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

• Published in: IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 544 - 554
• Main Authors: Holbek, Simon, Ewertsen, Caroline, Bouzari, Hamed, Pihl, Michael Johannes, Hansen, Kristoffer Lindskov, Stuart, Matthias Bo, Thomsen, Carsten, Nielsen, Michael Bachmann, Jensen, Jorgen Arendt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE 01-03-2017; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: 3-D vector flow imaging; Adult; Apertures; Blood; Blood flow; Blood Flow Velocity - physiology; Carotid Artery, Common - diagnostic imaging; Estimation; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods; In vivo methods and tests; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; medical ultrasound; MRI; Phantoms, Imaging; Transducers; transverse oscillation; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonography - methods
• ISSN: 0885-3010; 1525-8955
• DOI: 10.1109/TUFFC.2016.2639318

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 × 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 (Ø=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.