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Hahne C, Chabouh G, Chavignon A, Couture O, Sznitman R. RF-ULM: Ultrasound Localization Microscopy Learned from Radio-Frequency Wavefronts. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 2024; PP:1-1. [PMID: 38640052 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2024.3391297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
In Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM), achieving high-resolution images relies on the precise localization of contrast agent particles across a series of beamformed frames. However, our study uncovers an enormous potential: The process of delay-and-sum beamforming leads to an irreversible reduction of Radio-Frequency (RF) channel data, while its implications for localization remain largely unexplored. The rich contextual information embedded within RF wavefronts, including their hyperbolic shape and phase, offers great promise for guiding Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) in challenging localization scenarios. To fully exploit this data, we propose to directly localize scatterers in RF channel data. Our approach involves a custom super-resolution DNN using learned feature channel shuffling, non-maximum suppression, and a semi-global convolutional block for reliable and accurate wavefront localization. Additionally, we introduce a geometric point transformation that facilitates seamless mapping to the B-mode coordinate space. To understand the impact of beamforming on ULM, we validate the effectiveness of our method by conducting an extensive comparison with State-Of-The-Art (SOTA) techniques. We present the inaugural in vivo results from a wavefront-localizing DNN, highlighting its real-world practicality. Our findings show that RF-ULM bridges the domain shift between synthetic and real datasets, offering a considerable advantage in terms of precision and complexity. To enable the broader research community to benefit from our findings, our code and the associated SOTA methods are made available at https://github.com/hahnec/rf-ulm.
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Lerendegui M, Riemer K, Papageorgiou G, Wang B, Arthur L, Chavignon A, Zhang T, Couture O, Huang P, Ashikuzzaman M, Dencks S, Dunsby C, Helfield B, Jensen JA, Lisson T, Lowerison MR, Rivaz H, Samir AE, Schmitz G, Schoen S, Sloun RV, Song P, Stevens T, Yan J, Sboros V, Tang MX. ULTRA-SR Challenge: Assessment of Ultrasound Localization and TRacking Algorithms for Super-Resolution Imaging. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 2024; PP:1-1. [PMID: 38607705 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2024.3388048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
With the widespread interest and uptake of super-resolution ultrasound (SRUS) through localization and tracking of microbubbles, also known as ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM), many localization and tracking algorithms have been developed. ULM can image many centimeters into tissue in-vivo and track microvascular flow non-invasively with sub-diffraction resolution. In a significant community effort, we organized a challenge, Ultrasound Localization and TRacking Algorithms for Super-Resolution (ULTRA-SR). The aims of this paper are threefold: to describe the challenge organization, data generation, and winning algorithms; to present the metrics and methods for evaluating challenge entrants; and to report results and findings of the evaluation. Realistic ultrasound datasets containing microvascular flow for different clinical ultrasound frequencies were simulated, using vascular flow physics, acoustic field simulation and nonlinear bubble dynamics simulation. Based on these datasets, 38 submissions from 24 research groups were evaluated against ground truth using an evaluation framework with six metrics, three for localization and three for tracking. In-vivo mouse brain and human lymph node data were also provided, and performance assessed by an expert panel. Winning algorithms are described and discussed. The publicly available data with ground truth and the defined metrics for both localization and tracking present a valuable resource for researchers to benchmark algorithms and software, identify optimized methods/software for their data, and provide insight into the current limits of the field. In conclusion, Ultra-SR challenge has provided benchmarking data and tools as well as direct comparison and insights for a number of the state-of-the art localization and tracking algorithms.
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Chuzeville L, Aissani A, Manisekaran A, Fleming Y, Grysan P, Contal S, Chary A, Duday D, Couture O, Anand R, Thomann JS. Size and phase preservation of amorphous calcium carbonate nanoparticles in aqueous media using different types of lignin for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 658:584-596. [PMID: 38134667 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.12.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles could have great potential for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging (CEUS) due to their gas-generating properties and sensitivity to physiological conditions. However, the use of nano CaCO3 for biomedical applications requires the assistance of stabilizers to control the size and avoid the fast dissolution/recrystallization of the particles when exposed to aqueous conditions. EXPERIMENTS Herein, we report the stabilization of nano CaCO3 using lignin, and synthesized core-shell amorphous CaCO3-lignin nanoparticles (LigCC NPs) with a diameter below 100 nm. We have then investigated the echogenicity of the LigCC NPs by monitoring the consequent generation of contrast in vitro for 90 min in linear and non-linear B-mode imaging. FINDINGS This research explores how lignin type and structure affect stabilization efficiency, lignin structuration around CaCO3 cores, and particle echogenicity. Interestingly, by employing lignin as the stabilizer, it becomes possible to maintain the echogenic properties of CaCO3, whereas the use of lipid coatings prevents the production of signal generation in ultrasound imaging. This work opens new avenue for CEUS imaging of the vascular and extravascular space using CaCO3, as it highlights the potential to generate contrast for extended durations at physiological pH by utilizing the amorphous phase of CaCO3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauriane Chuzeville
- Materials Research and Technology (MRT), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Avenue des Hauts Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg; University of Luxembourg, Department of Physics & Materials Science, 162a Avenue de la Faïencerie, 1511 Luxembourg city, Luxembourg
| | - Abderrahmane Aissani
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, 15 rue de l'école de médecine, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Ahilan Manisekaran
- Materials Research and Technology (MRT), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Avenue des Hauts Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg; University of Luxembourg, Department of Physics & Materials Science, 162a Avenue de la Faïencerie, 1511 Luxembourg city, Luxembourg
| | - Yves Fleming
- Materials Research and Technology (MRT), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Avenue des Hauts Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Patrick Grysan
- Materials Research and Technology (MRT), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Avenue des Hauts Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Servane Contal
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Avenue des Hauts Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Aline Chary
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Avenue des Hauts Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - David Duday
- Materials Research and Technology (MRT), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Avenue des Hauts Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Olivier Couture
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, 15 rue de l'école de médecine, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Resmi Anand
- Materials Research and Technology (MRT), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Avenue des Hauts Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Jean-Sébastien Thomann
- Materials Research and Technology (MRT), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Avenue des Hauts Fourneaux, Esch/Alzette L-4362, Luxembourg.
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Coudert A, Chavignon A, Denis L, Couture O. Volumetric ultrasound localization microscopy with diverging cylindrical waves. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control 2024; PP:1-1. [PMID: 38466586 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2024.3375896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Transcranial ultrasound plays a limited role in neuroradiology due to its lack of resolution, planar imaging, and user-dependency. By breaching the diffraction limit using injected microbubbles, volumetric ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) could help alleviate those issues. However, performing 3D ultrasound imaging at a high frame rate with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio to track individual microbubbles through the skull remains a challenge, especially with a portable scanner. In this study, we describe a ULM sequence suitable for volumetric transcranial imaging exploiting cylindrical emissions on multiplexed matrix probes, through simulations, hydrophone measurements, and flow phantoms. This geometry leads to a doubling of the peak acoustic pressure, up to 400 kPa, with respect to spherical emission and improved volume rate, up to 180 Hz. Cylindrical emissions also improve ULM saturation rate by 60% through a skull phantom. The assessment of microbubble velocity was also improved from 33% error in the average flow measured with spherical waves to a 5% error with cylindrical waves. Conversely, we demonstrate the detrimental impacts of cylindrical waves toward the field of view and isotropic sensitivity. Nevertheless, due to its enhanced signal-to-noise ratio and 3D nature, such a cylindrical volumetric sequence could be beneficial for ULM as a diagnostic tool in humans, especially when portability is a necessity.
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Zarader P, Francois Q, Coudert A, Duplat B, Haliyo S, Couture O. Proof of Concept of an Affordable, Compact and Transcranial Submillimeter Accurate Ultrasound-Based Tracking System. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2024; 71:893-903. [PMID: 37796674 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2023.3322302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
In neurosurgery, a current challenge is to provide localized therapy in deep and difficult-to-access brain areas with millimeter accuracy. In this prospect, new surgical devices such as microrobots are being developed, which require controlled inbrain navigation to ensure the safety and efficiency of the intervention. In this context, the device tracking technology has to answer a three-sided challenge: invasiveness, performance, and facility of use. Although ultrasound seems appropriate for transcranial tracking, the skull remains an obstacle because of its significant acoustic perturbations. A compact and affordable ultrasound-based tracking system that minimizes skull-related disturbances is proposed here. This system consists of three emitters fixed on the patient's head and a one-millimeter receiver embedded in the surgical device. The 3D position of the receiver is obtained by trilateration based on time of flight measurements. The system demonstrates a submillimeter tracking accuracy through an 8.9 mm thick skull plate phantom. This result opens multiple perspectives in terms of millimeter accurate navigation for a large number of neurobiomedical devices.
