Next-Generation Ultrasound Technology for Volume Flow Quantification

生物医学迫切需要非侵入性血流评估工具，以准确跟踪在给定时间内通过血管的血流量。现有的多普勒超声解决方案，尽管适合床边应用，不能满足这种诊断需求。拟议的研究计划将寻求设计下一代超声技术，通过建立我们团队在高帧率超声（HiFRUS）成像创新方面的最新进展和成就，实现稳健的体积流量量化。我们的长期目标将是为生物医学应用设计基于hifrs的体积流量量化技术，例如测量脑血流量（即流向大脑的体积流量）。为了实现这一长期目标，提出了四个具体的短期目标：目标1：设计一系列基本的信号处理算法，用于鲁棒的基于hifrs的体积流量估计。目标2：建立首个基于hifrs的实时体积流量估计平台。目的3：通过体外流动模拟研究测试和完善所提出的技术的性能。目标4：部署拟议的技术进行体内可行性研究。我们的研究工作将集中于设计一个体积流量量化框架，该框架将不受换能器放置的影响，并且适合床边使用。它将提供亚毫秒时间的分辨率，并且不需要使用造影剂。通过建立拟议的用于体积流量量化的下一代超声技术，我们将为解决血管诊断中未满足的需求铺平道路。例如，生理学家和医生将能够使用我们的新技术精确测量脑血流量，进而检测脑灌注的异常情况。作为生物医学工程研究的倡议，这项研究计划也将激发新的技术转移机会，影响下一代超声扫描仪的发展。此外，它还将培养多学科研究人才，这些人才熟练地引领生物医学超声的创新驱动。

Non-invasive flow assessment tools are critically needed in biomedicine to accurately track the amount of blood that has perfused through a blood vessel over a given period. Existing Doppler ultrasound solutions, despite being suitable for bedside applications, cannot satisfy this diagnostic need. The proposed research program will seek to devise next-generation ultrasound technology for robust volume flow quantification by building on our team's recent progress and achievements in high-frame-rate ultrasound (HiFRUS) imaging innovations. Our long-term objective will be to design HiFRUS-based volume flow quantification technology for biomedical applications, such as measuring cerebral blood flow (i.e. volume flow rate to the brain). To work toward this long-term objective, four specific short-term aims have been set forth: Aim 1: Design an essential series of signal processing algorithms for robust HiFRUS-based volume flow estimation. Aim 2: Build the first real-time, HiFRUS-based volume flow rate estimation platform. Aim 3: Test and refine the proposed technology's performance through in-vitro flow phantom studies. Aim 4: Deploy the proposed technology to perform an in-vivo feasibility study. Our research endeavor will focus on devising a volume flow quantification framework that will be agnostic to transducer placement by operator and that will be suitable for bedside use. It will offer sub-millisecond time resolvability and will not require the use of contrast agents. By establishing the proposed next-generation ultrasound technology for volume flow quantification, we will pave the way for addressing unmet needs in vascular diagnostics. For instance, physiologists and physicians will be able to use our new technology to accurately measure cerebral blood flow and, in turn, detect abnormalities in cerebral perfusion. As a biomedical engineering research initiative, this research program will also stir new technology transfer opportunities to influence next-generation ultrasound scanner development. As well, it will foster the development of multidisciplinary research talent who are skilled in spearheading innovation drives in biomedical ultrasonics.