Fa. Lupotti et al., Decorrelation characteristics of transverse blood flow along an intravascular array catheter, IEEE ULTRAS, 47(6), 2000, pp. 1582-1592
Citations number
47
Categorie Soggetti
Optics & Acoustics
Journal title
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS FERROELECTRICS AND FREQUENCY CONTROL
In recent years, a new method to measure transverse blood flow based on the
decorrelation of radio frequency (RF) signals has been introduced. In this
paper, we investigated the decorrelation characteristics of transverse blo
od flow measurement using an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) array catheter
by means of computer modeling. Blood was simulated as a collection of rand
omly located point scatterers. Moving this scattering medium transversally
across the acoustical beam represented flow. First-order statistics were ev
aluated, and the signal-to-noise ratio from the signals was measured. The c
orrelation coefficient method was used to present the results. The decorrel
ation patterns for RF and for RF-envelope signals were studied. The decorre
lation patterns from the RF signals were in good agreement with those obtai
ned from theoretical beam profiles. This agreement suggests that the decorr
elation properties of an IVUS array catheter for measuring quantitative tra
nsverse blood flow can be assessed by measuring the ultrasound beam. A line
of point scatterers, moved transversally across the acoustical beam (line
spread function), can determine this decorrelation behaviour.