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McCall JR, Chavignon A, Couture O, Dayton PA, Pinton GF. Element Position Calibration for Matrix Array Transducers with Multiple Disjoint Piezoelectric Panels. Ultrason Imaging 2024:1617346241227900. [PMID: 38334055 DOI: 10.1177/01617346241227900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Two-dimensional ultrasound transducers enable the acquisition of fully volumetric data that have been demonstrated to provide greater diagnostic information in the clinical setting and are a critical tool for emerging ultrasound methods, such as super-resolution and functional imaging. This technology, however, is not without its limitations. Due to increased fabrication complexity, some matrix probes with disjoint piezoelectric panels may require initial calibration. In this manuscript, two methods for calibrating the element positions of the Vermon 1024-channel 8 MHz matrix transducer are detailed. This calibration is a necessary step for acquiring high resolution B-mode images while minimizing transducer-based image degradation. This calibration is also necessary for eliminating vessel-doubling artifacts in super-resolution images and increasing the overall signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the image. Here, we show that the shape of the point spread function (PSF) can be significantly improved and PSF-doubling artifacts can be reduced by up to 10 dB via this simple calibration procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R McCall
- Department of Electrical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Joint-Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Arthur Chavignon
- Department Laboratoire d'Imagerie, Sorbonne Université, CNRS INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Department Laboratoire d'Imagerie, Sorbonne Université, CNRS INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Paul A Dayton
- Joint-Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gianmarco F Pinton
- Joint-Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Bodard S, Denis L, Chabouh G, Battaglia J, Anglicheau D, Hélénon O, Correas JM, Couture O. Visualization of Renal Glomeruli in Human Native Kidneys With Sensing Ultrasound Localization Microscopy. Invest Radiol 2024:00004424-990000000-00191. [PMID: 38214557 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000001061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Kidney diseases significantly impact individuals' quality of life and strongly reduce life expectancy. Glomeruli play a crucial role in kidney function. Current imaging techniques cannot visualize them due to their small size. Sensing ultrasound localization microscopy (sULM) has shown promising results for visualizing in vivo the glomeruli of human kidney grafts. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of sULM to visualize glomeruli in vivo in native human kidneys despite their depth and a shorter duration of ultrasound acquisition limited by the period of the patient's apnea. Sensing ultrasound localization microscopy parameters in native kidneys and kidney grafts and their consequence regarding glomeruli detection were also compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS Exploration by sULM was conducted in 15 patients with native kidneys and 5 with kidney allografts. Glomeruli were counted using a normalized distance metric projected onto sULM density maps. The difference in the acquisition time, the kidney depth, and the frame rate between native kidneys and kidney grafts and their consequence regarding glomeruli detection were assessed. RESULTS Glomerular visualization was achieved in 12 of 15 patients with native kidneys. It failed due to impossible breath-holding for 2 patients and a too-deep kidney for 1 patient. Sensing ultrasound localization microscopy found 16 glomeruli per square centimeter in the native kidneys (6-31) and 33 glomeruli per square centimeter in kidney transplant patients (18-55). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that sULM can visualize glomeruli in native human kidneys in vivo. The proposed method may have many hypothetical applications, including biomarker development, assisting biopsy, or potentially avoiding it. It establishes a framework for improving the detection of local microstructural pathology, influencing the evaluation of allografts, and facilitating disease monitoring in the native kidney.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Bodard
- From the Service d'Imagerie Adulte, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France (S.B., O.H., J.-M.C.); Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France (S.B., L.D., G.C., J.B., J.-M.C., O.C.); Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France (S.B., D.A., O.H., J.-M.C.); and Service de Néphrologie-Transplantation Rénale Adulte, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France (D.A.)
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Fournier L, Abioui-Mourgues M, Chabouh G, Aid R, Taille TDL, Couture O, Vivien D, Orset C, Chauvierre C. rtPA-loaded fucoidan polymer microbubbles for the targeted treatment of stroke. Biomaterials 2023; 303:122385. [PMID: 37952499 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Systemic injection of thrombolytic drugs is the gold standard treatment for non-invasive blood clot resolution. The most serious risks associated with the intravenous injection of tissue plasminogen activator-like proteins are the bleeding complication and the dose related neurotoxicity. Indeed, the drug has to be injected in high concentrations due to its short half-life, the presence of its natural blood inhibitor (PAI-1) and the fast hepatic clearance (0.9 mg/kg in humans, 10 mg/kg in mouse models). Overall, there is a serious need for a dose-reduced targeted treatment to overcome these issues. We present in this article a new acoustic cavitation-based method for polymer MBs synthesis, three times faster than current hydrodynamic-cavitation method. The generated MBs are ultrasound responsive, stable and biocompatible. Their functionalization enabled the efficient and targeted treatment of stroke, without side effects. The stabilizing shell of the MBs is composed of Poly-Isobutyl Cyanoacrylate (PIBCA), copolymerized with fucoidan. Widely studied for its targeting properties, fucoidan exhibit a nanomolar affinity for activated endothelium and activated platelets (P-selectins). Secondly, the thrombolytic agent (rtPA) was loaded onto microbubbles (MBs) with a simple adsorption protocol. Hence, the present study validated the in vivo efficiency of rtPA-loaded Fuco MBs to be over 50 % more efficient than regular free rtPA injection for stroke resolution. In addition, the relative injected rtPA grafted onto targeting MBs was 1/10th of the standard effective dose (1 mg/kg in mouse). As a result, no hemorrhagic event, BBB leakage nor unexpected tissue distribution were observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Fournier
- Université Paris Cité, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UMR-S U1148 INSERM, Laboratory for Vascular Translational Science (LVTS), F-75018, Paris, France
| | - Myriam Abioui-Mourgues
- Normandie University, UNICAEN, INSERM UMR-S U1237, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), GIP Cyceron, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie (BB@C), Caen, France
| | - Georges Chabouh
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
| | - Rachida Aid
- Université Paris Cité, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UMR-S U1148 INSERM, Laboratory for Vascular Translational Science (LVTS), F-75018, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, UMS 34, Fédération de Recherche en Imagerie Multi-modalité (FRIM), F-75018, Paris, France
| | - Thibault De La Taille
- Université Paris Cité, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UMR-S U1148 INSERM, Laboratory for Vascular Translational Science (LVTS), F-75018, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
| | - Denis Vivien
- Normandie University, UNICAEN, INSERM UMR-S U1237, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), GIP Cyceron, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie (BB@C), Caen, France; Department of Clinical Research, Caen-Normandie University Hospital, Caen, France
| | - Cyrille Orset
- Normandie University, UNICAEN, INSERM UMR-S U1237, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), GIP Cyceron, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie (BB@C), Caen, France
| | - Cédric Chauvierre
- Université Paris Cité, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UMR-S U1148 INSERM, Laboratory for Vascular Translational Science (LVTS), F-75018, Paris, France.
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Heiles B, Chavignon A, Hingot V, Lopez P, Teston E, Couture O. Addendum: Performance benchmarking of microbubble-localization algorithms for ultrasound localization microscopy. Nat Biomed Eng 2023:10.1038/s41551-023-01123-0. [PMID: 37864010 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01123-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Heiles
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France.
- ESPCI, CNRS, INSERM, PhysMedParis, Paris, France.
| | - Arthur Chavignon
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Hingot
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
- ESPCI, CNRS, INSERM, PhysMedParis, Paris, France
| | - Pauline Lopez
- ESPCI, CNRS, INSERM, PhysMedParis, Paris, France
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, Paris, France
| | | | - Olivier Couture
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
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Denis L, Bodard S, Hingot V, Chavignon A, Battaglia J, Renault G, Lager F, Aissani A, Hélénon O, Correas JM, Couture O. Sensing ultrasound localization microscopy for the visualization of glomeruli in living rats and humans. EBioMedicine 2023; 91:104578. [PMID: 37086650 PMCID: PMC10149190 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estimation of glomerular function is necessary to diagnose kidney diseases. However, the study of glomeruli in the clinic is currently done indirectly through urine and blood tests. A recent imaging technique called Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM) has appeared. It is based on the ability to record continuous movements of individual microbubbles in the bloodstream. Although ULM improved the resolution of vascular imaging up to tenfold, the imaging of the smallest vessels had yet to be reported. METHODS We acquired ultrasound sequences from living humans and rats and then applied filters to divide the data set into slow-moving and fast-moving microbubbles. We performed a double tracking to highlight and characterize populations of microbubbles with singular behaviors. We decided to call this technique "sensing ULM" (sULM). We used post-mortem micro-CT for side-by-side confirmation in rats. FINDINGS In this study, we report the observation of microbubbles flowing in the glomeruli in living humans and rats. We present a set of analysis tools to extract quantitative information from individual microbubbles, such as remanence time or normalized distance. INTERPRETATION As glomeruli play a key role in kidney function, it would be possible that their observation yields a deeper understanding of the kidney. It could also be a tool to diagnose kidney diseases in patients. More generally, it will bring imaging capabilities closer to the functional units of organs, which is a key to understand most diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, or kidney failures. FUNDING This study was funded by the European Research Council under the European Union Horizon H2020 program (ERC Consolidator grant agreement No 772786-ResolveStroke).
