AUTOMATED DETECTION OF LOCAL ARTERY WALL THICKNESS BASED ON M-LINE SIGNAL-PROCESSING

The Young's modulus of an arterial segment, a measure of the elastic p roperties of the arterial wall, requires the simultaneous and local as sessment of pulse pressure, wall thickness, diameter, and distensibili ty (relative increase in cross-sectional area per change in blood pres sure), The diameter and relative increase in cross-sectional area can be obtained with a wall track system, processing the radiofrequency (r ,f,) ultrasound signals received along a single line of observation (M -line processing), It will be demonstrated that it is feasible to comb ine, in a single measurement, the assessment of wall thickness and the (relative change in) diameter involving a minimum of user interaction , Phantom tests show a standard error of the estimate for intima-media thickness measurements of less than 20 mu m; irt vivo registrations e xhibit a variation on the order of 45 mu m. It is concluded that proce ssing of the radiofrequency ultrasound signal, acquired along an M-lin e, provides an accurate and time-efficient alternative for videoproces sing of 2-dimensional B-mode ultrasound images to estimate artery wall thickness, (C) 1997 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Bio logy.