Journal
ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
Volume 40, Issue 6, Pages 1329-1342Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.11.026
Keywords
Atherosclerosis; Ultrasonography; Strain imaging; Echo-computed tomography
Funding
- Project PARISk [507 01C-202]
- Dutch Heart Foundation
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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%. (C) 2014 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.
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