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Denis
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75006, Paris, France.
| | - Sylvain Bodard
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75006, Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Service d'Imagerie Adulte, F-75015, Paris, France; Université de Paris Cité, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Hingot
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Arthur Chavignon
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Battaglia
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Gilles Renault
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Franck Lager
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Abderrahmane Aissani
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Hélénon
- AP-HP, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Service d'Imagerie Adulte, F-75015, Paris, France; Université de Paris Cité, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Michel Correas
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75006, Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Service d'Imagerie Adulte, F-75015, Paris, France; Université de Paris Cité, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, F-75006, Paris, France
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Chavignon A, Hingot V, Orset C, Vivien D, Couture O. 3D transcranial ultrasound localization microscopy for discrimination between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in early phase. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14607. [PMID: 36028542 PMCID: PMC9418177 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18025-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Early diagnosis is a critical part of the emergency care of cerebral hemorrhages and ischemia. A rapid and accurate diagnosis of strokes reduces the delays to appropriate treatments and a better functional recovery. Currently, CTscan and MRI are the gold standards with constraints of accessibility, availability, and possibly some contraindications. The development of Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM) has enabled new perspectives to conventional transcranial ultrasound imaging with increased sensitivity, penetration depth, and resolution. The possibility of volumetric imaging has increased the field-of-view and provided a more precise description of the microvascularisation. In this study, rats (n = 9) were subjected to thromboembolic ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhages prior to volumetric ULM at the early phases after onsets. Although the volumetric ULM performed in the early phase of ischemic stroke revealed a large hypoperfused area in the cortical area of the occluded artery, it showed a more diffused hypoperfusion in the hemorrhagic model. Respective computations of a Microvascular Diffusion Index highlighted different patterns of perfusion loss during the first 24 h of these two strokes’ subtypes. Our study provides the first proof that this methodology should allow early discrimination between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke with a potential toward diagnosis and monitoring in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Chavignon
- Sorbonne Université, UMR 7371 CNRS, Inserm U1146, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, 15 Rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, 75006, Paris, France.
| | - Vincent Hingot
- Sorbonne Université, UMR 7371 CNRS, Inserm U1146, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, 15 Rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Cyrille Orset
- UNICAEN, Inserm U1237, Etablissement Français du Sang, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), GIP Cyceron, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie (BB@C), Normandie University, Caen, France
| | - Denis Vivien
- UNICAEN, Inserm U1237, Etablissement Français du Sang, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), GIP Cyceron, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie (BB@C), Normandie University, Caen, France.,Department of Clinical Research, Caen-Normandie University Hospital, CHU Caen, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre, Caen, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Sorbonne Université, UMR 7371 CNRS, Inserm U1146, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, 15 Rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, 75006, Paris, France
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12
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Soysal U, Azevedo PN, Bureau F, Aubry A, Carvalho MS, Pessoa ACSN, Torre LGDL, Couture O, Tourin A, Fink M, Tabeling P. Freeze-Dried Microfluidic Monodisperse Microbubbles as a New Generation of Ultrasound Contrast Agents. Ultrasound Med Biol 2022; 48:1484-1495. [PMID: 35568594 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We succeeded in freeze-drying monodisperse microbubbles without degrading their performance, that is, their monodispersity in size and echogenicity. We used microfluidic technology to generate cryoprotected highly monodisperse microbubbles (coefficient of variation [CV] <5%). By using a novel retrieval technique, we were able to freeze-dry the microbubbles and resuspend them without degradation, that is, keeping their size distribution narrow (CV <6%). Acoustic characterization performed in two geometries (a centimetric cell and a millichannel) revealed that the resuspended bubbles conserved the sharpness of the backscattered resonance peak, leading to CVs ranging between 5% and 10%, depending on the geometry. As currently observed with monodisperse bubbles, the peak amplitudes are one order of magnitude higher than those of commercial ultrasound contrast agents. Our work thus solves the question of storage and transportation of highly monodisperse bubbles. This work might open pathways toward novel clinical non-invasive measurements, such as local pressure, impossible to carry out with the existing commercial ultrasound contrast agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugur Soysal
- Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, France.
| | - Pedro N Azevedo
- Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, France; Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, France; Department of Mechanical Engineering, PUC-Rio, Brazil
| | - Flavien Bureau
- Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, France
| | - Alexandre Aubry
- Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Arnaud Tourin
- Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, France
| | - Mathias Fink
- Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, France
| | - Patrick Tabeling
- Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, France
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13
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Heiles B, Chavignon A, Hingot V, Lopez P, Teston E, Couture O. Performance benchmarking of microbubble-localization algorithms for ultrasound localization microscopy. Nat Biomed Eng 2022; 6:605-616. [PMID: 35177778 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-021-00824-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Ultrafast ultrasound localization microscopy can be used to detect the subwavelength acoustic scattering of intravenously injected microbubbles to obtain haemodynamic maps of the vasculature of animals and humans. The quality of the haemodynamic maps depends on signal-to-noise ratios and on the algorithms used for the localization of the microbubbles and the rendering of their trajectories. Here we report the results of benchmarking of the performance of seven microbubble-localization algorithms. We used metrics for localization errors, localization success rates, processing times and a measure of the reprojection of the localization of the microbubbles on the original beamformed grid. We combined eleven metrics into an overall score and tested the algorithms in three simulated microcirculation datasets, and in angiography datasets of the brain of a live rat after craniotomy, an excised rat kidney and a mammary tumour in a live mouse. The algorithms, metrics and datasets, which we have made openly available at https://github.com/AChavignon/PALA and https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4343435 , will facilitate the identification or generation of optimal microbubble-localization algorithms for specific applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Heiles
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France.
- ESPCI, CNRS, INSERM, PhysMedParis, Paris, France.
| | - Arthur Chavignon
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Hingot
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
- ESPCI, CNRS, INSERM, PhysMedParis, Paris, France
| | - Pauline Lopez
- ESPCI, CNRS, INSERM, PhysMedParis, Paris, France
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, Paris, France
| | | | - Olivier Couture
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Paris, France
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14
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Chavignon A, Heiles B, Hingot V, Orset C, Vivien D, Couture O. 3D Transcranial Ultrasound Localization Microscopy in the Rat Brain with a Multiplexed Matrix Probe. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2021; 69:2132-2142. [PMID: 34932470 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2021.3137265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM) provides images of the microcirculation in-depth in living tissue. However, its implementation in two-dimension is limited by the elevation projection and tedious plane-by-plane acquisition. Volumetric ULM alleviates these issues and can map the vasculature of entire organs in one acquisition with isotropic resolution. However, its optimal implementation requires many independent acquisition channels, leading to complex custom hardware. METHODS In this article, we implemented volumetric ultrasound imaging with a multiplexed 32 x 32 probe driven by a single commercial ultrasound scanner. We propose and compare three different sub-aperture multiplexing combinations for localization microscopy in silico and in vitro with a flow of microbubbles in a canal. Finally, we evaluate the approach for micro-angiography of the rat brain.The "light" combination allows a higher maximal volume rate than the "full" combination while maintaining the field of view and resolution. RESULTS In the rat brain, 100,000 volumes were acquired within 7 min with a dedicated ultrasound sequence and revealed vessels down to 31 m in diameter with flows from 4.3 mm/s to 28.4 mm/s. CONCLUSION This work demonstrates the ability to perform a complete angiography with unprecedented resolution in the living rats brain with a simple and light setup through the intact skull. SIGNIFICANCE We foresee that it might contribute to democratize 3D ULM for both preclinical and clinical studies.
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15
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Hingot V, Chavignon A, Heiles B, Couture O. Measuring Image Resolution in Ultrasound Localization Microscopy. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 2021; 40:3812-3819. [PMID: 34280094 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2021.3097150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The resolution of an imaging system is usually determined by the width of its point spread function and is measured using the Rayleigh criterion. For most system, it is in the order of the imaging wavelength. However, super resolution techniques such as localization microscopy in optical and ultrasound imaging can resolve features an order of magnitude finer than the wavelength. The classical description of spatial resolution no longer applies and new methods need to be developed. In optical localization microscopy, the Fourier Ring Correlation has showed to be an effective and practical way to estimate spatial resolution for Single Molecule Localization Microscopy data. In this work, we wish to investigate how this tool can provide a direct and universal estimation of spatial resolution in Ultrasound Localization Microscopy. Moreover, we discuss the concept of spatial sampling in Ultrasound Localization Microscopy and demonstrate how the Nyquist criterion for sampling drives the spatial/temporal resolution tradeoff. We measured spatial resolution on five different datasets over rodent's brain, kidney and tumor finding values between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for precision of localization between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Eventually, we discuss from those in vivo datasets how spatial resolution in Ultrasound Localization Microscopy depends on both the localization precision and the total number of detected microbubbles. This study aims to offer a practical and theoretical framework for image resolution in Ultrasound Localization Microscopy.
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16
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Claron J, Hingot V, Rivals I, Rahal L, Couture O, Deffieux T, Tanter M, Pezet S. Large-scale functional ultrasound imaging of the spinal cord reveals in-depth spatiotemporal responses of spinal nociceptive circuits in both normal and inflammatory states. Pain 2021; 162:1047-1059. [PMID: 32947542 PMCID: PMC7977620 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite a century of research on the physiology/pathophysiology of the spinal cord in chronic pain condition, the properties of the spinal cord were rarely studied at the large-scale level from a neurovascular point of view. This is mostly due to the limited spatial and/or temporal resolution of the available techniques. Functional ultrasound imaging (fUS) is an emerging neuroimaging approach that allows, through the measurement of cerebral blood volume, the study of brain functional connectivity or functional activations with excellent spatial (100 μm) and temporal (1 msec) resolutions and a high sensitivity. The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of the spinal cord physiology through the study of the properties of spinal hemodynamic response to the natural or electrical stimulation of afferent fibers. Using a combination of fUS and ultrasound localization microscopy, the first step of this study was the fine description of the vascular structures in the rat spinal cord. Then, using either natural or electrical stimulations of different categories of afferent fibers (Aβ, Aδ, and C fibers), we could define the characteristics of the typical hemodynamic response of the rat spinal cord experimentally. We showed that the responses are fiber-specific, located ipsilaterally in the dorsal horn, and that they follow the somatotopy of afferent fiber entries in the dorsal horn and that the C-fiber response is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-dependent mechanism. Finally, fUS imaging of the mesoscopic hemodynamic response induced by natural tactile stimulations revealed a potentiated response in inflammatory condition, suggesting an enhanced response to allodynic stimulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Claron
- Laboratory of Brain Plasticity, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 8249, Paris, France
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research, University, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Hingot
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research, University, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Rivals
- Equipe de Statistique Appliquée, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMRS 1158, Paris, France
| | - Line Rahal
- Laboratory of Brain Plasticity, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 8249, Paris, France
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research, University, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research, University, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Deffieux
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research, University, Paris, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research, University, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Pezet
- Laboratory of Brain Plasticity, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 8249, Paris, France
- Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm, ESPCI Paris, CNRS, PSL Research, University, Paris, France
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17
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Pialot B, Gachelin J, Tanter M, Provost J, Couture O. Flow Rate and Low Hematocrit Measurements for In Vitro Blood Processing With Doppler Ultrasound. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control 2020; 67:1293-1302. [PMID: 31995481 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2020.2969080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In vitro techniques for the processing of flowing blood and its components have recently emerged from microfluidics. The blood flow rate and hematocrit are two keys parameters to monitor for guaranteeing the reliability of these techniques. But, there is a lack of monitoring methods adapted to low flow rates and small tubing. In this study, we exploit minimization approaches of continuous Doppler measurements to survey the blood flow rate. Combined with a packing factor model, we also estimate hematocrit from the Doppler spectrum. The presented method is implemented with a continuous-wave (CW) Doppler probe mounted on a 3D-printed support. The accuracy of the flow rate was measured in the range from 0.5 to 1.5 mL/min. For each of four different blood bags, hematocrit in the range under 8% was estimated from the Doppler spectrum using a packing factor model derived from the other three bags. Flow rate estimation shows a mean measurement error under 3% for a measurement time of 2 s. The mean error is still under 5% for a measurement time of 0.5 s. Hematocrit estimation for the four blood bags shows errors of 1.4%, 1.1%, 0.67%, and 0.70% Hct for a measurement time of 5 s. The versatility and simplicity of the method make it highly valuable for in vitro blood processing, in particular for low hematocrit blood fractionation techniques derived from microfluidics, as it can be performed through sterile tubing.
