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Saharkhiz N, Kamimura HAS, Konofagou EE. An Efficient and Multi-Focal Focused Ultrasound Technique for Harmonic Motion Imaging. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2023; 70:1150-1161. [PMID: 36191094 PMCID: PMC10067540 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2022.3211465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Harmonic motion imaging (HMI) is an ultrasound-based elasticity imaging technique that utilizes oscillatory acoustic radiation force to estimate the mechanical properties of tissues, as well as monitor high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment. Conventionally, in HMI, a focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer generates oscillatory tissue displacements, and an imaging transducer acquires channel data for displacement estimation, with each transducer being driven with a separate system. The fixed position of the FUS focal spot requires mechanical translation of the transducers, which can be a time-consuming and challenging procedure. In this study, we developed and characterized a new HMI system with a multi-element FUS transducer with the capability of electronic focal steering of ±5 mm and ±2 mm from the geometric focus in the axial and lateral directions, respectively. A pulse sequence was developed to drive both the FUS and imaging transducers using a single ultrasound data acquisition (DAQ) system. The setup was validated on a tissue-mimicking phantom with embedded inclusions. Integrating beam steering with the mechanical translation of the transducers resulted in a consistent high contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for the inclusions with Young's moduli of 22 and 44 kPa within a 5-kPa background while the data acquisition speed is increased by 4.5-5.2-fold compared to the case when only mechanical movements were applied. The feasibility of simultaneous generation of multiple foci and tracking the induced displacements is demonstrated in phantoms for applications where imaging or treatment of a larger region is needed. Moreover, preliminary feasibility is shown in a human subject with a breast tumor, where the mean HMI displacement within the tumor was about 4 times lower than that within perilesional tissues. The proposed HMI system facilitates data acquisition in terms of flexibility and speed and can be potentially used in the clinic for breast cancer imaging and treatment.
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Yousefi A, Roberts CJ, Reilly MA. The Shape of Corneal Deformation Alters Air Puff–Induced Loading. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:848060. [PMID: 35433651 PMCID: PMC9006101 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.848060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To determine the dynamic modification of the load exerted on the eye during air-puff testing by accounting for the deformation of the cornea. Methods: The effect of corneal load alteration with surface shape (CLASS) was characterized as an additional component of the load produced during the concave phase where the fluid outflow tangential to the corneal surface creates backward pressure. Concave phase duration (tCD), maximum CLASS value (CLASSmax), and the area under CLASS-time curve (CLASSint) are calculated for 26 keratoconic (KCN), 102 normal (NRL), and 29 ocular hypertensive (OHT) subjects. Tukey’s HSD tests were performed to compare the three subject groups. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Accounting for CLASS increased the load by 34.6% ± 7.7% at maximum concavity; these differences were greater in KCN subjects (p < 0.0001) and lower in OHT subjects (p = 0.0028) than in NRL subjects. tCD and CLASSint were significantly longer and larger, respectively, for KCN subjects than those in the NRL and OHT groups (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Load characterization is an essential step in assessing the cornea’s biomechanical response to air-puff–induced deformation. The dynamic changes in the corneal surface shape significantly alter the load experienced by the corneal apex. This implies a subject-specific loading dynamic even if the air puff itself is identical. This is important when comparing the same eye after a surgical procedure or topical medication that alters corneal properties. Stiffer corneas are least sensitive to a change in load, while more compliant corneas show higher sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atieh Yousefi
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Cynthia J. Roberts
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- *Correspondence: Cynthia J. Roberts,
| | - Matthew A. Reilly
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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Lee SA, Kamimura HAS, Konofagou EE. Displacement Imaging During Focused Ultrasound Median Nerve Modulation: A Preliminary Study in Human Pain Sensation Mitigation. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2021; 68:526-537. [PMID: 32746236 PMCID: PMC7858702 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2020.3014183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Focused ultrasound (FUS)-based viscoelastic imaging techniques using high frame rate (HFR) ultrasound to track tissue displacement can be used for mechanistic monitoring of FUS neuromodulation. However, a majority of techniques avoid imaging during the active push transmit (interleaved or postpush acquisitions) to mitigate ultrasound interference, which leads to missing temporal information of ultrasound effects when FUS is being applied. Furthermore, critical for clinical translation, use of both axial steering and real-time (<1 s) capabilities for optimizing acoustic parameters for tissue engagement are largely missing. In this study, we describe a method of noninterleaved, single Vantage imaging displacement within an active FUS push with simultaneous axial steering and real-time capabilities using a single ultrasound acquisition machine. Results show that the pulse sequence can track micron-sized displacements using frame rates determined by the calculated time-of-flight (TOF), without interleaving the FUS pulses and imaging acquisition. Decimation by 3-7 frames increases signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by 15.09±7.03 dB. Benchmarking tests of CUDA-optimized code show increase in processing speed of 35- and 300-fold in comparison with MATLAB parallel processing GPU and CPU functions, respectively, and we can estimate displacement from steered push beams ±10 mm from the geometric focus. Preliminary validation of displacement imaging in humans shows that the same driving pressures led to variable nerve engagement, demonstrating important feedback to improve transducer coupling, FUS incident angle, and targeting. Regarding the use of our technique for neuromodulation, we found that FUS altered thermal perception of thermal pain by 0.9643 units of pain ratings in a single trial. Additionally, 5 [Formula: see text] of nerve displacement was shown in on-target versus off-target sonications. The initial feasibility in healthy volunteers warrants further study for potential clinical translation of FUS for pain suppression.
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Saharkhiz N, Ha R, Taback B, Li XJ, Weber R, Nabavizadeh A, Lee SA, Hibshoosh H, Gatti V, Kamimura HAS, Konofagou EE. Harmonic motion imaging of human breast masses: an in vivo clinical feasibility. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15254. [PMID: 32943648 PMCID: PMC7498461 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71960-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive diagnosis of breast cancer is still challenging due to the low specificity of the imaging modalities that calls for unnecessary biopsies. The diagnostic accuracy can be improved by assessing the breast tissue mechanical properties associated with pathological changes. Harmonic motion imaging (HMI) is an elasticity imaging technique that uses acoustic radiation force to evaluate the localized mechanical properties of the underlying tissue. Herein, we studied the in vivo feasibility of a clinical HMI system to differentiate breast tumors based on their relative HMI displacements, in human subjects. We performed HMI scans in 10 female subjects with breast masses: five benign and five malignant masses. Results revealed that both benign and malignant masses were stiffer than the surrounding tissues. However, malignant tumors underwent lower mean HMI displacement (1.1 ± 0.5 µm) compared to benign tumors (3.6 ± 1.5 µm) and the adjacent non-cancerous tissue (6.4 ± 2.5 µm), which allowed to differentiate between tumor types. Additionally, the excised breast specimens of the same patients (n = 5) were imaged post-surgically, where there was an excellent agreement between the in vivo and ex vivo findings, confirmed with histology. Higher displacement contrast between cancerous and non-cancerous tissue was found ex vivo, potentially due to the lower nonlinearity in the elastic properties of ex vivo tissue. This preliminary study lays the foundation for the potential complementary application of HMI in clinical practice in conjunction with the B-mode to classify suspicious breast masses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niloufar Saharkhiz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard Ha
- Department of Radiology, New-York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bret Taback
- Department of Surgery, New-York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiaoyue Judy Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Weber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alireza Nabavizadeh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen A Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hanina Hibshoosh
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, New-York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vittorio Gatti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hermes A S Kamimura
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Radiology, New-York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Payen T, Oberstein PE, Saharkhiz N, Palermo CF, Sastra SA, Han Y, Nabavizadeh A, Sagalovskiy IR, Orelli B, Rosario V, Desrouilleres D, Remotti H, Kluger MD, Schrope BA, Chabot JA, Iuga AC, Konofagou EE, Olive KP. Harmonic Motion Imaging of Pancreatic Tumor Stiffness Indicates Disease State and Treatment Response. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 26:1297-1308. [PMID: 31831559 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-3669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a common, deadly cancer that is challenging both to diagnose and to manage. Its hallmark is an expansive, desmoplastic stroma characterized by high mechanical stiffness. In this study, we sought to leverage this feature of PDA for two purposes: differential diagnosis and monitoring of response to treatment. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Harmonic motion imaging (HMI) is a functional ultrasound technique that yields a quantitative relative measurement of stiffness suitable for comparisons between individuals and over time. We used HMI to quantify pancreatic stiffness in mouse models of pancreatitis and PDA as well as in a series of freshly resected human pancreatic cancer specimens. RESULTS In mice, we learned that stiffness increased during progression from preneoplasia to adenocarcinoma and also effectively distinguished PDA from several forms of pancreatitis. In human specimens, the distinction of tumors versus adjacent pancreatitis or normal pancreas tissue was even more stark. Moreover, in both mice and humans, stiffness increased in proportion to tumor size, indicating that tuning of mechanical stiffness is an ongoing process during tumor progression. Finally, using a brca2-mutant mouse model of PDA that is sensitive to cisplatin, we found that tissue stiffness decreases when tumors respond successfully to chemotherapy. Consistent with this observation, we found that tumor tissues from patients who had undergone neoadjuvant therapy were less stiff than those of untreated patients. CONCLUSIONS These findings support further development of HMI for clinical applications in disease staging and treatment response assessment in PDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Payen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Paul E Oberstein
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Niloufar Saharkhiz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Carmine F Palermo
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.,Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Stephen A Sastra
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.,Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Yang Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Alireza Nabavizadeh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Irina R Sagalovskiy
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.,Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Barbara Orelli
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.,Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Vilma Rosario
- Division of GI/Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Deborah Desrouilleres
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Helen Remotti
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Michael D Kluger
