高强度聚焦超声换能器温度场的数值仿真

相控阵高强度聚焦超声换能器可以通过换能器上不同阵元发射超声波的时间不同来实现变焦、多焦点。该论文应用Westervelt方程的近似式,结合Pennes热传导方程,以人体乳房为例,FDTD(finite difference time domain)仿真对比研究平面阵列相控聚焦换能器与曲面阵列相控聚焦换能器形成温度场的特性,同时数值仿真研究不同占空比的正弦激励函数、不同治疗频率、声强对曲面阵列相控聚焦换能器超声温度场的影响。研究结果表明曲面阵列相控聚焦换能器能有效地减少皮肤处的温升,对皮肤的伤害较小;对于曲面阵列相控聚焦换能器,不同占空比的正弦激励函数形成的可治疗区域(60℃以上)大小差别不大,但最高温度不同;随着频率升高,形成的可治疗区域体积减小;随着输入声强的增大,可治疗区域变大,但焦距不变。     

磨薄颅骨后大鼠经颅超声灌注成像表现及安全性评估

目的通过磨薄SD大鼠局部颅骨改善声窗后观察右脑经颅超声灌注成像表现并行定量评估,初步评价磨骨及经颅超声对血-脑脊液屏障的影响。方法将48只SD大鼠分为A、B两组。A组6只大鼠在右侧局部颅骨磨薄前、后分别进行一次经颅超声灌注成像,比较成像效果。检查结束后,其中4只大鼠行大脑依文思蓝(EB)染色,2只行头部核磁共振(MRI)检查,并均于处死后取两侧颅骨骨质做HE染色,测量磨头骨后剩余颅骨厚度。B组42只大鼠将右侧局部颅骨磨薄后行视交叉平面的右脑经颅超声灌注成像(团注0.15 mL超声造影剂SonoVue~(TM)),并行动态超声造影分析(时间-强度曲线)获取磨头骨后正常大鼠大脑经颅超声灌注成像参数。结果 SD大鼠磨骨后右脑灌注成像效果改善明显,呈"快速增强、快速廓清,缓慢清除"的特点。时间-强度曲线定量分析结果:峰值强度(PI)磨头骨后较磨头骨前约增加3倍[(9.98±2.35)vs(3.24±1.49)dB,P0.01],而达峰时间(TTP)无明显改变[(4.66±0.45)vs(3.86±1.43)s,P 0.01]。右侧颅骨磨薄后的厚度约(66.1±11.4)μm;EB染色及MRI检查未发现明显的血-脑脊液屏障破坏。结论颅骨磨薄手术对SD大鼠脑组织无明显损伤并可明显改善经颅超声灌注成像效果,该技术可用于小动物的经颅超声灌注成像的定量分析。这种微创、实时影像方法可用于各种小动物病理模型的脑血流动态变化的研究。     

经颅超声在帕金森病治疗中的应用

帕金森病是仅次于阿尔茨海默病的第二大常见神经退行性疾病，临床常用的治疗方法为药物治疗和神经外科手术。然而，目前尚无确切的方法阻止疾病的发展，新的治疗方案亟待探索。超声波因其具有非侵入性、高空间分辨率和高穿透性的特点，现已被广泛关注并用于帕金森病的治疗之中。近些年兴起的磁共振成像（MRI）引导聚焦超声消融技术、MRI引导聚焦超声开放血脑屏障给药技术、低强度聚焦超声调控技术和声遗传技术都已经在临床研究或临床前动物模型中取得可喜的成果。本文从以上4个方面综述近5年经颅超声技术在帕金森病治疗中的主要进展，并对其中的一些科学问题进行了探讨，以期为研究帕金森病发病机制和治疗方案的同行提供参考。     

男性特小颅一例报告

本例特小颅T1的死者为男性,年龄约40岁,身高168cm,中国人。经颅骨各项指标测量和观察,该颅骨的脑颅特小,尤其是额部特别窄小;而面颅则相对较大,上、下颌骨向前突出。颅骨主要的长、宽、高各径和弧、弦、周长等的测量值均比其他报道中的最小值要小;颅容量为602ml,比已报道的最小颅容量1340ml还要小一倍多,故将其称为特小颅。     

创伤后应激障碍的经颅磁刺激研究进展

创伤后应激障碍会损伤记忆、注意和执行等认知功能,引起异常的脑活动及脑区间功能连接.尽管药物治疗和心理干预能够取得一定的治疗效果,但存在药物副作用和起效延迟等问题.经颅磁刺激作为新的创伤后应激障碍干预手段受到越来越多的关注.本文通过综述经颅磁刺激干预创伤后应激障碍以及调控认知功能和脑活动的相关研究,系统探讨了创伤后应激障碍干预中经颅磁刺激模式、刺激靶点和疗效评估等问题,并提出未来借助更有效的技术手段进行定位、建立全面有效的评估体系和结合新的记忆理论探索具有长期临床改善效果的干预方案.     