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18
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Hingot V, Brodin C, Lebrun F, Heiles B, Chagnot A, Yetim M, Gauberti M, Orset C, Tanter M, Couture O, Deffieux T, Vivien D. Early Ultrafast Ultrasound Imaging of Cerebral Perfusion correlates with Ischemic Stroke outcomes and responses to treatment in Mice. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:7480-7491. [PMID: 32685000 PMCID: PMC7359089 DOI: 10.7150/thno.44233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the field of ischemic cerebral injury, precise characterization of neurovascular hemodynamic is required to select candidates for reperfusion treatments. It is thus admitted that advanced imaging-based approaches would be able to better diagnose and prognose those patients and would contribute to better clinical care. Current imaging modalities like MRI allow a precise diagnostic of cerebral injury but suffer from limited availability and transportability. The recently developed ultrafast ultrasound could be a powerful tool to perform emergency imaging and long term follow-up of cerebral perfusion, which could, in combination with MRI, improve imaging solutions for neuroradiologists. Methods: In this study, in a model of in situ thromboembolic stroke in mice, we compared a control group of non-treated mice (N=10) with a group receiving the gold standard pharmacological stroke therapy (N=9). We combined the established tool of magnetic resonance imaging (7T MRI) with two innovative ultrafast ultrasound methods, ultrafast Doppler and Ultrasound Localization Microscopy, to image the cerebral blood volumes at early and late times after stroke onset and compare with the formation of ischemic lesions. Results: Our study shows that ultrafast ultrasound can be used through the mouse skull to monitor cerebral perfusion during ischemic stroke. In our data, the monitoring of the reperfusion following thrombolytic within the first 2 h post stroke onset matches ischemic lesions measured 24 h. Moreover, similar results can be made with Ultrasound Localization Microscopy which could make it applicable to human patients in the future. Conclusion: We thus provide the proof of concept that in a mouse model of thromboembolic stroke with an intact skull, early ultrafast ultrasound can be indicative of responses to treatment and cerebral tissue fates following stroke. It brings new tools to study ischemic stroke in preclinical models and is the first step prior translation to the clinical settings.
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19
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Christensen-Jeffries K, Couture O, Dayton PA, Eldar YC, Hynynen K, Kiessling F, O'Reilly M, Pinton GF, Schmitz G, Tang MX, Tanter M, van Sloun RJG. Super-resolution Ultrasound Imaging. Ultrasound Med Biol 2020; 46:865-891. [PMID: 31973952 PMCID: PMC8388823 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The majority of exchanges of oxygen and nutrients are performed around vessels smaller than 100 μm, allowing cells to thrive everywhere in the body. Pathologies such as cancer, diabetes and arteriosclerosis can profoundly alter the microvasculature. Unfortunately, medical imaging modalities only provide indirect observation at this scale. Inspired by optical microscopy, ultrasound localization microscopy has bypassed the classic compromise between penetration and resolution in ultrasonic imaging. By localization of individual injected microbubbles and tracking of their displacement with a subwavelength resolution, vascular and velocity maps can be produced at the scale of the micrometer. Super-resolution ultrasound has also been performed through signal fluctuations with the same type of contrast agents, or through switching on and off nano-sized phase-change contrast agents. These techniques are now being applied pre-clinically and clinically for imaging of the microvasculature of the brain, kidney, skin, tumors and lymph nodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Christensen-Jeffries
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Olivier Couture
- Institute of Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS FRE 2031, PSL University, Paris, France.
| | - Paul A Dayton
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yonina C Eldar
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Kullervo Hynynen
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fabian Kiessling
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Meaghan O'Reilly
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gianmarco F Pinton
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Georg Schmitz
- Chair for Medical Engineering, Faculty for Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Meng-Xing Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Institute of Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS FRE 2031, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Ruud J G van Sloun
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Radial modulation imaging improves the detection of microbubbles at high frequency using a dual ultrasonic excitation. However, the synchronization between the imaging pulses is nontrivial because microbubbles need to be interrogated in the compression and the rarefaction phase, and the time-delay difference from dispersion has to be corrected. To address these issues, we propose the use of ultrafast radial modulation imaging (uRMI). In this technique, a beat frequency between the modulation pulse (around 1 MHz) and the ultrafast pulse-repetition frequency was exploited to separate microbubbles from tissue phantom in vitro. This led to a modulated images' set in the spectral domain of the slow time that may then be demodulated through a digital lock-in amplifier to retrieve the contrast image. Ultrafast RMI, applied on a flow phantom with microbubbles, provided a contrast-to-tissue ratio from 7.2 to 14.8 dB at 15 MHz. For flow speed lower than 0.05 mL/min, uRMI (16 dB) provided a better contrast-to-tissue ratio than other techniques: singular value decomposition spatiotemporal filter (11 dB), amplitude modulation (9 dB), or microbubbles disruption (6 dB). This technique may then be suitable to improve the detection of targeted microbubbles, in ultrasound molecular imaging applications, and the detection of extremely slow microbubbles moving in the finest vessels in ultrasound localization microscopy.
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21
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Heiles B, Correia M, Hingot V, Pernot M, Provost J, Tanter M, Couture O. Ultrafast 3D Ultrasound Localization Microscopy Using a 32 × 32 Matrix Array. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 2019; 38:2005-2015. [PMID: 30946662 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2018.2890358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound localization microscopy can map blood vessels with a resolution much smaller than the wavelength by localizing microbubbles. The current implementations of the technique are limited to 2-D planes or small fields of view in 3-D. These suffer from minute-long acquisitions, out-of-plane microbubbles, and tissue motion. In this paper, we exploit the recent development of 4D ultrafast ultrasound imaging to insonify an isotropic volume up to 20 000 times per second and perform localization microscopy in the three dimensions. Specifically, a 32 ×32 elements, 9-MHz matrix-array probe connected to a 1024-channel programmable ultrasound scanner was used to achieve sub-wavelength volumetric imaging of both the structure and vector flow of a complex 3D structure (a main canal branching out into two side canals). To cope with the large volumes and the need to localize the bubbles in the three dimensions, novel algorithms were developed based on deconvolution of the beamformed microbubble signal. For tracking, individual particles were paired following a Munkres assignment method, and velocimetry was done following a Lagrangian approach. ULM was able to clearly represent the 3-D shape of the structure with a sharp delineation of canal edges (as small as [Formula: see text]) and separate them with a spacing as low as [Formula: see text]. The compounded volume rate of 500 Hz was sufficient to describe velocities in 2.5-150-mm/s range and to reduce the maximum acquisition time to 12 s. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of in vitro 3-D ultrafast ultrasound localization microscopy and opens up the way toward in vivo volumetric ULM.
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22
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Hingot V, Errico C, Heiles B, Rahal L, Tanter M, Couture O. Microvascular flow dictates the compromise between spatial resolution and acquisition time in Ultrasound Localization Microscopy. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2456. [PMID: 30792398 PMCID: PMC6385220 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38349-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Medical ultrasound is a widely used diagnostic imaging technique for tissues and blood vessels. However, its spatial resolution is limited to a sub-millimeter scale. Ultrasound Localization Microscopy was recently introduced to overcome this limit and relies on subwavelength localization and tracking of microbubbles injected in the blood circulation. Yet, as microbubbles follow blood flow, long acquisition time are required to detect them in the smallest vessels, leading to long reconstruction of the microvasculature. The objective of this work is to understand how blood flow limits acquisition time. We studied the reconstruction of a coronal slice of a rat's brain during a continuous microbubble injection close to clinical concentrations. After acquiring 192000 frames over 4 minutes, we find that the biggest vessels can be reconstructed in seconds but that it would take tens of minutes to map the entire capillary network. Moreover, the appropriate characterization of flow profiles based on microbubble velocity within vessels is bound by even more stringent temporal limitations. As we use simple blood flow models to characterize its impact on reconstruction time, we foresee that these results and methods can be adapted to determine adequate microbubble injections and acquisition times in clinical and preclinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Hingot
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Claudia Errico
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Baptiste Heiles
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Line Rahal
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012, Paris, France.
