Ultrasonic 3-D Vector Flow Method for Quantitative In Vivo Peak Velocity and Flow Rate Estimation

作者：Holbek Simon^*; Ewertsen Caroline; Bouzari Hamed; Pihl Michael Johannes; Hansen Kristoffer Lindskov; Stuart Matthias Bo; Thomsen Carsten; Nielsen Michael Bachmann; Jensen Jorgen Arendt

来源：IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, 2017, 64(3): 544-554.

DOI：10.1109/TUFFC.2016.2639318

• Blood flow
• 3-D vector flow imaging
• medical ultrasound
• MRI
• transverse oscillation

Current clinical ultrasound (US) systems are limited to show blood flow movement in either 1-D or 2-D. In this paper, a method for estimating 3-D vector velocities in a plane using the transverse oscillation method, a 32 x 32 element matrix array, and the experimental US scanner SARUS is presented. The aim of this paper is to estimate precise flow rates and peak velocities derived from 3-D vector flow estimates. The emission sequence provides 3-D vector flow estimates at up to 1.145 frames/s in a plane, and was used to estimate 3-D vector flow in a cross-sectional image plane. The method is validated in two phantom studies, where flow rates are measured in a flow-rig, providing a constant parabolic flow, and in a straight-vessel phantom (circle divide = 8 mm) connected to a flow pump capable of generating time varying waveforms. Flow rates are estimated to be 82.1 +/- 2.8 L/min in the flow-rig compared with the expected 79.8 L/min, and to 2.68 +/- 0.04 mL/stroke in the pulsating environment compared with the expected 2.57 +/- 0.08 mL/stroke. Flow rates estimated in the common carotid artery of a healthy volunteer are compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measured flow rates using a 1-D through-plane velocity sequence. Mean flow rates were 333 +/- 31 mL/min for the presented method and 346 +/- 2 mL/min for the MRI measurements.

• 出版日期2017-3