Nanodroplet-Based Super-Resolution Ultrasound Localization Microscopy.

Over the past decade, super-resolution ultrasound localization microscopy (SR-ULM) has revolutionized ultrasound imaging with its capability to resolve the microvascular structures below the ultrasound diffraction limit. The introduction of this imaging technique enables the visualization, quantification, and characterization of tissue microvasculature. The early implementations of SR-ULM utilize microbubbles (MBs) that require a long image acquisition time due to the requirement of capturing sparsely isolated microbubble signals.

Ultrasound super-resolution imaging for the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules: A pilot study.

Objective: Ultrasound imaging provides a fast and safe examination of thyroid nodules. Recently, the introduction of super-resolution imaging technique shows the capability of breaking the Ultrasound diffraction limit in imaging the micro-vessels. The aim of this study was to evaluate its feasibility and value for the differentiation of thyroid nodules.

Super-Resolution Ultrasound Localization Microscopy of Microvascular Structure and Flow for Distinguishing Metastatic Lymph Nodes - An Initial Human Study.

Purpose: Detecting and distinguishing metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) from those with benign lymphadenopathy are crucial for cancer diagnosis and prognosis but remain a clinical challenge. A recent advance in super-resolution ultrasound (SRUS) through localizing individual microbubbles has broken the diffraction limit and tracking enabled in vivo noninvasive imaging of vascular morphology and flow dynamics at a microscopic level. In this study we hypothesize that SRUS enables quantitative markers to distinguish metastatic LNs from benign ones in patients with lymphadenopathy.

3-D Super-Resolution Ultrasound Imaging With a 2-D Sparse Array.

High-frame-rate 3-D ultrasound imaging technology combined with super-resolution processing method can visualize 3-D microvascular structures by overcoming the diffraction-limited resolution in every spatial direction. However, 3-D super-resolution ultrasound imaging using a full 2-D array requires a system with a large number of independent channels, the design of which might be impractical due to the high cost, complexity, and volume of data produced. In this study, a 2-D sparse array was designed and fabricated with 512 elements chosen from a density-tapered 2-D spiral layout.

High-Frame-Rate Tri-Plane Echocardiography With Spiral Arrays: From Simulation to Real-Time Implementation.

Major cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are associated with (regional) dysfunction of the left ventricle. Despite the 3-D nature of the heart and its dynamics, the assessment of myocardial function is still largely based on 2-D ultrasound imaging, thereby making diagnosis heavily susceptible to the operator's expertise. Unfortunately, to date, 3-D echocardiography cannot provide adequate spatiotemporal resolution in real-time.