精准定位脑刺激对运动功能调控研究进展

脑刺激是神经科学研究的重要手段,传统的经颅磁刺激和经颅电刺激等脑刺激方法尽管能调控运动功能(包括减轻运动性障碍疾病的运动障碍、提高运动能力等),但存在空间分辨率低且无法刺激深部脑组织的局限性.近年来迅速发展的深部脑刺激(deep brain stimulation,DBS)、光遗传学、经颅超声刺激(transcrani...     

男性巨颅一例报告

本例颅骨F31的颅容量为2330毫升,其长宽高诸径、颅围与全颅重量也特别大。为此,进行了全面观察与测量、对比与分析,见表l—3。经鉴定为中国人,男性,年龄约40岁。经用颅骨(男颅G39、女颅E15)拍照对比(图版I)与放射线摄影分析,排除脑积水、脑肿瘤以及巨人症等病理因素。     

经颅电刺激镇痛研究的现状及展望

经颅电刺激技术是一种非侵入性神经调控方法,因其具有卓越的安全性、良好的患者依从性以及高度便携性等特点,被视为一种潜在的非药物镇痛手段。然而,目前对于经颅电刺激镇痛效果的研究结果不一致且镇痛机制尚未完全阐明。本文通过系统归纳总结3种主要的经颅电刺激技术——经颅直流电刺激、经颅交流电刺激和经颅随机噪声刺激——在镇痛领域的研究进展,评估了这些技术对短时、急性和慢性疼痛的镇痛效果,并深入剖析了其潜在的镇痛机制。同时,本文系统讨论了既往研究的局限性,并对未来研究提出了一系列切实可行的建议,如借助电场模拟技术实现个性化刺激以克服不同个体头部解剖结构差异的影响、应用多位点刺激和深部脑刺激技术来拓展刺激脑区、搭建经颅电刺激技术同步神经影像平台以制定个体特异性的刺激方案并深入揭示其镇痛机制、探索与其他治疗技术的联合应用以提高疗效等。这些建议的实施将有助于解决当前研究中存在的问题,充分发挥经颅电刺激在疼痛治疗中的临床价值,最终实现患者疼痛的缓解。     

南京现代人颅骨的测量

对南京出土成年颅骨273个(男157,女116)进行了9个项目的测量。结果表明,除1项性差不显著外,其余8项的性差均有高度的显著性。按颅指数,颅长高指数及颅宽高指数分级,南京人颅骨多分别属于圆颅、高颅及中颅型。     

经颅多普勒超声对椎—基底动脉缺血性眩晕的应用研究

经颅多普勒超声(TCD)是一种非创伤性检测颅内血管血流变化的方法。中老年椎基底动脉缺血性眩晕(VBI)客观证据少,主观症状多,神经系统检查及头颅CT、     

An adaptation of the ultrasound transducer element test for multi-row arrays

PurposeA simple “paperclip test” for the function of individual elements in a diagnostic ultrasound transducer array is widely performed and has been adapted for phased arrays. The aim of this study was to adapt the test further for multi-row transducer arrays.MethodsAn embossing tool was used in place of the usual paperclip or metal rod and was slowly moved along the transducer array, attempting to isolate the signal from each row in turn. Phased array transducers were operated in M-mode. Non-functioning elements were identified by a reduction in amplitude of the reverberation line. The test was repeated several times for each transducer, ensuring that all non-functioning elements were identified and looking for consistency of results. 28 phased arrays and 5 linear/curvi-linear arrays in clinical use and 1 phased array and 1 linear array already identified as faulty by electronic transducer testing, and not in clinical service, were available for testing.Results8 of the clinical phased arrays were found to have 1 or more faulty elements; 3 had only minor defects and 5 were replaced under warranty or service contract. The linear/curvi-linear arrays showed no fault. The adapted test showed the failed elements in the known faulty phased array, except at the end of the array, but weak elements were not detected. The faulty linear array had a block of failed outer elements which was identified by the test.ConclusionsThe adapted test is capable of detecting non-functioning elements in multi-row arrays, but weak elements were not detected.     

