CPC A61B 8/5207 (2013.01) [A61B 8/481 (2013.01); A61B 8/5246 (2013.01)] | 22 Claims |
1. A method of ultrasound imaging to be used on a target site contrasted with gas vesicles (GVs) having an acoustic collapse pressure threshold, the method comprising:
applying ultrasound to the target site at a peak positive pressure less than the acoustic collapse pressure threshold;
increasing peak positive pressure (PPP) to above the selective acoustic collapse pressure value threshold as a step function;
imaging the target site in successive frames during the increasing;
extracting a time-series vector for each of at least one pixel of the successive frames; and
detecting from the time-series vectors a transient signal from, due to the increasing PPP, fluid displacement from collapsing of the GVs or cavitating bubbles released from the GVs, the detecting being in a time domain of the successive frames, the transient signal providing an increase in contrast signal in the ultrasound imaging.
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