High frame rate vector flow imaging of stenotic carotid bifurcation: Computational modeling and analysis

Analysis of the complex blood flow pattern in the carotid bifurcation is clinically important to the diagnosis of carotid stenoses. We hypothesize that the use of high frame rate imaging methods such as plane wave excitation, together with vector flow estimators like block matching, may potentially be a suitable imaging problem to this problem. This paper presents our team´s initial efforts in developing a high frame rate vector flow imaging framework that is based on plane wave excitation principles and a high dynamic range block matching algorithm that incorporates least squares fitting principles. We have conducted a series of Field II simulations on straight tubes and carotid bifurcation to evaluate the estimation accuracy and imaging performance of our framework. Results indicate that high-frame-rate vector flow imaging is capable of visualizing complex blood flow. It has potential to be further developed into a new clinical technique for vascular diagnoses.