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23
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Li B, Aid-Launais R, Labour MN, Zenych A, Juenet M, Choqueux C, Ollivier V, Couture O, Letourneur D, Chauvierre C. Functionalized polymer microbubbles as new molecular ultrasound contrast agent to target P-selectin in thrombus. Biomaterials 2019; 194:139-150. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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24
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Corvis Y, Manta S, Thebault C, Couture O, Dhotel H, Michel JP, Seguin J, Bessodes M, Espeau P, Pichon C, Richard C, Mignet N. Novel Perfluorinated Triblock Amphiphilic Copolymers for Lipid-Shelled Microbubble Stabilization. Langmuir 2018; 34:9744-9753. [PMID: 30032612 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Amphiphilic triblock (Atri) copolymers made of perfluorinated alkyl chain linked to hydrocarbon chain and methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) of three different molecular weights were synthesized. In vitro evaluation demonstrated that these new compounds were noncytotoxic. Characterization and interaction of each triblock copolymer with a branched polyamine myristoyl lipid (2-{3[bis-(3-amino-propyl)-amino]-propylamino}- N-ditetradecyl carbamoyl methyl-acetamide, DMAPAP) were studied by the Langmuir film method and thermal analysis. The triblock copolymer/cationic lipids (1:10, w/w) were mixed with perfluorobutane gas to form microbubbles (MBs). The latter were characterized by optical microscopy to get the microbubble size and concentration by densimetry to determine the amount of encapsulated gas and by ultrasound to assess oscillation properties. Atri with the lowest and intermediate weights were shown to interact with the cationic lipid DMAPAP and stabilize the Langmuir film. In that case, monodisperse microbubbles ranging from 2.3 ± 0.1 to 2.8 ± 0.1 μm were obtained. The proportion of encapsulated gas within the MB shell increased up to 3 times after the incorporation of the copolymer with the lowest and intermediate weights. Moreover, the acoustic response of the microbubbles was maintained in the presence of the copolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohann Corvis
- Team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8258, INSERM U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University , 4 avenue de l'Observatoire , 75 006 Paris , France
| | - Simona Manta
- Team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8258, INSERM U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University , 4 avenue de l'Observatoire , 75 006 Paris , France
| | - Caroline Thebault
- Team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8258, INSERM U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University , 4 avenue de l'Observatoire , 75 006 Paris , France
| | - Olivier Couture
- CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI ParisTech, Institut Langevin, PSL Research University , 75 005 Paris , France
| | - Hélène Dhotel
- Team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8258, INSERM U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University , 4 avenue de l'Observatoire , 75 006 Paris , France
| | - Jean-Philippe Michel
- Univ Paris Sud, Institut Galien Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay , 5 rue Jean-Baptiste Clément , 92 296 Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France
- CNRS, UMR 8612 , 92 296 Châtenay-Malabry , France
| | - Johanne Seguin
- Team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8258, INSERM U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University , 4 avenue de l'Observatoire , 75 006 Paris , France
| | - Michel Bessodes
- Team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8258, INSERM U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University , 4 avenue de l'Observatoire , 75 006 Paris , France
| | - Philippe Espeau
- Team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8258, INSERM U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University , 4 avenue de l'Observatoire , 75 006 Paris , France
| | - Chantal Pichon
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, UPR 4301 , Université d'Orléans, UFR Sciences , 45 100 Orléans , France
| | - Cyrille Richard
- Team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8258, INSERM U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University , 4 avenue de l'Observatoire , 75 006 Paris , France
| | - Nathalie Mignet
- Team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and Targeted Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy , Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8258, INSERM U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University , 4 avenue de l'Observatoire , 75 006 Paris , France
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Couture O, Hingot V, Heiles B, Muleki-Seya P, Tanter M. Ultrasound Localization Microscopy and Super-Resolution: A State of the Art. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control 2018; 65:1304-1320. [PMID: 29994673 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2018.2850811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Because it drives the compromise between resolution and penetration, the diffraction limit has long represented an unreachable summit to conquer in ultrasound imaging. Within a few years after the introduction of optical localization microscopy, we proposed its acoustic alter ego that exploits the micrometric localization of microbubble contrast agents to reconstruct the finest vessels in the body in-depth. Various groups now working on the subject are optimizing the localization precision, microbubble separation, acquisition time, tracking, and velocimetry to improve the capacity of ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) to detect and distinguish vessels much smaller than the wavelength. It has since been used in vivo in the brain, the kidney, and tumors. In the clinic, ULM is bound to improve drastically our vision of the microvasculature, which could revolutionize the diagnosis of cancer, arteriosclerosis, stroke, and diabetes.
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Houvenagel S, Moine L, Picheth G, Dejean C, Brûlet A, Chennevière A, Faugeras V, Huang N, Couture O, Tsapis N. Comb-Like Fluorophilic-Lipophilic-Hydrophilic Polymers for Nanocapsules as Ultrasound Contrast Agents. Biomacromolecules 2018; 19:3244-3256. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Houvenagel
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Laurence Moine
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Guilherme Picheth
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Camille Dejean
- BioCIS, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Annie Brûlet
- Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, UMR12 CEA-CNRS, CEA Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, F-91191, France
| | - Alexis Chennevière
- Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, UMR12 CEA-CNRS, CEA Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, F-91191, France
| | - Vincent Faugeras
- Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, CNRS (UMR 7587), INSERM (U979), Paris 75238 CEDEX 05, France
| | - Nicolas Huang
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, CNRS (UMR 7587), INSERM (U979), Paris 75238 CEDEX 05, France
| | - Nicolas Tsapis
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France
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Manta S, Renault G, Delalande A, Couture O, Lagoutte I, Seguin J, Lager F, Houzé P, Midoux P, Bessodes M, Scherman D, Bureau MF, Marie C, Pichon C, Mignet N. Cationic microbubbles and antibiotic-free miniplasmid for sustained ultrasound-mediated transgene expression in liver. J Control Release 2017; 262:170-181. [PMID: 28710005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Despite the increasing number of clinical trials in gene therapy, no ideal methods still allow non-viral gene transfer in deep tissues such as the liver. We were interested in ultrasound (US)-mediated gene delivery to provide long term liver expression. For this purpose, new positively charged microbubbles were designed and complexed with pFAR4, a highly efficient small length miniplasmid DNA devoid of antibiotic resistance sequence. Sonoporation parameters, such as insonation time, acoustic pressure and duration of plasmid injection were controlled under ultrasound imaging guidance. The optimization of these various parameters was performed by bioluminescence optical imaging of luciferase reporter gene expression in the liver. Mice were injected with 50μg pFAR4-LUC either alone, or complexed with positively charged microbubbles, or co-injected with neutral MicroMarker™ microbubbles, followed by low ultrasound energy application to the liver. Injection of the pFAR4 encoding luciferase alone led to a transient transgene expression that lasted only for two days. The significant luciferase signal obtained with neutral microbubbles decreased over 2days and reached a plateau with a level around 1 log above the signal obtained with pFAR4 alone. With the newly designed positively charged microbubbles, we obtained a much stronger bioluminescence signal which increased over 2days. The 12-fold difference (p<0.05) between MicroMarker™ and our positively charged microbubbles was maintained over a period of 6months. Noteworthy, the positively charged microbubbles led to an improvement of 180-fold (p<0.001) as regard to free pDNA using unfocused ultrasound performed at clinically tolerated ultrasound amplitude. Transient liver damage was observed when using the cationic microbubble-pFAR4 complexes and the optimized sonoporation parameters. Immunohistochemistry analyses were performed to determine the nature of cells transfected. The pFAR4 miniplasmid complexed with cationic microbubbles allowed to transfect mostly hepatocytes compared to its co-injection with MicroMarker™ which transfected more preferentially endothelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Manta
- CNRS, UTCBS UMR 8258, F-75006 Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, UTCBS, F-75006 Paris, France; Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, UTCBS U 1022, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Gilles Renault
- INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - Anthony Delalande
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire and Université d'Orléans, UPR 4301, F-45071 Orléans, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Institut Langevin - Ondes et Images, ESPCI ParisTech, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR7587, INSERM U979, 1, rue Jussieu, 75238 Paris, Cedex 05, France
| | - Isabelle Lagoutte
- INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - Johanne Seguin
- CNRS, UTCBS UMR 8258, F-75006 Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, UTCBS, F-75006 Paris, France; Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, UTCBS U 1022, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Franck Lager
- INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - Pascal Houzé
- CNRS, UTCBS UMR 8258, F-75006 Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, UTCBS, F-75006 Paris, France; Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, UTCBS U 1022, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Patrick Midoux
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire and Université d'Orléans, UPR 4301, F-45071 Orléans, France
| | - Michel Bessodes
- CNRS, UTCBS UMR 8258, F-75006 Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, UTCBS, F-75006 Paris, France; Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, UTCBS U 1022, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Daniel Scherman
- CNRS, UTCBS UMR 8258, F-75006 Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, UTCBS, F-75006 Paris, France; Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, UTCBS U 1022, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Michel-Francis Bureau
- CNRS, UTCBS UMR 8258, F-75006 Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, UTCBS, F-75006 Paris, France; Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, UTCBS U 1022, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Corinne Marie
- CNRS, UTCBS UMR 8258, F-75006 Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, UTCBS, F-75006 Paris, France; Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, UTCBS U 1022, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Chantal Pichon
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire and Université d'Orléans, UPR 4301, F-45071 Orléans, France.
| | - Nathalie Mignet
- CNRS, UTCBS UMR 8258, F-75006 Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, UTCBS, F-75006 Paris, France; Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), F-75005 Paris, France; INSERM, UTCBS U 1022, F-75006 Paris, France
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Hingot V, Errico C, Tanter M, Couture O. Subwavelength motion-correction for ultrafast ultrasound localization microscopy. Ultrasonics 2017; 77:17-21. [PMID: 28167316 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Ultrafast Ultrasound Localization Microscopy uses microbubbles that are individually localized with a resolution below 10μm. Positions of the microbubbles are accumulated to create a super resolution image, which bypass the diffraction-limit of spatial resolution. However, microbubbles localization is affected by physiological motions at the micrometric scale. Here, we demonstrate a phase correlation method for rigid motion correction. Spatiotemporal filters extract tissue dominated images, which are tracked to correct linear motions and improve the precision of microbubbles' localization, improving the quality of the image. It is the first proof of concept towards a full motion correction strategy and super-resolution imaging in moving tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Hingot
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France.
| | - Claudia Errico
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Institut Langevin, CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France.
