Doppler imaging - Ultrasound
Doppler imaging group
The Doppler imaging group develops ultrasound techniques for quantification and visualization of blood flow and wall motion in cardiovascular applications. Information about blood velocities can in the diagnostic setting be used to identify abnormal blood flow related to pathology, such as the jet flow patterns resulting from a heart valve leakage or narrowing of a blood vessel. Further, information about tissue velocities can be used to detect areas with increased stiffness in the heart and vessel walls.
Today, Doppler ultrasound measurement is an integral part of commercial scanner systems. Conventional blood flow imaging modalities include spectral Doppler, in which the complete spectrum of velocities within one specific region is displayed. Another modality, Color Flow Imaging(CFI) estimates a pixel-wise mean velocity component in a larger region of interest, displayed overlaid an image of the anatomy. The CFI modality is useful for detection of areas with abnormal blood flow, which can be investigated further using spectral Doppler techniques.
Current activities include:
- Flow pattern visualization and quantification in the heart
- Quantification of jet flow in heart valves
- 2D and 3D blood flow quantification in vascular applications
- Mechanical wave propagation in heart walls