Automated Generation of Reliable Blood Velocity Parameter Maps from Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Data

Figure 4

Exemplary parametric MB velocity maps for each tumor model. The left panel presents a parametric map which is based on a pixel-wise analysis. The right panel presents the validated parametric map of our analysis algorithm. For the A549 tumor 128 × 128 pixels had to be binned. The parameter map enables the identification of a region of higher MB flow velocities in the lower periphery (a). The reliable parameter map of the A431 tumor, with a binning of 8 × 8 pixels, shows a homogeneously distributed vascular network with relatively low MB velocities (b). Also in this MLS tumor a binning of 8 × 8 resulted in a reliable parameter map. In this context, regional differences and the more heterogeneous distribution of velocities as well as the larger spectrum of different velocity values can clearly be identified.

(a)

(b)

(c)