Abstract
The intersection of two ultrasound beams with slightly different frequencies results in generation of a localized radiation force and stimulates emission of audio signals from targeted objects. Vibro-acoustography uses this phenomenon to probe elastic properties of objects. Vibro-acoustography of contrast microbubbles in degassed water produced quantitative flow measurements from analysis of their acoustic emission. We used a dual-beam transducer generating bursts of 40-kHz vibrations. The vibrations resulted from interference of 3.48-MHz and 3.52-MHz confocal beams intersecting at the center of a thin plastic conduit. We tested flows of 13, 48, 85, and 120 mL/min of contrast microbubbles at concentrations from 1.2 × 105 to 6 × 105 bubbles/mL. The amplitude of the acoustic emission was linear with microbubble concentrations up to a value of 3.6 × 105 bubbles/mL. A replenishment method for microbubble contrast and flow rate analysis was used with radiation force bursts deployed at 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, and 2-second pulsing intervals. The relation between the pulsing intervals and the peak amplitude was fitted by an exponential curve and a rate constant calculated for each tested flow rate. The rate constant values were linearly correlated with the tested flows. The vibro-acoustography method provides objective, quantitative, and highly-localized assessment of flow using contrast microbubbles.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 249-256 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Ultrasonic Imaging |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2001 |
Keywords
- Contrast media
- Flow
- Perfusion
- Ultrasonics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging