Cyclic and radial variation of ultrasonic backscatter from flowing porcine blood

The ultrasonic backscattering from flowing blood was investigated using several hemodynamic parameters and a physiological parameter. Acceleration was hypothesized to enhance the aggregation of red blood cells (RBCs), and this is the first time that acceleration is suggested and experimentally verified as having an effect on aggregation of RBC. Two interesting phenomena, the ‘Black Hole (BH)’ phenomenon and the ‘Bright Collapsing Ring (BCR)’ phenomenon, were observed under pulsatile flow in B-mode cross sectional images. The BH phenomenon describes a dark hypoechoic hole at the center of the tube surrounded by a bright hyperechoic zone in B-mode cross sectional images, and the BCR phenomenon describes the appearance of a bright hyperechoic ring at the periphery of the tube at early systole and its convergence from the periphery to the center of the tube, finally collapsing as flow develops.; Doppler power variation was observed only from porcine whole blood, which led to a conclusion that the ultrasonic backscattering was mainly dependent on the RBC aggregation under steady and pulsatile flow. The pattern of the cyclic variation of the Doppler power to have a maximum power at peak systole was mainly due to the enhanced rouleaux formation by acceleration. The BCR phenomenon was observed from the cyclic variation pattern of the Doppler power at different radial positions; the Doppler power peak was observed at early systole at the periphery of the tube and lagged the flow as close from the periphery to the center of the tube.; The BCR phenomenon from porcine whole blood in a mock flow loop was further examined in real time in B-mode images under pulsatile flow. At low hematocrit of 12%, no BCR phenomenon was discernable although it was observed at higher hematocrits. The pattern of the nonlinear relationship between echogenicity and hematocrit varied with radial positions. The BH phenomenon was also observed under certain hemodynamic conditions and varied over a pulsatile cycle. The BCR phenomenon was also observed from human carotid arteries from 10 subjects only in the harmonic images.; In order to better understand these phenomena, the cyclic and radial variation of echogenicity under oscillatory flow was measured and the results showed a different pattern from that under pulsatile flow. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...