ULTRASOUND DEVICE FOR CHARACTERIZING CEREBRAL EMBOLI

最新的多普勒超声技术进步表明， 独特的能力，检测形成的元素和气体微栓子在 大脑中动脉(MCA)。在大脑中动脉发现的这些微栓子 与各种脑部异常有牵连 与血管病理和介入治疗相关 从心脏到大脑的血管。 这项建议是为了探讨双载频的可行性。 用于确定大小和成分的多普勒技术(气体或 微粒)MCA微栓子，在存在光束折射的情况下 组织界面，如颞骨与脑、脑与血液的界面。 理论模拟和体外研究，利用人类的时间 骨和兔的大脑中动脉模型，将被用来确定 MCA中的光束折射范围。减轻疾病影响的方法 然后，对微栓子大小和特征的能力进行折射 探索过了。 这项技术对于降低中风的发生率很重要。 与各种心血管疾病和外科手术有关 心脏和颈动脉。一种辨别尺寸的装置 脑动脉中微栓子的组成代表了 重大商业市场潜力。 建议的商业应用 该项目中将要开发的仪器将检测和 描述各种心血管病变的栓塞术特点 外科手术的情况。该器械将瞄准围手术期患者， 放射学超声、超声心动图、血管实验室和急诊 市场。

Recent Doppler ultrasound technological advances have demonstrated the unique capability to detect formed element and gas microemboli in the middle cerebral artery (MCA). These microemboli detected in the MCA have been implicated in a variety of cerebral abnormalities and are associated with vascular pathologies and interventional procedures in vessels from the heart to the brain. This proposal is to explore the feasibility of dual carrier frequency Doppler technology for determining size and composition (gas or particulate) of MCA microemboli, in the presence of beam refraction at tissue interfaces such as temporal bone to brain and brain to blood. Theoretical simulations and in vitro studies, utilizing human temporal bone and a rabbit model of the MCA, will be conducted to determine the extent of beam refraction in the MCA. Methods to mitigate effects of refraction on ability to size and characterize microemboli will then be explored. This technology is important for reducing the incidence of stroke associated with various cardiovascular pathologies and surgery of the heart and of the carotid arteries. A device for discrimination of size and composition of microemboli in the cerebral arteries represents a major commercial market potential. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION The instrument to be developed in this project will detect and characterize embolization in a variety of cardiovascular pathologies and surgical situations. The instrument will be aimed at the perioperative, radiology ultrasound, echocardiography, vascular lab and emergency markets.