4D ultrafast ultrasound flow imaging: in vivo quantification of arterial volumetric flow rate in a single heartbeat.
We present herein 4D ultrafast ultrasound flow imaging, a novel ultrasound-based volumetric imaging technique for the quantitative mapping of blood flow. Complete volumetric blood flow distribution imaging was achieved through 2D tilted plane-wave insonification, 2D multi-angle cross-beam beamforming, and 3D vector Doppler velocity components estimation by least-squares fitting. 4D ultrafast ultrasound flow imaging was performed in large volumetric fields of view at very high volume rate (>4000 volumes s-1) using a 1024-channel 4D ultrafast ultrasound scanner and a 2D matrix-array transducer. The precision of the technique was evaluated in vitro by using 3D velocity vector maps to estimate volumetric flow rates in a vessel phantom. Volumetric Flow rate errors of less than 5% were found when volumetric flow rates and peak velocities were respectively less than 360 ml min-1and 100 cm s-1. The average volumetric flow rate error increased to 18.3% when volumetric flow rates and peak velocities were up to 490 ml min-1and 1.3 m s-1, respectively. The in vivo feasibility of the technique was shown in the carotid arteries of two healthy volunteers. The 3D blood flow velocity distribution was assessed during one cardiac cycle in a full volume and it was used to quantify volumetric flow rates (375  ±  57 ml min-1and 275  ±  43 ml min-1). Finally, the formation of 3D vortices at the carotid artery bifurcation was imaged at high volume rates.
Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, INSERM U979, CNRS UMR 7587, Université Paris Diderot - Sorbonne Paris Cité UMR 7587, UPMC Université Paris 06 - Sorbonne Universités UMR 7587, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France.
Mafalda
M
Correia
Jean
J
Provost
Mickael
M
Tanter
Mathieu
M
Pernot
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*