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Houvenagel S, Picheth G, Dejean C, Brûlet A, Chennevière A, Couture O, Huang N, Moine L, Tsapis N. End-chain fluorination of polyesters favors perfluorooctyl bromide encapsulation into echogenic PEGylated nanocapsules. Polym Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c7py00400a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Fluorination of polyesters favors the encapsulation efficiency of perfluorooctyl bromide into nanocapsules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Houvenagel
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud
- CNRS
- Univ. Paris-Sud
- Université Paris-Saclay
- 92296 Châtenay-Malabry
| | - Guilherme Picheth
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud
- CNRS
- Univ. Paris-Sud
- Université Paris-Saclay
- 92296 Châtenay-Malabry
| | - Camille Dejean
- BioCIS
- CNRS
- Univ. Paris-Sud
- Université Paris-Saclay
- 92296 Châtenay-Malabry
| | - Annie Brûlet
- Laboratoire Léon Brillouin
- UMR12 CEA-CNRS
- CEA Saclay
- Gif sur Yvette
- France
| | | | - Olivier Couture
- Institut Langevin
- ESPCI Paris
- CNRS (UMR 7587)
- INSERM (U979)
- Paris
| | - Nicolas Huang
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud
- CNRS
- Univ. Paris-Sud
- Université Paris-Saclay
- 92296 Châtenay-Malabry
| | - Laurence Moine
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud
- CNRS
- Univ. Paris-Sud
- Université Paris-Saclay
- 92296 Châtenay-Malabry
| | - Nicolas Tsapis
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud
- CNRS
- Univ. Paris-Sud
- Université Paris-Saclay
- 92296 Châtenay-Malabry
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Desailly Y, Tissier AM, Correas JM, Wintzenrieth F, Tanter M, Couture O. Contrast enhanced ultrasound by real-time spatiotemporal filtering of ultrafast images. Phys Med Biol 2016; 62:31-42. [PMID: 27973352 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/62/1/31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) takes advantage of the nonlinear behaviour of injected microbubbles. If these contrast techniques yield good specificity between bubbles and tissues, they suffer some drawbacks, inherently linked to their dependence on nonlinear content. In recent years, plane-wave ultrasound reached frame rates of up to 20 000 fps. In this study we propose a linear technique for CEUS that takes advantage of these very high frame rates to separate bubbles from tissue without requiring nonlinearities. Data-driven spatiotemporal filtering operations are used to separate different features in the image on the basis of coherence both in space and time. Such filter recently proved to improve Doppler sensitivity (Demene et al 2015 IEEE Trans. Med. Imaging 34 2271-85). In contrast with bubbles, even slow moving ones, tissues are highly coherent both in space and time. Therefore, singular value decomposition (SVD) seems to be a powerful tool for the separation of contrast agents and tissues. In this paper, we apply SVD processing to linear ultrafast ultrasound images for CEUS Doppler. The contrast levels reached by this technique were compared to those of a nonlinear gold standard sequence (PMPI Doppler) through a flow phantom study. The SVD technique reached contrast-to-tissue ratios (CTR) up to 10 dB higher in vitro, and proved to be robust in terms of probe motion and slow flow. A trial was also conducted on a transplanted human kidney, already imaged by means of power Doppler (Claudon et al 1999 Am. J. Roentgenol. 173 41-6) and microbubbles (Kay et al 2009 Clin. Radiol. 64 1081-7). Contrast levels yielded by the SVD technique measured up to 13 dB higher than those of PMPI Doppler.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Desailly
- CNRS, INSERM, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, F-75005, Paris, France
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Errico C, Pierre J, Pezet S, Desailly Y, Lenkei Z, Couture O, Tanter M. Ultrafast ultrasound localization microscopy for deep super-resolution vascular imaging. Nature 2015; 527:499-502. [DOI: 10.1038/nature16066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 617] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Errico C, Osmanski BF, Pezet S, Couture O, Lenkei Z, Tanter M. Transcranial functional ultrasound imaging of the brain using microbubble-enhanced ultrasensitive Doppler. Neuroimage 2015; 124:752-761. [PMID: 26416649 PMCID: PMC4686564 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional ultrasound (fUS) is a novel neuroimaging technique, based on high-sensitivity ultrafast Doppler imaging of cerebral blood volume, capable of measuring brain activation and connectivity in rodents with high spatiotemporal resolution (100 μm, 1 ms). However, the skull attenuates acoustic waves, so fUS in rats currently requires craniotomy or a thinned-skull window. Here we propose a non-invasive approach by enhancing the fUS signal with a contrast agent, inert gas microbubbles. Plane-wave illumination of the brain at high frame rate (500 Hz compounded sequence with three tilted plane waves, PRF = 1500Hz with a 128 element 15 MHz linear transducer), yields highly-resolved neurovascular maps. We compared fUS imaging performance through the intact skull bone (transcranial fUS) versus a thinned-skull window in the same animal. First, we show that the vascular network of the adult rat brain can be imaged transcranially only after a bolus intravenous injection of microbubbles, which leads to a 9 dB gain in the contrast-to-tissue ratio. Next, we demonstrate that functional increase in the blood volume of the primary sensory cortex after targeted electrical-evoked stimulations of the sciatic nerve is observable transcranially in presence of contrast agents, with high reproducibility (Pearson's coefficient ρ = 0.7 ± 0.1, p = 0.85). Our work demonstrates that the combination of ultrafast Doppler imaging and injection of contrast agent allows non-invasive functional brain imaging through the intact skull bone in rats. These results should ease non-invasive longitudinal studies in rodents and open a promising perspective for the adoption of highly resolved fUS approaches for the adult human brain. We combined ultrafast sensitive Doppler with contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging. We retrieved highly-resolved neurovascular transcranial maps with contrast agents. The presence of microbubbles compensates for the attenuation from the skull. fUS is sensitive to the local hyperemia in the rat brain through the skull with microbubbles. Transcranial fUS imaging allows non-invasive functional brain studies in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Errico
- INSERM, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France; ESPCI ParisTech, PSL Research University, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France; CNRS, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Bruno-Félix Osmanski
- INSERM, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France; ESPCI ParisTech, PSL Research University, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France; CNRS, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Pezet
- CNRS, UMR 8249, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France; Brain Plasticity Unit, ESPCI-ParisTech, PSL Research University 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- INSERM, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France; ESPCI ParisTech, PSL Research University, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France; CNRS, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Zsolt Lenkei
- CNRS, UMR 8249, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France; Brain Plasticity Unit, ESPCI-ParisTech, PSL Research University 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- INSERM, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France; ESPCI ParisTech, PSL Research University, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France; CNRS, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France.
