Kw. Ferrara et al., HIGH-RESOLUTION 3D COLOR-FLOW MAPPING - APPLIED TO THE ASSESSMENT OF BREAST VASCULATURE, Ultrasound in medicine & biology, 22(3), 1996, pp. 293-304
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Radiology,Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging",Acoustics
In order to develop a three dimensional (3D) color flow map of low vel
ocity flow through small vessels, we explore the use of a high resolut
ion velocity estimation technique and a new technique for the differen
tiation of regions of flow and stationary tissue. Following the transm
ission of a wideband signal, a signal processing strategy that tracks
the motion of small regions of blood is used to estimate velocity. We
find that the use of wideband transmission, with coherent estimation o
ver a long pulse train, provides the opportunity to map very low veloc
ity flow, and to detect flow at beam-vessel angles near 90 degrees. Th
e use of 3D continuity processing to differentiate flow and stationary
tissue is shown to improve noise immunity. In-vitro and in-vivo veloc
ity maps are presented. The 3D velocity profile is then constructed.