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Porte C, Lisson T, Kohlen M, von Maltzahn F, Dencks S, von Stillfried S, Piepenbrock M, Rix A, Dasgupta A, Koczera P, Boor P, Stickeler E, Schmitz G, Kiessling F. Ultrasound Localization Microscopy for Breast Cancer Imaging in Patients: Protocol Optimization and Comparison with Shear Wave Elastography. Ultrasound Med Biol 2024; 50:57-66. [PMID: 37805359 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) has gained increasing attention in recent years because of its ability to visualize blood vessels at super-resolution. The field of oncology, in particular, could benefit from detailed vascular characterization, for example, for diagnosis and therapy monitoring. This study was aimed at refining ULM for breast cancer patients by optimizing the measurement protocol, identifying translational challenges and combining ULM and shear wave elastography. METHODS We computed ULM images of 11 patients with breast cancer by recording contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) sequences and post-processing them in an offline pipeline. For CEUS, two different doses and injection speeds of SonoVue were applied. The best injection protocol was determined based on quantitative parameters derived from so-called occurrence maps. In addition, a suitable measurement time window was determined, also considering the occurrence of motion. ULM results were compared with shear wave elastography and histological vessel density. RESULTS At the higher dose and injection speed, the highest number of microbubbles, number of tracks and vessel coverage were achieved, leading to the most detailed representation of tumor vasculature. Even at the highest concentration, no significant overlay of microbubble signals occurred. Motion significantly reduced the number of usable frames, thus limiting the measurement window to 3.5 min. ULM vessel coverage was comparable to the histological vessel fraction and correlated significantly with mean tumor elasticity. CONCLUSION The settings for microbubble injection strongly influence ULM images, thus requiring optimized protocols for different indications. Patient and examiner motion was identified as the main translational challenge for ULM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Porte
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Thomas Lisson
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Matthias Kohlen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Finn von Maltzahn
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Dencks
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Saskia von Stillfried
- Institute of Pathology, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Marion Piepenbrock
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anne Rix
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Anshuman Dasgupta
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Patrick Koczera
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Peter Boor
- Institute of Pathology, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Elmar Stickeler
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Georg Schmitz
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Fabian Kiessling
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Clinic Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS, Aachen, Germany.
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Song P, Rubin JM, Lowerison MR. Super-resolution ultrasound microvascular imaging: Is it ready for clinical use? Z Med Phys 2023; 33:309-323. [PMID: 37211457 PMCID: PMC10517403 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The field of super-resolution ultrasound microvascular imaging has been rapidly growing over the past decade. By leveraging contrast microbubbles as point targets for localization and tracking, super-resolution ultrasound pinpoints the location of microvessels and measures their blood flow velocity. Super-resolution ultrasound is the first in vivo imaging modality that can image micron-scale vessels at a clinically relevant imaging depth without tissue destruction. These unique capabilities of super-resolution ultrasound provide structural (vessel morphology) and functional (vessel blood flow) assessments of tissue microvasculature on a global and local scale, which opens new doors for many enticing preclinical and clinical applications that benefit from microvascular biomarkers. The goal of this short review is to provide an update on recent advancements in super-resolution ultrasound imaging, with a focus on summarizing existing applications and discussing the prospects of translating super-resolution imaging to clinical practice and research. In this review, we also provide brief introductions of how super-resolution ultrasound works, how does it compare with other imaging modalities, and what are the tradeoffs and limitations for an audience who is not familiar with the technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Song
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States; Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Jonathan M Rubin
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Matthew R Lowerison
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States
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Yu J, Dong H, Ta D, Xie R, Xu K. Super-resolution Ultrasound Microvascular Angiography for Spinal Cord Penumbra Imaging. Ultrasound Med Biol 2023:S0301-5629(23)00202-8. [PMID: 37451953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE After spinal cord injury (SCI) or ischemia, timely intervention in the penumbra, such as recanalization and tissue reperfusion, is essential for preservation of its function. However, limited by imaging resolution and micro-blood flow sensitivity, golden standard angiography modalities, including magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA), are still not applicable for spinal cord microvascular imaging. Regarding spinal cord penumbra, to the best of authors' knowledge, currently, there is no efficient in vivo imaging modality for its evaluation. With tens-of-micrometer resolution and deep penetration, advanced ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) could potentially meet the needs of emergent diagnosis and long-term monitoring of spinal cord penumbra. METHODS ULM microvasculature imaging was performed on rats with all laminae removed to obtain the blood supply in major spinal cord segments (C5-L5). For adult rats with spinal cord penumbra induced by compression injury (1 s, 10 s and 15 s), ULM imaging was conducted. The corresponding angiography results are investigated in terms of microvessel saturation, morphology, and flow velocity. The Basso/Beattie/Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale and hematoxylin and eosin staining were utilized for model validation and comparison. RESULTS The feasibility of ULM enabling spinal cord penumbra imaging and development monitoring was demonstrated. The focal injury core and penumbra can be clearly identified using the proposed method. Significant difference of perfusion can be observed after 1 s, 10 s and 15 s compression. Quantitative results show a high correlation between in vivo ultrasonic angiography, BBB functional evaluation and ex vivo histology assessment under different compression duration. CONCLUSION It is demonstrated that the super-resolution ULM micro-vasculature imaging can be used to evaluate the penumbra in spinal cord at acute and early stage of chronic phase, providing an efficient modality for micro-hemodynamics monitoring of the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjin Yu
