Non-invasive Vascular Radial/Circumferential Strain Imaging and Wall Shear Rate Estimation Using Video Images of Diagnostic Ultrasound

The aim of this work was to develop a convenient method for radial/circumferential strain imaging and shear rate estimation that could be used as a supplement to the current routine screening for carotid atherosclerosis using video images of diagnostic ultrasound. A reflection model-based correction for gray-scale non-uniform distribution was applied to B-mode video images before strain estimation to improve the accuracy of radial/circumferential strain imaging when applied to vessel transverse cross sections. The incremental and cumulative radial/circumferential strain images can then be calculated based on the displacement field between consecutive B-mode images. Finally, the transverse Doppler spectra acquired at different depths along the vessel diameter were used to construct the spatially matched instantaneous wall shear values in a cardiac cycle. Vessel phantom simulation results revealed that the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of the radial and circumferential strain images were increased by 2.8 and 5.9dB and by 2.3 and 4.4dB, respectively, after non-uniform correction. Preliminary results for 17 patients indicated that the accuracy of radial/circumferential strain images was improved in the lateral direction after non-uniform correction. The peak-to-peak value of incremental strain and the maximum cumulative strain for calcified plaques are evidently lower than those for other plaque types, and the echolucent plaques had higher values, on average, than the mixed plaques. Moreover, low oscillating wall shear rate values, found near the plaque and stenosis regions, are closely related to plaque formation. In conclusion, the method described can provide additional valuable results as a supplement to the current routine ultrasound examination for carotid atherosclerosis and, therefore, has significant potential as a feasible screening method for atherosclerosis diagnosis in the future.