Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 31, 2025
Blood Flow Imaging with Ultrafast Doppler
Published on: October 14, 2020
In Vivo Comparison of Pulse Wave Velocity Estimation Based on Ultrafast Plane Wave Imaging and High-Frame-Rate
Melissa G M van den Bos-van de Steeg1, Stein Fekkes2, Anne E C M Saris2
1Department of Medical Imaging, Medical Ultrasound Imaging Center, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Physics, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Ultrasound-based local pulse wave velocity (PWV) estimation, as a measure of arterial stiffness, can be based on fast focused imaging (FFI) or plane wave imaging (PWI). This study was aimed at comparing the accuracy of in vivo PWV estimation using FFI and PWI. Ultrasound radiofrequency data of carotid arteries were acquired in 14 healthy volunteers (25-57 y) by executing the FFI (12 lines, 7200 Hz) and PWI (128 lines, 2000 Hz) methods consecutively. PWV was derived at two time-reference points, dicrotic notch (DN) and systolic foot (SF), for multiple pressure cycles by fitting a linear function through the positions of the peaks of low-pass filtered wall acceleration curves as a function of time. The accuracy of PWV estimation was determined for various cutoff frequencies (10-200 Hz). No statistically significant difference was observed between PWVs estimated by both approaches. The PWV and R2 at DN were higher, on average, than those at SF (PWV/R2: FFI SF 5.5/0.92, FFI DN 6.1/0.92; PWI SF 5.4/0.89, PWI DN 6.3/0.95). The use of cutoff frequencies between 40 and 80 Hz provided the most accurate PWVs. Both methods seemed equally suitable for use in clinical practice, although we have a preference for the PWV at DN given the higher R2 values.
