PC) were found, which is in agreement with the stiffness of the material and applied pressure pulse. The elastographic signal-to-noise ratio was consistent in all directions and ranged from 16 to 36 dB. Furthermore, realistic but more complex strain patterns were found for the HC, with 99th percentile systolic strain values ranging from 0.1% to 18%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Electronic address: r.w.boekhoven@tue.nl.
authors.forename: Renate W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Boekhoven
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel C M
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rutten
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery, Catharina Hospital Eindhoven, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marc R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: van Sambeek
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frans N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: van de Vosse
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Richard G P
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Lopata
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013552:Swine; D013599:Systole; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Echo-computed tomography; Strain imaging; Ultrasonography