A Novel Research-Purpose Ultrasound Array Scanner for Dynamic Ultrasound Imaging Investigations

尽管超声已经作为广泛使用的医学成像模态而蓬勃发展，但是其在可视化动态事件（诸如血流）中的使用是容易出错的。特别地，当前扫描仪上可用的多普勒成像模式仅能产生每秒20-30帧（fps）的视频范围帧速率，这不足以在脉搏周期的不同相位上准确地跟踪心血管动力学。需要能够实现> 1，000 fps帧速率的新的动态成像范例来连贯地可视化活生物体中快速变化的事件。 为了促进新的基于超声的动态成像方案和量化算法的设计和应用，我们要求一种新的基于阵列的转化研究扫描仪具有（1）临床级用户界面，（2）通道级操作可配置性，（3）实时数据传输，（4）高通量处理能力，（5）开放式架构软件可编程性。所提出的系统是目前唯一的商用研究目的的超声系统，拥有所有这些功能。注意，新的超声成像方案不能容易地在现有的临床扫描仪上实现，因为它们的嵌入式硬件架构固有地排除了系统的成像序列的剧烈重新编程。 拟议的超声研究扫描仪将及时建立一个跨学科的，以团队为基础的研究计划，涵盖生物医学超声创新，血管生理学和血管组织工程的专业知识。各种新的成像方法将被设计和测试与这个研究系统可视化动态事件，包括血管壁剪切率模式，动脉脉搏波传播，排尿，和心脏心室血流喷射。它们将被应用于血管老化、空间生理学、心力衰竭、泌尿学和血管移植的研究，以帮助用户在人类和小动物研究中获得现有成像工具无法获得的新的生理学见解。这些研究活动对生物医学研究人员和临床医生很重要，因为上述动态事件都与病理学和疾病发展有关。例如，动脉脉搏波速度增加被认为是血管硬化和老化的标志，而接近零的脉搏平均壁剪切率已知有利于斑块发展。 这项研究计划将为加拿大带来社会和经济效益。例如，加拿大的保健系统将能够直接获得即将开发的新的动态成像技术，这将可持续地提高诊断质量。此外，通过追求拟议的超声成像创新，加拿大作为超声成像研究的全球领导者的作用可以进一步加强。

Although ultrasound has thrived as a widely used medical imaging modality, its use in visualizing dynamic events, such as blood flow, is error prone. In particular, the Doppler imaging mode available on current scanners can merely yield video-range frame rates of 20-30 frames per second (fps), which is inadequate to accurately track cardiovascular dynamics over different phases of a pulse cycle. New dynamic imaging paradigms capable of achieving >1,000 fps frame rate are needed to coherently visualize fast-changing events in living organisms. To foster the design and application of new ultrasound-based dynamic imaging schemes and quantification algorithms, we request a newly available array-based translational research scanner with (1) clinical-grade user interface, (2) channel-level operational configurability, (3) real-time data transfer, (4) high-throughput processing capability, and (5) open-architecture software programmability. The proposed system is currently the only commercially available research-purpose ultrasound system that possesses all these features. Note that novel ultrasound imaging schemes cannot be readily implemented on existing clinical scanners, because their embedded hardware architecture inherently precludes drastic reprogramming of the system’s imaging sequence. The proposed ultrasound research scanner will timely enable the establishment of an inter-disciplinary, team-based research program that spans expertise in biomedical ultrasound innovations, vascular physiology, and vascular tissue engineering. Various novel imaging methods will be devised and tested with this research system to visualize dynamic events including vascular wall shear rate pattern, arterial pulse wave propagation, urine voiding, and cardiac ventricular flow ejection. They will be applied to research studies in vascular aging, space physiology, heart failure, urology, and vascular grafting to help users derive new physiological insights in human and small animal investigations that are not obtainable from existing imaging tools. These research activities will be important to biomedical researchers and clinicians as the dynamic events mentioned above are all linked to pathology and disease development. For instance, arterial pulse wave speed increase is considered as a sign of vascular stiffening and aging, while a pulse-averaged wall shear rate of near zero is known to favor plaque development. This research program will deliver both social and economic benefits to Canada. For instance, the Canadian healthcare system will have first-hand access to the novel dynamic imaging techniques to be developed, which will sustainably enhance the quality of diagnostics. Also, through the pursuit of the proposed ultrasound imaging innovations, Canada's role as a global leader in ultrasound imaging research can be further strengthened.