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Bezagu M, Arseniyadis S, Cossy J, Couture O, Tanter M, Monti F, Tabeling P. A fast and switchable microfluidic mixer based on ultrasound-induced vaporization of perfluorocarbon. Lab Chip 2015; 15:2025-2029. [PMID: 25778877 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00247h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mixing two fluids together within a microfluidic device still remains a challenging operation today. In order to achieve this goal, a number of effective micromixers have been developed over the years based on the use of either passive or active systems. Typically, passive mixers require no external energy, are more robust, and are easy to manufacture albeit they are poorly flexible. Active mixers, on the other hand, rely on external disturbance and are thus more difficult to use but are proven to have greater efficacy. Here, we report a particularly effective, remotely induced and switchable microfluidic mixer, which relies on the concomitant use of ultrasound and a perfluorocarbon (PFC) phase, with the latter benefiting from its immiscibility with most fluids and its low boiling point. More specifically, our approach is based on localized vaporization of a PFC phase at the focal zone of a transducer leading to efficient mixing of two adjacent fluids. The results show that mixing occurs ~100 ms following the delivery of the acoustic pulse, while a laminar flow is re-established on roughly the same time scale. Overall, this method is simple and effective, does not require tailored channel geometries, is compatible with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic microfluidic systems, and is applicable to a wide range of Reynolds numbers (10(-4) < Re < 2.10(0)), and the PFC phase can be easily separated from the mixed phase at the end of the run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Bezagu
- Laboratoire de Chimie Organique, Institute of Chemistry, Biology and Innovation (CBI) - ESPCI ParisTech/CNRS (UMR8231)/PSL* Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
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Bezagu M, Errico C, Chaulot-Talmon V, Monti F, Tanter M, Tabeling P, Cossy J, Arseniyadis S, Couture O. High Spatiotemporal Control of Spontaneous Reactions Using Ultrasound-Triggered Composite Droplets. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:7205-8. [DOI: 10.1021/ja5019354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marine Bezagu
- Laboratoire
de Chimie Organique, Institute of Chemistry, Biology and Innovation
(CBI), − UMR 8231 − ESPCI ParisTech/CNRS/PSL* Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Claudia Errico
- Institut
Langevin, ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS (UMR 7587), INSERM (U979), Paris, France
| | - Victor Chaulot-Talmon
- Laboratoire
de Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS (UMR Gulliver 7083), Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Monti
- Laboratoire
de Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS (UMR Gulliver 7083), Paris, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Institut
Langevin, ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS (UMR 7587), INSERM (U979), Paris, France
| | - Patrick Tabeling
- Laboratoire
de Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS (UMR Gulliver 7083), Paris, France
| | - Janine Cossy
- Laboratoire
de Chimie Organique, Institute of Chemistry, Biology and Innovation
(CBI), − UMR 8231 − ESPCI ParisTech/CNRS/PSL* Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Stellios Arseniyadis
- Laboratoire
de Chimie Organique, Institute of Chemistry, Biology and Innovation
(CBI), − UMR 8231 − ESPCI ParisTech/CNRS/PSL* Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Olivier Couture
- Institut
Langevin, ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS (UMR 7587), INSERM (U979), Paris, France
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Monitoring the accumulation of microbubbles within tissue vasculature with ultrasound allows both molecular and perfusion imaging. Unfortunately, conventional imaging with focused pulses can destroy a large fraction of the microbubbles it is trying to follow. Using coherent synthetic summation, ultrafast plane wave imaging could attain similar image quality, while reducing the peak acoustic pressure and bubble disruption. METHOD In these experiments, microbubbles were flowed in a wall-less vessel phantom. Images were obtained on a programmable clinical scanner with a set of line-per-line focused pulses for conventional contrast imaging and with compounded plane wave transmission adapted for nonlinear imaging. Imaging was performed between 14 and 650 kPa peak negative pressure at 7.5 MHz. The disruption of the microbubbles was evaluated by comparing the microbubble intensity before and after acquisition of a set of 100 images at various pressures. RESULTS The acoustic intensity required to disrupt 50% of the microbubbles was 24 times higher with plane-wave imaging compared with conventional focused pulses. Although both imaging approaches yield similar resolution, at the same disruption level, plane-wave imaging showed better contrast. In particular, at similar disruption ratio (50% after 100 images), contrast-pulse sequencing (CPS) performed with plane waves displayed an improvement of 11 dB compared with conventional nonlinear imaging. CONCLUSION In each resolution cell of the image, plane-wave imaging spread the spatial peak acoustic intensity over more pulses, reducing the peak pressure and, hence, preserving the microbubbles. This method could contribute to molecular imaging by allowing the continuous monitoring of the accumulation of microbubbles with improved contrast.
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Couture O, Urban A, Bretagne A, Martinez L, Tanter M, Tabeling P. In vivo targeted delivery of large payloads with an ultrasound clinical scanner. Med Phys 2012; 39:5229-37. [PMID: 22894447 DOI: 10.1118/1.4736822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Performing drug-delivery with an ultrasonic imaging scanner in situ could drastically simplify treatment and improve its specificity. Our objective is to deliver large amounts of an encapsulated agent in vivo using a clinical ultrasound scanner with a millimetric resolution. This study describes the encapsulation of fluorescein within ultrasound-inducible composite droplets and its targeted release in predefined zones in the liver of rats. METHODS An aqueous solution of fluorescein was encapsulated within perfluorocarbon liquid in 4 μm monodisperse droplets using a microfluidic system. The agent was then injected within the femoral vein of 12 rats. After exploratory ultrasound imaging, the sonographer defined five zones in the liver and a release sequence was initiated on the same apparatus. The surface of the liver was observed under fluorescence macroscopy and intraoperative fluorescence camera in vivo, before liver samples were sliced for pathology. RESULTS Following the conversion of the droplets, a 25 dB increase in contrast was observed in the zones selected by the sonographer. These hyperechoic regions were colocalized with the bright fluorescent spots observed on the surface of the liver. A minimum peak-negative pressure of 2.6 MPa, which is within regulations for imaging pulses, was required for the delivery of the content of the droplets. The tissue and cellular structures were not affected by the exposure to the release sequence. CONCLUSIONS Since composite droplets can carry various therapeutic and imaging agents, they could deliver such agents specifically in any organ accessible to ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Couture
- Institut Langevin, ESPCI, 10 rue Vauquelin, Paris 75005, France.
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38
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Uthe J, Qu L, Couture O, Bearson S, O’Connor A, McKean J, Torres Y, Dekkers J, Nettleton D, Tuggle C. Use of bioinformatic SNP predictions in differentially expressed genes to find SNPs associated with Salmonella colonization in swine. J Anim Breed Genet 2011; 128:354-65. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0388.2011.00935.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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39
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Abstract
PURPOSE The ability of remotely tagging tissues in a controlled and three-dimensional manner during preoperative imaging could greatly help surgeons to identify targets for resection. The authors' objective is to selectively and noninvasively deposit markers under image guidance for such internal tattooing. METHODS This study describes the production of new ultrasound-inducible droplets carrying large payloads of fluorescent markers and the in vivo proof of concept of their remote and controlled deposition via focused ultrasound. The droplets are monodispersed multiple emulsions produced in a microfluidic system, consisting of aqueous fluorescein in perfluorocarbon in water. Their conversion (either by vaporization or cavitation) is performed remotely using a clinical ultrasonic imaging probe. RESULTS When submitted to 5 MHz imaging pulses, the droplets vaporize in vitro at 1.4 MPa peak-negative pressure and eject their content. After several seconds, a brightly fluorescent spot (0.5 mm diameter) is observed at the focus of the transducer. Experiments in the chorioallantoique membrane of chicken eggs and chicken embryo demonstrate that the spot is stable and is easily seen by naked eye. CONCLUSIONS These ultrasound-inducible multiple emulsions could be used to deliver large amounts of contrast agents, chemotherapy, and genetic materials in vivo using a conventional ultrasound scanner.
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Couture O, Dransart E, Dehay S, Nemati F, Decaudin D, Johannes L, Tanter M. Tumor delivery of ultrasound contrast agents using Shiga toxin B subunit. Mol Imaging 2011; 10:135-143. [PMID: 21439258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study demonstrates the targeting of ultrasound contrast agents to human xenograft tumors by exploiting the overexpression of the glycolipid Gb3 in neovasculature. To this end, microbubbles were functionalized with a natural Gb3 ligand, the B subunit of the Shiga toxin (STxB). The targeting of Gb3-expressing tumor cells by STxB microbubbles was first shown by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. A significantly higher proportion of STxB microbubbles were associated with Gb3-expressing tumor cells compared to cells in which Gb3 expression was inhibited. Moreover, ultrasonic imaging of culture plates showed a 12 dB contrast enhancement in average backscattered acoustic intensity on the surface of Gb3-expressing cells compared to Gb3-negative cells. Also, a 18 dB contrast enhancement was found in favor of STxB microbubbles compared to unspecific microbubbles. Microbubble signal intensity in subcutaneous tumors in mice was more than twice as high after the injection of STxB-functionalized microbubbles compared to the injection of unspecific microbubbles. These in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that STxB-functionalized microbubbles bind specifically to cells expressing the Gb3 glycolipid. The cell-binding moieties of toxins thus appear as a new group of ligands for angiogenesis imaging with ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Couture
- Institut Langevin Ondes et Images, (CNRS UMR 7587), INSERM U979 Paris, France.
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Couture O, Dransart E, Dehay S, Nemati F, Decaudin D, Johannes L, Tanter M. Tumor Delivery of Ultrasound Contrast Agents Using Shiga Toxin B Subunit. Mol Imaging 2011. [DOI: 10.2310/7290.2010.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Couture
- From the Institut Langevin Ondes et Images, (CNRS UMR 7587), INSERM U979 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Traffic, Signaling and Delivery Laboratory, Paris, France; CNRS UMR144, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Département du Transfert, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Department of Clinical Hematology, Paris, France; Fondation Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Paris, France
| | - Estelle Dransart
- From the Institut Langevin Ondes et Images, (CNRS UMR 7587), INSERM U979 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Traffic, Signaling and Delivery Laboratory, Paris, France; CNRS UMR144, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Département du Transfert, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Department of Clinical Hematology, Paris, France; Fondation Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Paris, France
| | - Sabrina Dehay
- From the Institut Langevin Ondes et Images, (CNRS UMR 7587), INSERM U979 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Traffic, Signaling and Delivery Laboratory, Paris, France; CNRS UMR144, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Département du Transfert, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Department of Clinical Hematology, Paris, France; Fondation Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Paris, France
| | - Fariba Nemati
- From the Institut Langevin Ondes et Images, (CNRS UMR 7587), INSERM U979 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Traffic, Signaling and Delivery Laboratory, Paris, France; CNRS UMR144, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Département du Transfert, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Department of Clinical Hematology, Paris, France; Fondation Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Paris, France
| | - Didier Decaudin
- From the Institut Langevin Ondes et Images, (CNRS UMR 7587), INSERM U979 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Traffic, Signaling and Delivery Laboratory, Paris, France; CNRS UMR144, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Département du Transfert, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Department of Clinical Hematology, Paris, France; Fondation Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Paris, France
| | - Ludger Johannes
- From the Institut Langevin Ondes et Images, (CNRS UMR 7587), INSERM U979 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Traffic, Signaling and Delivery Laboratory, Paris, France; CNRS UMR144, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Département du Transfert, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Department of Clinical Hematology, Paris, France; Fondation Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Paris, France
| | - Mickael Tanter
- From the Institut Langevin Ondes et Images, (CNRS UMR 7587), INSERM U979 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Traffic, Signaling and Delivery Laboratory, Paris, France; CNRS UMR144, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Département du Transfert, Paris, France; Institut Curie, Department of Clinical Hematology, Paris, France; Fondation Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Paris, France
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Couture O, Bannouf S, Montaldo G, Aubry JF, Fink M, Tanter M. Ultrafast imaging of ultrasound contrast agents. Ultrasound Med Biol 2009; 35:1908-16. [PMID: 19699026 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2009.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2008] [Revised: 05/14/2009] [Accepted: 05/25/2009] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The disappearance of ultrasound contrast agents after disruption can provide useful information on their environment. However, in vivo acoustical imaging of this transient phenomenon, which has a duration on the order of milliseconds, requires high frame rates that are unattainable by conventional ultrasound scanners. In this article, ultrafast imaging is applied to microbubble tracking using a 128-element linear array and an elastography scanner. Contrast agents flowing in a wall-less tissue phantom are insonified with a high-intensity disruption pulse followed by a series of plane waves emitted at a 5kHz PRF. A collection of compounded images depicting the evolution of microbubbles is obtained after the echoes are beamformed in silico. The backscattering of the microbubbles appears to increase in the first image after disruption (4 ms) and decrease following an exponential decay in the next hundred milliseconds. This microbubble dynamic depends on the length and amplitude of the high-intensity pulse. Furthermore, confined microbubbles are found to differ significantly from their free-flowing counterparts in their dissolution curves. The high temporal resolution provided by ultrafast imaging could help distinguish targeted microbubbles during molecular imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Couture
- Institut Langevin Ondes et Images (CNRS UMR 7587), Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielle, Paris 75005, France.
