Non-invasive characterisation method of carotid plaque composition using ultrasonic velocity-change imaging

The instability of vessel plaque is thought to be associated with the size and distribution of the lipid core. Ultrasonic B-mode imaging (ultrasonic amplitude imaging) can visualise plaques, but it is unable to provide information about their composition. Based on the fact that the temperature dependence of ultrasonic velocity differs considerably between water and fat, the motivation for this reported work was that it was thought that ultrasonic velocity-change imaging could help characterise biological tissues. This method should be able to detect unstable plaque because it is lipid-rich. A blood vessel phantom of agar base material having similar ultrasonic properties to human soft tissue was made. A small piece of fat was inserted into the blood vessel phantom. Water (instead of blood) was passed through the model vessel using a tube pump. Ultrasonic velocity-change images were constructed from echo pulse waveforms obtained before and after warming using an ultrasonic transducer. Lipid-rich areas in the blood vessel phantom were obvious in the ultrasonic velocity-change image, but not in ultrasonic B-mode images. These results indicate that ultrasonic velocity-change imaging is able to characterise carotid artery plaque.