Ultrasonic instrumentation for cardiovascular studies

描述（由申请人提供）：我们的总体目标是开发超声仪器、换能器和技术，用于评价人类和人类疾病动物模型的心血管生理学和功能;和条件，最近我们一直致力于在小鼠中的应用。统一的主题是开发使能技术，该技术由简单，非侵入性的方法组成，研究人员可以使用这些方法来纵向跟踪心血管反应，因为模型发展，成熟和应对挑战，并快速筛选大量小鼠。在这次更新中，我们提出了以下具体目标：1）开发一种多门脉冲多普勒模块，用于测量小鼠外周（颈动脉）动脉中的血流速度和/或血管壁运动。2)开发多通道多普勒信号处理器，用于采集和处理同时采集的多个速度和尺寸信号。3)开发并验证用于从非侵入性采集的速度和直径信号计算动脉参数的算法。4a）使用新的设备、信号处理和算法来研究心血管疾病的几种突变模型中的动脉波传播和反射。4 b）表征具有横向主动脉收缩的小鼠中右颈动脉和左颈动脉的差异性重塑，所述横向主动脉收缩在同一小鼠中产生高度脉动（右）和几乎稳定（左）的压力和流量。5)开发食管电极和无创心房起搏方法，以控制小鼠心率。传感器、仪器、信号处理和算法将允许在正常和基因工程小鼠的生长、成熟和发育过程中进行无创连续测量，并具有快速筛选的潜力。当在小鼠中验证时，一般概念可能在人类中具有诊断应用，并且可以被并入临床超声扫描仪中。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our general goals have been to develop ultrasonic instrumentation, transducers, and techniques for evaluation of cardiovascular physiology and function in man and in animal models of human diseases;and conditions, and recently we have been directing our efforts toward applications in mice. The unifying theme is the development of enabling technology consisting of simple, noninvasive methods which can be used by investigators to follow cardiovascular responses longitudinally as models develop, mature, and respond to challenges, and to quickly screen large numbers of mice. In this renewal we propose the following specific aims: 1) Develop a multigate pulsed Doppler module for measuring blood velocity and/or vessel wall motion in peripheral (carotid) arteries of mice. 2) Develop a multichannel Doppler signal processor to acquire and process multiple velocity and dimension signals taken simultaneously. 3) Develop and validate algorithms for calculating arterial parameters from noninvasively acquired velocity and diamete signals. 4a) Use the new devices, signal processing, and algorithms, to study arterial wave propagation and reflections in several mutant models of cardiovascular conditions. 4b) Characterize the differential remodeling of right and left carotid arteries in mice with a transverse aortic constriction producing highly pulsatile (right) and nearly steady (left) pressure and flow in the same mouse. 5) Develop esophageal electrodes and methods for noninvasive atrial pacing to control heart rate in mice. The sensors, instrumentation, signal processing, and algorithms will permit noninvasive serial measurements to be made in normal and genetically engineered mice during growth, maturation, and development with the potential for rapid screening. When validated in mice, the general concepts may have diagnostic applications in man and could be incorporated in to a clinical ultrasound scanner.