MR thermometry characterization of a hyperthermia ultrasound array designed using the k-space computational method

Background  

Ultrasound induced hyperthermia is a useful adjuvant to radiation therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer. A uniform thermal dose (43°C for 30 minutes) is required within the targeted cancerous volume for effective therapy. This requires specific ultrasound phased array design and appropriate thermometry method. Inhomogeneous, acoustical, three-dimensional (3D) prostate models and economical computational methods provide necessary tools to predict the appropriate shape of hyperthermia phased arrays for better focusing. This research utilizes the k-space computational method and a 3D human prostate model to design an intracavitary ultrasound probe for hyperthermia treatment of prostate cancer. Evaluation of the probe includes ex vivo and in vivo controlled hyperthermia experiments using the noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) thermometry.     

Effects of the murine skull in optoacoustic brain microscopy

Despite the great promise behind the recent introduction of optoacoustic technology into the arsenal of small‐animal neuroimaging methods, a variety of acoustic and light‐related effects introduced by adult murine skull severely compromise the performance of optoacoustics in transcranial imaging. As a result, high‐resolution noninvasive optoacoustic microscopy studies are still limited to a thin layer of pial microvasculature, which can be effectively resolved by tight focusing of the excitation light. We examined a range of distortions introduced by an adult murine skull in transcranial optoacoustic imaging under both acoustically‐ and optically‐determined resolution scenarios. It is shown that strong low‐pass filtering characteristics of the skull may significantly deteriorate the achievable spatial resolution in deep brain imaging where no light focusing is possible. While only brain vasculature with a diameter larger than 60 µm was effectively resolved via transcranial measurements with acoustic resolution, significant improvements are seen through cranial windows and thinned skull experiments.

(a) Experimental setup for hybrid acoustic and optical resolution optoacoustic microscopy. (b) Transcranial scan of an adult mouse brain using the optical resolution mode. Scale bar is 375 µm.     

Impacts of the murine skull on high‐frequency transcranial photoacoustic brain imaging

Non‐invasive photoacoustic tomography (PAT) of mouse brains with intact skulls has been a challenge due to the skull's strong acoustic attenuation, aberration, and reverberation, especially in the high‐frequency range (>15 MHz). In this paper, we systematically investigated the impacts of the murine skull on the photoacoustic wave propagation and on the PAT image reconstruction. We studied the photoacoustic acoustic wave aberration due to the acoustic impedance mismatch at the skull boundaries and the mode conversion between the longitudinal wave and shear wave. The wave's reverberation within the skull was investigated for both longitudinal and shear modes. In the inverse process, we reconstructed the transcranial photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) and photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) images of a point target enclosed by the mouse skull, showing the skull's different impacts on both modalities. Finally, we experimentally validated the simulations by imaging an in vitro mouse skull phantom using representative transcranial PAM and PACT systems. The experimental results agreed well with the simulations and confirmed the accuracy of our forward and inverse models. We expect that our results will provide better understanding of the impacts of the murine skull on transcranial photoacoustic brain imaging and pave the ways for future technical improvements.      

Three-Dimensional Mid-Air Acoustic Manipulation by Ultrasonic Phased Arrays

The essence of levitation technology is the countervailing of gravity. It is known that an ultrasound standing wave is capable of suspending small particles at its sound pressure nodes. The acoustic axis of the ultrasound beam in conventional studies was parallel to the gravitational force, and the levitated objects were manipulated along the fixed axis (i.e. one-dimensionally) by controlling the phases or frequencies of bolted Langevin-type transducers. In the present study, we considered extended acoustic manipulation whereby millimetre-sized particles were levitated and moved three-dimensionally by localised ultrasonic standing waves, which were generated by ultrasonic phased arrays. Our manipulation system has two original features. One is the direction of the ultrasound beam, which is arbitrary because the force acting toward its centre is also utilised. The other is the manipulation principle by which a localised standing wave is generated at an arbitrary position and moved three-dimensionally by opposed and ultrasonic phased arrays. We experimentally confirmed that expanded-polystyrene particles of 0.6 mm, 1 mm, and 2 mm in diameter could be manipulated by our proposed method.     

A simple uniformity test for ultrasound phased arrays

PurposeIt is difficult to test phased array ultrasound transducers for non functioning elements. We aimed to modify a widely performed test to improve its ease and effectiveness for these arrays.MethodsA paperclip was slowly moved along the transducer array, with the scanner operating in M-mode, imaging at a fundamental frequency with automatic gain and grey scale adjustment disabled. Non-functioning elements are identified by a dark vertical line in the image. The test was repeated several times for each transducer, looking for consistency of results. 2 transducers, with faults already shown by electronic transducer testing, were used to validate the method. 23 transducers in clinical use were tested.ResultsThe results of the modified test on the 2 faulty transducers agreed closely with electronic transducer testing results. The test indicated faults in 5 of the 23 transducers in clinical use: 3 with a single failed element and 2 with non-uniform sensitivity. 1 transducer with non-uniform sensitivity had undergone lens repair; the new lens was visibly non-uniform in thickness and further testing showed a reduction in depth of penetration and a loss of elevational focus in comparison with a new transducer.ConclusionsThe modified test is capable of detecting non-functioning elements. Further work is required to provide a better understanding of more subtle faults.     

