ULTRASONIC TECHNIQUE FOR ASSESSING WALL VIBRATIONS IN STENOSED BLOOD VESSELS

摘要

Real time signal processing technique for ultrasonic imaging of tissue vibrations for localizing source of a bruit in 2D image with respect to anatomy and/or for obtaining simultaneous information about vibrations and underlying blood flow. The bruit can be quantitatively assessed using an ensemble of ultrasound echoes. Signal processing enables estimation of wall displacement and display of time-resolved vibration spectrum. Vibrations are detected and color-coded according to amplitude and frequency and overlaid on the B-mode and/or color-flow image in real time. Proposed vibration imaging algorithms use data acquired during conventional ultrasonic color-flow imaging and the clutter signal, normally suppressed in color-flow imaging, to detect and characterize tissue vibrations. Three vibration imaging algorithms based on parametric modeling of vibrations and other criteria distinguish between clutter, blood flow, and vibrations. The techniques are usable to detect, locate, image, and quantitatively grade stenoses in blood vessels.