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.,Division of GI/Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Beth A Schrope
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.,Division of GI/Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - John A Chabot
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.,Division of GI/Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Alina C Iuga
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York. .,Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Kenneth P Olive
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York. .,Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
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Ma S, Zhu M, Xia X, Guo L, Genin GM, Sacks MS, Gao M, Mutic S, Hu Y, Hu CH, Feng Y. A preliminary study of the local biomechanical environment of liver tumors in vivo. Med Phys 2019; 46:1728-1739. [PMID: 30730058 DOI: 10.1002/mp.13434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Biomechanical properties can be used as biomarkers to diagnose tumors, monitor tumor development, and evaluate treatment efficacy. The purpose of this preliminary study is to characterize the biomechanical environment of two typical liver tumors, hemangiomas (HEMs) and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), and to investigate the potential of using strain metrics as biomarkers for tumor diagnosis, based on a limited clinical dataset. METHODS Magnetic resonance (MR) tagging was used to quantify the motion and deformation of the two types of liver tumors. Displacements of the tumors arising from a heartbeat were measured over one cardiac cycle. Local biomechanical conditions of the tumors were characterized by estimating two principal strains (ε1 and ε2 ) and an octahedral shear strain (εsoct ) of the tumor and its peripheral region. Biomechanical conditions of the tumors were compared with those of the arbitrarily selected regions from healthy volunteers. RESULTS We observed that the HCCs had significantly smaller strain values compared to their peripheral tissues. However, the HEMs did not have significantly different strains from those of the peripheral tissues, and were similar to healthy liver regions. The sensitivity of using ε1 , ε2 , and εsoct to diagnose HCC were all 1, while the sensitivity of using ε1 , ε2 , and εsoct to diagnose HEM were 0.67, 0.17, and 0.67, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Lagrangian strain metrics provide insight into the biomechanical conditions of certain liver tumors in the human body and may provide another perspective for tumor characterization and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengyuan Ma
- Institute for Medical Imaging Technology, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.,State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.,Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, School of Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Mo Zhu
- Department of Radiology, The first affiliated hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215021, China
| | - Xiaolong Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.,Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, School of Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Liang Guo
- Department of Radiology, The first affiliated hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215021, China
| | - Guy M Genin
- NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Michael S Sacks
- Center of Cardiovascular Simulation, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 70745, USA
| | - Mingyuan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.,Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, School of Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Sasa Mutic
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Yanle Hu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, 85054, USA
| | - Chun-Hong Hu
- Department of Radiology, The first affiliated hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215021, China
| | - Yuan Feng
- Institute for Medical Imaging Technology, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.,State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.,Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, School of Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
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Nabavizadeh A, Payen T, Saharkhiz N, McGarry M, Olive KP, Konofagou EE. Technical Note: In vivo Young's modulus mapping of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma during HIFU ablation using harmonic motion elastography (HME). Med Phys 2018; 45:5244-5250. [PMID: 30178474 DOI: 10.1002/mp.13170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Noninvasive quantitative assessment of coagulated tissue during high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation is one of the essential steps for tumor treatment, especially in such cases as the Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDA) that has low probability of diagnosis at the early stages and high probability of forming solid carcinomas resistant to chemotherapy treatment at the late stages. METHODS Harmonic motion elastography (HME) is a technique for the localized estimation of tumor stiffness. This harmonic motion imaging (HMI)-based technique is designed to map the tissue Young's modulus or stiffness noninvasively. A focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer generates an oscillating, acoustic radiation force in its focal region. The two-dimensional (2D) shear wave speed, and consequently the Young's modulus maps, is generated by tracking the radio frequency (RF) signals acquired at high frame rates. By prolonging the sonication for more than 50 s using the same methodology, the 2D Young's modulus maps are reconstructed while HIFU is applied and ablation is formed on PDA murine tumors. RESULTS The feasibility of this technique in measuring the regional Young's modulus was first assessed in tissue-mimicking phantoms. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was found to be higher than 11.7 dB for each 2D reconstructed Young's modulus map. The mean error in this validation study was found to be equal to less than 19%. Then HME was applied on two transgenic mice with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors. The Young's modulus median value of this tumor at the start of the HIFU application was equal to 2.1 kPa while after 45 s of sonication it was found to be approximately three times stiffer (6.7 kPa). CONCLUSIONS The HME was described herein and showed its capability of measuring tissue stiffness noninvasively by measuring the shear wave speed propagation inside the tissue and reconstructing a 2D Young's modulus map. Application of the methodology in vivo and during HIFU were thus reported here for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Payen
- Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Matthew McGarry
- Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kenneth P Olive
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology & Cell Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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Vappou J, Bour P, Marquet F, Ozenne V, Quesson B. MR-ARFI-based method for the quantitative measurement of tissue elasticity: application for monitoring HIFU therapy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 63:095018. [DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aabd0d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Payen T, Palermo CF, Sastra SA, Chen H, Han Y, Olive KP, Konofagou EE. Elasticity mapping of murine abdominal organs in vivo using harmonic motion imaging (HMI). Phys Med Biol 2016; 61:5741-54. [PMID: 27401609 PMCID: PMC5048218 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/61/15/5741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recently, ultrasonic imaging of soft tissue mechanics has been increasingly studied to image otherwise undetectable pathologies. However, many underlying mechanisms of tissue stiffening remain unknown, requiring small animal studies and adapted elasticity mapping techniques. Harmonic motion imaging (HMI) assesses tissue viscoelasticity by inducing localized oscillation from a periodic acoustic radiation force. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of HMI for in vivo elasticity mapping of abdominal organs in small animals. Pathological cases, i.e. chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, were also studied in vivo to assess the capability of HMI for detection of the change in mechanical properties. A 4.5 MHz focused ultrasound transducer (FUS) generated an amplitude-modulated beam resulting in 50 Hz harmonic tissue oscillations at its focus. Axial tissue displacement was estimated using 1D-cross-correlation of RF signals acquired with a 7.8 MHz diagnostic transducer confocally aligned with the FUS. In vitro results in canine liver and kidney showed the correlation between HMI displacement and Young's moduli measured by rheometry compression testing. HMI was capable of providing reproducible elasticity maps of the mouse abdominal region in vivo allowing the identification of, from stiffest to softest, the murine kidney, pancreas, liver, and spleen. Finally, pancreata affected by pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer showed HMI displacements 1.7 and 2.2 times lower than in the control case, respectively, indicating higher stiffness. The HMI displacement amplitude was correlated with the extent of fibrosis as well as detecting the very onset of stiffening even before fibrosis could be detected on H&E. This work shows that HMI can produce reliable elasticity maps of mouse abdominal region in vivo, thus providing a potentially critical tool to assess pathologies affecting organ elasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Payen
- Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, USA
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Chen H, Hou GY, Han Y, Payen T, Palermo CF, Olive KP, Konofagou EE. Harmonic motion imaging for abdominal tumor detection and high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation monitoring: an in vivo feasibility study in a transgenic mouse model of pancreatic cancer. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2015; 62:1662-73. [PMID: 26415128 PMCID: PMC4755287 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2015.007113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Harmonic motion imaging (HMI) is a radiationforce- based elasticity imaging technique that tracks oscillatory tissue displacements induced by sinusoidal ultrasonic radiation force to assess the resulting oscillatory displacement denoting the underlying tissue stiffness. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of HMI in pancreatic tumor detection and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment monitoring. The HMI system consisted of a focused ultrasound transducer, which generated sinusoidal radiation force to induce oscillatory tissue motion at 50 Hz, and a diagnostic ultrasound transducer, which detected the axial tissue displacements based on acquired radio-frequency signals using a 1-D cross-correlation algorithm. For pancreatic tumor detection, HMI images were generated for pancreatic tumors in transgenic mice and normal pancreases in wild-type mice. The obtained HMI images showed a high contrast between normal and malignant pancreases with an average peak-to-peak HMI displacement ratio of 3.2. Histological analysis showed that no tissue damage was associated with HMI when it was used for the sole purpose of elasticity imaging. For pancreatic tumor ablation monitoring, the focused ultrasound transducer was operated at a higher acoustic power and longer pulse length than that used in tumor detection to simultaneously induce HIFU thermal ablation and oscillatory tissue displacements, allowing HMI monitoring without interrupting tumor ablation. HMI monitoring of HIFU ablation found significant decreases in the peak-to-peak HMI displacements before and after HIFU ablation with a reduction rate ranging from 15.8% to 57.0%. The formation of thermal lesions after HIFU exposure was confirmed by histological analysis. This study demonstrated the feasibility of HMI in abdominal tumor detection and HIFU ablation monitoring.
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