4D Computational Ultrasound Imaging of Carotid Artery Flow

Abstract: Computational ultrasound imaging (cUSi) with few elements and spatial field encoding can provide high-resolution volumetric B-mode imaging. In this work, we extend its application to 4D carotid artery (CA) flow imaging using a custom large-aperture 240-element matrix probe. We implemented a frequency band-based matched filtering strategy that balances resolution and contrast. The system's inherent imaging capabilities were evaluated and validated in flow phantom and human CA experiments. In the phantom study, 3D/4D power Doppler image and speckle-tracking analyses confirmed the system's ability to resolve flow structures and hemodynamics. In the human study, the CA bifurcation flow structure and its local pulsatile flow dynamics were successfully reconstructed. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using a large-footprint, few-element cUSi system for 4D CA flow assessment.