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoru Dong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dean Ta
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Xie
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kailiang Xu
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Integrated Chips and Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Burgess MT, Aliabouzar M, Aguilar C, Fabiilli ML, Ketterling JA. Slow-Flow Ultrasound Localization Microscopy Using Recondensation of Perfluoropentane Nanodroplets. Ultrasound Med Biol 2022; 48:743-759. [PMID: 35125244 PMCID: PMC8983467 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) is an emerging, super-resolution imaging technique for detailed mapping of the microvascular structure and flow velocity via subwavelength localization and tracking of microbubbles. Because microbubbles rely on blood flow for movement throughout the vascular space, acquisition times can be long in the smallest, low-flow microvessels. In addition, detection of microbubbles in low-flow regions can be difficult because of minimal separation of microbubble signal from tissue. Nanoscale, phase-change contrast agents (PCCAs) have emerged as a switchable, intermittent or persisting contrast agent for ULM via acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV). Here, the focus is on characterizing the spatiotemporal contrast properties of less volatile perfluoropentane (PFP) PCCAs. The results indicate that at physiological temperature, nanoscale PFP PCCAs with diameters less than 100 nm disappear within microseconds after ADV with high-frequency ultrasound (16 MHz, 5- to 6-MPa peak negative pressure) and that nanoscale PFP PCCAs have an inherent deactivation mechanism via immediate recondensation after ADV. This "blinking" on-and-off contrast signal allowed separation of flow in an in vitro flow phantom, regardless of flow conditions, although with a need for some replenishment at very low flow conditions to maintain count rate. This blinking behavior allows for rapid spatial mapping in areas of low or no flow with ULM, but limits velocity tracking because there is no stable bubble formation with nanoscale PFP PCCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark T Burgess
- Lizzi Center for Biomedical Engineering, Riverside Research, New York, New York, USA.
| | - Mitra Aliabouzar
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Christian Aguilar
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mario L Fabiilli
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Ketterling
- Lizzi Center for Biomedical Engineering, Riverside Research, New York, New York, USA
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Zhang W, Lowerison MR, Dong Z, Miller RJ, Keller KA, Song P. Super-Resolution Ultrasound Localization Microscopy on a Rabbit Liver VX2 Tumor Model: An Initial Feasibility Study. Ultrasound Med Biol 2021; 47:2416-2429. [PMID: 34045095 PMCID: PMC8278629 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound localization microscopy can image microvasculature in vivo without sacrificing imaging penetration depth. However, the reliance on super-resolution inference limits the applicability of the technique because subpixel tissue motion can corrupt microvascular reconstruction. Consequently, the majority of previous pre-clinical research on this super-resolution procedure has been restricted to low-motion experimental models with ample motion correction or data rejection, which precludes the imaging of organ sites that exhibit a high degree of respiratory and other motion. In this article, we present a novel anesthesia protocol in rabbits that induces safe, controllable periods of apnea to enable the long image-acquisition times required for ultrasound localization microscopy. We apply this protocol to a VX2 liver tumor model undergoing sorafenib therapy and compare the results to super-resolution images from conventional high-dose isoflurane anesthesia. We find that the apneic protocol was necessary to correctly identify the poorly vascularized tumor cores, as verified by immunohistochemistry, and to reveal the tumoral microvascular architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, China
| | - Matthew R Lowerison
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Zhijie Dong
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Rita J Miller
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Krista A Keller
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Pengfei Song
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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Abstract
Ultrasound imaging plays an important role in oncological imaging for more than five decades now. It can be applied in all tissues that are not occluded by bone or gas-filled regions. The quality of ultrasound images benefitted strongly from improved electronics and increased computational power. To the morphological imaging, several functional imaging methods were added: Flow visualization became possible by Doppler techniques and as a recent addition the elastic properties of tissues can be imaged by elastographic methods with transient shear wave imaging. In the beginning of molecular imaging, ultrasound with its contrast based on mechanical tissue properties was an unlikely candidate to play a role. However, with contrast agents consisting of micrometer-sized gas bubbles, which can be imaged with high sensitivity, ligands addressing targets in the vascular wall could be used. Because even single bubbles can be detected, this led to various ultrasound molecular imaging techniques and the ongoing development of clinical molecular contrast media. In this chapter, the basic properties of ultrasonic imaging like its contrast mechanisms and spatiotemporal resolution are discussed. The image formation and its ongoing change from line-oriented scanning to full-volume reconstructions are explained. Then, the ultrasound contrast media and imaging techniques are introduced and emerging new methods like super-resolution vascular imaging demonstrate the ongoing development in this field.
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