Transcutaneous localization of arterial bleeding by two-dimensional ultrasonic imaging of tissue vibrations

Arterial bleeding into a free space is known to cause local vibrations in tissue. To study the effectiveness of utilizing these tissue vibrations in localizing the site of arterial bleeding, we have developed an algorithm for ultrasonically imaging these tissue vibrations. Simulation results indicate that our algorithm can correctly detect vibrations in the presence of pulsatile wall motion, blood flow and noise with the sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 99%. Preliminary results from an animal study indicate that our algorithm can detect vibrations from bleeding arteries as well as from organs such as liver and spleen.