Innovative Ultrasonic Methods for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Abstract
This project developed novel non-invasive ultrasound-based methods to quantify severity of pulmonary fibrosis. Conventional ultrasound is unsuitable for imaging lung parenchyma because of the large amount of ultrasound scattering from the millions of air-filled alveoli. The proposed approach takes advantage of this purported weakness. Each scattering event is an opportunity for the ultrasound wave to embed information on the parenchyma. The complex signals resulting from multiple scattering can be exploited to extract quantitative parameters such as the scattering mean free path (SMFP), parameters related to attenuation such as the Backscatter Frequency Shift (BFS), and classical quantitative ultrasound parameters such as the Backscatter coefficient and envelope statistics. Because these parameters reflect the microstructure of the tissue being investigated, we expected them to significantly change with pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary edema, due to the presence of fluid in the alveolar spaces can also lead to changes in these parameters. In order to ensure a univocal diagnosis of fibrosis, we evaluated them in rats with pulmonary edema, to demonstrate the specificity of the proposed methods. This innovative technology can be viewed as a biomarker for pulmonary fibrosis, and can be used to evaluate therapeutic effects for patients with pulmonary fibrosis who are being treated. The proposed method is non-invasive and non-ionizing, and has to potential of being available in primary care outpatient facilities. We tested and validated the hypothesis by accomplishing these three specific aims. Aim1: Ultrasonic methods for the measurement of the SMFP, BFS, BSC and envelope statistics were developed. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced in rats by instilling bleomycin into the airway.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1166800
Entities
People
- M. Müller
- Thomas M Egan
Organizations
- North Carolina State University