利用连续光声成像监测动物脑部血液动力学变化

基于B型扫描超声诊断仪和线性阵列探测器的快速光声成像系统被搭建,并用于脑部血液动力学的监测研究。实验中,小鼠脑部皮层的全景血管网络分布图像通过光声探测器双扫描采集接收的方式被重建出来。然后,针对小鼠的脑中动脉,利用阵列电子扫描采集方式,光声成像实现了局部连续地监测由静脉注射生理盐水和吲哚菁绿引起的脑部血液动力学反应,成功地利用光声图像记录其光吸收的改变。实验展示了光声快速成像获取脑部功能信号的应用潜力。     

Age-related characteristics of relationships between brain blood flow, liquor dynamics and biomechanical properties of human cranium

The peculiarities of relationships between changes of cerebral blood flow, intracranial liquor dynamics and skull biomechanics in humans were studied in an age aspect. For this aim, a non-invasive method was proposed based on concomitant registration of rheoencephalogram and transcranial dopplerogram and evaluation of relationships between intracranial volume and pulse pressure changes (P-V index). The data obtained were analyzed by pattern-phase computer processing and compared with the blood flow parameters. The investigation was carried out on healthy volunteers of 18-25, 40-50 and 65-75 years of age. It was shown that circulatory-metabolic supplying of human brain was supported by such factors as volume brain blood flow, intracranial liquor dynamics in cooperation with skull biomechanics. The cerebral blood flow decrease at aging could be compensated by increase of the reserve-compensatory abilities of the system of cranial-spinal liquor dynamics.     

One-dimensional acoustic standing waves in rectangular channels for flow cytometry

Flow cytometry has become a powerful analytical tool for applications ranging from blood diagnostics to high throughput screening of molecular assemblies on microsphere arrays. However, instrument size, expense, throughput, and consumable use limit its use in resource poor areas of the world, as a component in environmental monitoring, and for detection of very rare cell populations. For these reasons, new technologies to improve the size and cost-to-performance ratio of flow cytometry are required. One such technology is the use of acoustic standing waves that efficiently concentrate cells and particles to the center of flow channels for analysis. The simplest form of this method uses one-dimensional acoustic standing waves to focus particles in rectangular channels. We have developed one-dimensional acoustic focusing flow channels that can be fabricated in simple capillary devices or easily microfabricated using photolithography and deep reactive ion etching. Image and video analysis demonstrates that these channels precisely focus single flowing streams of particles and cells for traditional flow cytometry analysis. Additionally, use of standing waves with increasing harmonics and in parallel microfabricated channels is shown to effectively create many parallel focused streams. Furthermore, we present the fabrication of an inexpensive optical platform for flow cytometry in rectangular channels and use of the system to provide precise analysis. The simplicity and low-cost of the acoustic focusing devices developed here promise to be effective for flow cytometers that have reduced size, cost, and consumable use. Finally, the straightforward path to parallel flow streams using one-dimensional multinode acoustic focusing, indicates that simple acoustic focusing in rectangular channels may also have a prominent role in high-throughput flow cytometry.     

Biomechanical properties of the human cranium: aging aspects

Biomechanical properties of the human skull affect its dynamic tensility (pliability, compliance) by changes of intracranial volume and pressure (deltaV/deltaP). The goal of this study is to substantiate a possibility of noninvasive and dynamic evaluation of cranial compliance. The transcranial dopplerogram of middle cerebral artery and hemispheric bioimpedance were synchronously recorded, which represent information about pulsative changes of intracranial pressure and volume, respectively. The parameters were recorded at rest and during adequate hemo- and liquorodynamic tests in different age groups--20-30, 40-50, and 70-85 years. As compared with the young group, a decrease of the cranial compliance in the intermediate age group was revealed due to an observed increase if rigidity of skull bones and ligaments, which indicates a decrease of stability of the intracranial circulatory system. However, in the group of 70-85 years the compliance rose again due to an enlargement of intracranial liquor spaces and facilitation of liquor circulation inside the intracranial cavity; this can be suggested to be a compensatory mechanism for supporting the adequate brain circulatory-metabolic state.