Intraoperative brain ultrasound: A new approach to study flow dynamics in intracranial aneurysms

Hölscher, Thilo; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Javier; Wilkening, Wilko G.; Lasheras, Juan C.; U, Hoi Sang

doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2006.05.017

« Previous Next »Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume 32, Issue 9 , Pages 1307-1313, September 2006

Intraoperative brain ultrasound: A new approach to study flow dynamics in intracranial aneurysms

Thilo Hölscher
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Address correspondence to: Thilo Hoelscher, MD, Assistant Adjunct Professor, University of California San Diego, Medical Center, Department of Radiology, 212 West Dickinson St. B-412, San Diego, CA 92103-8756.
Javier Rodriguez-Rodriguez
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Wilko G. Wilkening
- Ruhr Center of Excellence for Medical Engineering (KMR), Bochum, Germany
Juan C. Lasheras
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Hoi Sang U
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

Received 18 October 2005; received in revised form 5 May 2006; accepted 19 May 2006.

Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the potential of contrast-enhanced ultrasound to visualize the hemodynamics in intracranial aneurysms during neurosurgical intervention and to quantify the ultrasound data using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) technique. Aneurysms were scanned through the intact dura mater, preclipping and again postclipping after closure of the dura. After intravenous injection of Optison™, angio-like views of the vascular tree surrounding the aneurysm, including the aneurysm sac, were obtained. Single ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles could be visualized in the aneurysm sac and the flow dynamics could be assessed in vivo. Spatial and temporal distributions of the velocity in the aneurysm and in the parent vessels were measured with DPIV using the backscattered signals from the microbubbles. Subsequently, the fluid stresses, vorticity, circulation, etc., were calculated from the velocity fields. We demonstrate in this paper that intraoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be used to quantify the flow dynamics within an aneurysm. (E-mail: thoelscher@ucsd.edu)

Key Words: Intraoperative , Ultrasound contrast , Aneurysm , Phase inversion , Digital particle image velocimetry