Effect of Acoustic Power on In Vivo Molecular Imaging with Targeted Microbubbles: Implications for Low-Mechanical Index Real-Time Imaging

Beat A. Kaufmann, Chad L. Carr, Todd Belcik, Aris Xie, Benjamin Kron, Qi Yue, Jonathan R. Lindner

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    12 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of acoustic power on ultrasound molecular imaging data with targeted microbubbles. Methods: Imaging was performed with a contrast-specific multipulse method at mechanical indexes (MIs) of 0.18 and 0.97. In vitro imaging was used to measure concentration-intensity relationships and to assess whether damping from microbubble attachment to cultured endothelial cells affected signal enhancement. Power-related differences in signal enhancement were evaluated in vivo by P-selectin-targeted and control microbubble imaging in a murine model of hind-limb ischemia-reperfusion injury. Results: During in vitro experiments, there was minimal acoustic damping from microbubble-cell attachment at either MI. Signal enhancement in the in vitro and in vivo experiments was 2-fold to 3-fold higher for high-MI imaging compared with low-MI imaging, which was due to greater pixel intensity, the detection of a greater number of retained microbubbles, and increased point-spread function. Yet there was a linear relationship between high-MI and low-MI data indicating that the relative degree of enhancement was similar. Conclusion: During molecular imaging, high-MI protocols produce more robust targeted signal enhancement than low-MI protocols, although differences in relative enhancement caused by condition or agent are similar.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)79-85
    Number of pages7
    JournalJournal of the American Society of Echocardiography
    Volume23
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Jan 2010

    Keywords

    • Contrast echocardiography
    • Contrast ultrasound
    • Mechanical index
    • Microbubbles
    • Molecular imaging

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
    • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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