Doppler Ultrasound Probe for Carotid Stenosis Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a growing need for a cost-effective, automated carotid artery screening device that can be used in low-resource settings to detect carotid stenosis, which is a significant contributor to stroke mortality, especially in developing countries where skilled personnel and high-end ultrasound scanners are scarce.
Innovation Solution
A non-imaging Doppler ultrasound system with a two-dimensional array of transducer elements of relatively large size, operated independently without phasing, which produces two or three-dimensional representations of carotid blood flow and assesses stenosis through automated measurements of peak systolic velocity and blood flow turbulence, allowing for minimal training and affordable, accurate diagnosis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-end duplex ultrasound scanners are used to accurately assess carotid stenosis, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and isolates only the essential functional components needed for carotid stenosis assessment from complex duplex ultrasound scanners. It uses a simplified Doppler probe with a small array of transducer elements that performs only the critical function of measuring blood flow velocity and turbulence, eliminating unnecessary imaging and other complex features while maintaining diagnostic accuracy for stenosis evaluation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a cost-effective Doppler probe with a limited number of transducer elements (e.g., 32 elements) that is designed for specific carotid screening applications rather than general-purpose high-end imaging. This simplified probe architecture significantly reduces manufacturing cost while providing sufficient measurement capability for stenosis assessment in resource-limited settings.
2Ease of operation
If automated measurement systems are implemented to reduce reliance on skilled personnel, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates automated processing that performs stenosis assessment independently without requiring operator interpretation. The processor automatically analyzes the Doppler spectral data, identifies peak systolic velocity, calculates turbulence indices, and generates stenosis classification, enabling non-specialists to perform accurate screenings through simple probe placement and automated result generation.
3Measurement precision
If multiple transducer elements are used to improve flow measurement accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention concentrates transducer elements in a small, focused array (e.g., 32 elements) optimized specifically for carotid artery imaging geometry, rather than using large-scale arrays. This localized concentration of elements provides sufficient measurement precision for the specific application while keeping the total element count and manufacturing complexity manageable and cost-effective.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a cost-effective, automated means to accurately assess carotid stenosis by generating detailed blood flow images and measuring key parameters like peak systolic velocity and turbulence, enabling effective screening in resource-limited settings without the need for high-end equipment.
Implementation Method 1
An ultrasound probe contains a transducer array of transducer elements which transmit ultrasound waves into the body and receive returning echo signals for Doppler processing
Implementation Method 2
Each ensemble of echo samples can then be Doppler-processed to detect the flow condition in front of every transducer element
Data Source
AI summary
A method for aligning spatially different subvolumes of ultrasonic data of a blood vessel comprising: acquiring temporally discrete signals of a blood vessel with elements of a two dimensional array of ultrasonic transducer elements from spatially different depths of scanning opposed by each transducer element, said array being located in a first position with respect to the blood vessel during the acquiring; Doppler processing the temporally discrete signals received from each transducer element to produce spectral Doppler data of the scanning depth opposed by each transducer element; producing a first three dimensional map of the spectral Doppler data in spatial relationship to the position of the array with respect to the blood vessel; acquiring temporally discrete signals of the blood vessel with elements of the two dimensional array of ultrasonic transducer elements from spatially different depths of scanning opposed by each transducer element, said array being located in a second position with respect to the blood vessel during the acquiring; Doppler processing the temporally discrete signals received from each transducer element to produce spectral Doppler data of the scanning depth opposed by each transducer element; producing a second three dimensional map of the spectral Doppler data in spatial relationship to the position of the array with respect to the blood vessel; aligning the first three dimensional map with the second three dimensional map on the basis of one or more regions of matching spectral Doppler data of the two map; and producing a combined three dimension map of the blood flow of the vessel from the aligned first and second three dimensional maps.