Acoustic Quantification of Ultrasound Contrast Agent

In the field of diagnostic imaging we put special emphasis on molecular imaging, i.e. imaging methods that visualize cell properties on a molecular scale by targeted contrast agents. For this application ultrasonic contrast agents based on gas filled microbubbles stabilized by spherical shells play an important role.

Microbubble destruction can be displayed in ultrasound Doppler images. The disappearance of bubbles causes a difference in the echo of two consecutive ultrasound pulses. In Doppler-mode this is misinterpreted as motion and is therefore displayed as an area of high intensity. Even the destruction of a single bubble can be imaged. Depending on the concentration this allows a precise quantification of the contrast agent.

Doppler image of cyanoacrylat microbubbles (Vevo770 40 MHz Scanhead). The destruction of single microbubbles results in small areas of high intensity in the image.