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Needles A, Couture O, Foster FS. A method for differentiating targeted microbubbles in real time using subharmonic micro-ultrasound and interframe filtering. Ultrasound Med Biol 2009; 35:1564-1573. [PMID: 19632763 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2009.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2008] [Revised: 03/19/2009] [Accepted: 04/07/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
This study introduces a new method for differentiating targeted microbubbles in the presence of flowing microbubbles and tissue using micro-ultrasound. The method relies on subharmonic (SH) imaging for segmenting microbubble signals from tissue signals, and low-pass interframe filtering for segmenting bound targeted microbubbles from flowing microbubbles. The method is evaluated with 30 frames per second SH B-mode imaging in vitro, using a wall-less vessel flow phantom. The SH B-mode cineloops were postprocessed using an interframe moving average filter to segment the regions of bound microbubbles on the inner surface of the vessel phantom. The bound bubbles were then disrupted with sufficiently high ultrasound pressures, so that the dynamic process of targeted microbubble binding under flowing conditions could be observed. These preliminary results show that the proposed method is a feasible solution to the challenge of differentiating targeted microbubbles in the presence of tissue and freely flowing microbubbles at high frequencies, which in turn should improve the specificity of targeted microbubble detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Needles
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Couture O, Sprague MR, Cherin E, Burns PN, Foster FS. Reflection from bound microbubbles at high ultrasound frequencies. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control 2009; 56:536-545. [PMID: 19411212 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2009.1070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Targeted contrast agents and ultrasound imaging are now used in combination for the assessment and tracking of biomarkers in animal models in vivo. These applications have triggered interest in the understanding and prediction of the ultrasound echoes from contrast agents attached to cells. This study describes the reflection enhancement due to microbubbles bound on a gelatin surface. The reflection enhancement was measured using ultrasound pulses at high frequency (40 MHz) and low pressure (38 kPa peak-negativepressure) allowing a linear approximation to be applied. The observed reflection coefficient increased with the number of microbubbles, until reaching saturation at 0.9 when the surface coverage fraction was 35%. A multiple scattering model assuming that the targeted microbubbles are confined within an infinitesimally thin layer appeared suitable in predicting the reflection coefficient even at very high surface densities. These results could permit the optimization of the sensitivity of highfrequency ultrasound to targeted contrast agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Couture
- Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre/Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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Couture O, Aubry JF, Montaldo G, Tanter M, Fink M. Suppression of tissue harmonics for pulse-inversion contrast imaging using time reversal. Phys Med Biol 2008; 53:5469-80. [PMID: 18765888 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/53/19/013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Pulse-inversion (PI) sequences are sensitive to the nonlinear echoes from microbubbles allowing an improvement in the blood-to-tissue contrast. However, at larger mechanical indices, this contrast is reduced by harmonics produced during nonlinear propagation. A method for tissue harmonics cancellation exploiting time reversal is experimentally implemented using a 128-channel 12-bit emitter receiver. The probe calibration is performed by acquiring the nonlinear echo of a wire in water. These distorted pulses are time-reversed, optimized and used for the PI imaging of a tissue phantom. Compared to normal (straight) pulses, the time-reversed distorted pulses reduced the tissue signal in PI by 11 dB. The second harmonic signals from microbubbles flowing in a wall-less vessel were unaffected by the correction. This technique can thus increase the blood-to-tissue contrast ratio while keeping the pressure and the number of pulses constant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Couture
- Laboratoire Ondes et Acoustique, ESPCI, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France.
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Cheung K, Couture O, Bevan PD, Cherin E, Williams R, Burns PN, Foster FS. In vitro characterization of the subharmonic ultrasound signal from Definity microbubbles at high frequencies. Phys Med Biol 2008; 53:1209-23. [PMID: 18296758 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/53/5/004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Ultrasound microbubble contrast agents have been demonstrated to scatter subharmonic energy at one-half the driving frequency. At ultrasound frequencies in the 20-40 MHz range, the subharmonic offers the potential to differentiate the blood in the microcirculation from the surrounding tissue. It is unknown whether current contrast agents, manufactured to be resonant between 2 and 12 MHz, are ideal for subharmonic imaging at higher frequencies. We performed numerical simulations of the Keller-Miksis model for the behavior of a single bubble and experimental investigations of Definity microbubbles in water. The results supported the hypothesis that off-resonant bubbles, excited at their second harmonic, may be primarily responsible for the observed subharmonic energy. For frequencies between 20 and 32 MHz and 32 and 40 MHz, the optimal bubble diameters for the generation of subharmonics in vitro were determined experimentally to be 1.2-5 microm and less than 1.2 microm, respectively. Definity may be a suitable ultrasound contrast agent for subharmonic imaging at 20 MHz with peak-negative pressures between 380 and 590 kPa and pulses greater than or equal to four cycles in duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Cheung
- Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre/University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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47
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Abstract
A model predicting the reflection of ultrasound from multiple layers of small scattering spheres is developed. Predictions of the reflection coefficient, which takes into account the interferences between the different sphere layers, are compared to measurements performed in the 10-80 MHz and 15-35 MHz frequency range with layers of glass beads and spherical acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, respectively. For both types of scatterers, the reflection coefficient increases as a function of their density on the surface for less than three superimposed layers, at which point it saturates at 0.38 for glass beads and 0.02 for AML cells. Above three layers, oscillations of the reflection coefficient due to constructive or destructive interference between layers are observed experimentally and are accurately predicted by the model. The use of such a model could lead to a better understanding of the structures observed in layered tissue images.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Couture
- Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre/University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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Couture O, Bevan PD, Cherin E, Cheung K, Burns PN, Foster FS. A model for reflectivity enhancement due to surface bound submicrometer particles. Ultrasound Med Biol 2006; 32:1247-55. [PMID: 16875958 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2006.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2005] [Revised: 04/18/2006] [Accepted: 05/04/2006] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Submicrometer particles filled with liquid perfluorocarbon have been shown to increase the ultrasound reflectivity of surfaces onto which they bind and, consequently, are seen as potential targeted contrast agents. The objective of this study is to explain the reflectivity enhancement as a result of the presence of randomly distributed particles on a surface. A model is presented where the diffraction-weighted scattering of all particles is summed over the exposed surface. Experiments were performed at frequencies ranging from 15 MHz to 60 MHz, with glass microbeads and perfluorohexane particles deposited on the surface of agar and Aqualene, a rubber closely matched to water, to confirm the validity of the model. Results showed that the model predicts the surface density and the frequency dependence of the reflectivity enhancement up to a density corresponding to twice the maximum packing of spheres on a surface (200% confluence fraction) for glass beads and a fifth (20% confluence fraction) for perfluorohexane particles. This suggests the possibility of predicting signal enhancement due to a bound contrast agent in simple geometries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Couture
- Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Couture O, Bevan PD, Cherin E, Cheung K, Burns PN, Foster FS. Investigating perfluorohexane particles with high-frequency ultrasound. Ultrasound Med Biol 2006; 32:73-82. [PMID: 16364799 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2005.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2005] [Revised: 08/25/2005] [Accepted: 09/01/2005] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Submicron particles filled with liquid perfluorocarbon are currently being studied as a potential ultrasound-targeted contrast agent. The objective of this study was to evaluate the scattering properties of these particles. Sets of perfluorohexane-filled particles of different average sizes (300 nm to 1000 nm) were produced with a constant total volume fraction. The attenuation coefficient was measured in the 15- to 50-MHz frequency range and was found to increase smoothly with frequency and to be independent of the amplitude and bandwidth of the transmitted pulse. The values range from 0.31 to 0.64 dB/mm at 30 MHz for mean particle size ranging from 970 to 310 nm, respectively. The backscattering spectra of the particle solutions were measured and showed no sign of nonlinear scattering. The backscattering coefficient increased with the power 3.9 +/- 0.3 of the frequency. These results confirm that liquid perfluorocarbon droplets behave as linear Rayleigh scatterers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Couture
- Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Albright J, Vincent R, Freeman B, Stanfill R, Weatherford E, Henderson L, Buising C, Bell S, Couture O, Mittelstedter C, Skerrett G, Wall P. ENALAPRILAT DURING RESUSCITATION IMPROVES SYSTEMIC AND MESENTERIC FLOW. Shock 2001. [DOI: 10.1097/00024382-200106001-00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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