Ultrasonic Diagnostics Research Articles

Ultrasonic diagnostics of vascular complications after laser procedures

A clinical case of treatment of rosacea with a high-intensity laser at different stages, performed under control of high-resolution ultrasound (HRU), is presented. According to clinical guidelines, patients in the erythematous stage of rosacea (stage I) undergo selective coagulation of superficial vessels with a neodymium laser. Diagnosis and determination of the severity of the disease are carried out based on the presence of primary and secondary elements of the rash. There are no criteria for ultrasound assessment of the skin and its vascularization in patients with rosacea. During ultrasound examination after 4 laser procedures in B-mode, the dermis is heterogeneous due to hypoechoic papillary and hyperechoic reticular layers, without signs of infiltrative changes, in the color Doppler mapping mode there is a pronounced vascularization of the papillary dermis in the area of interest, represented by multiple vessels in contrast to single vascular structures seen on ultrasound after two laser treatments. According to the results of ultrasound examination, a more severe degree of the disease was diagnosed, which served as the basis for prescribing therapy with systemic retinoids. Clinical observation demonstrates the capabilities of ultrasound in planning laser procedures in order to reduce the risk of complications, their early diagnosis and monitoring of treatment if they occur.

К вопросу о диагностической значимости ультразвукового исследования кишечника при выявлении инородных тел

The method of ultrasound diagnostics in suspected for-eign intestinal body in small pets is discussed. This method is characterized by its noninvasiveness. The research goal was to reveal diagnostic significance of ultrasound exami-nation of the intestine in the presence of foreign bodies. The research objectives were as following: to study basic ultrasound characteristics of foreign bodies in the intestine of small domestic animals; to study the influence of antie-metic preparation based on maropitrate citrate on the in-formative value of the study. The research was carried out in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology of the State Agricultural University of Northern Trans-Uralsand in the veterinary clinics of the City of Tyumen. Ultrasonic diagnos-tics was carried out in 73 cats and 38 dogs with suspected foreign intestinal bodies. The examination was carried out using linear, convex and microconvex transducers with different frequencies according to standard research meth-ods. Fifteen cats were given an antiemetic drug -maropi-tant citrate at a dose of 1 mg per 1 kg before the ultrasound examination. It has been found that ultrasound is an in-formative method of diagnosing linear foreign bodies; they collect the intestine in a corrugation and go as a linear hy-perechogenic formation. Solid foreign bodies give an echo-genic appearance which suggests their presence in the intestine. Other foreign bodies may be detected by indirect signs. The main indirect signs of obstruction on ultrasound examination include pendulous peristalsis, dilatation above the obstruction site, decreased peristalsis, and overflow of intestinal contents. When studying the peculiarity of ultra-sound examination when using maropitrate citrate, de-creased peristalsis was detected and subsequently poor recognition of pendulum-like movements which negatively affected the diagnostic value of the method.

Efficacy of ultrasound in diagnosis of patients with gallbladder, common bile duct and hepatic duct worms

Ascariasis is confirmed to be more common in over populated rural societies with insufficient sewage and warm environments. We addressed the ultrasonic demonstration of biliary ascariasis and the worth of ultrasound in ratifying the diagnostics and assessment outcomes. In our study, 20 patients (8 females and 12 males) were included and conducted from Sep 2019 to Mar 2020 in the Saido Sharif hospital, SWAT, KPK, Pakistan. The criteria for including patients were based upon the ultrasonic findings expressing the biliary ascariasis such as non-shadowing curved or straight echoic structures like cords with or without central hypo-echoic tubes. The ultrasound follow-up was made in three consecutive interludes; 1 week subsequent to first ultrasonic diagnostics of all patients, 2 weeks after first treatment for 10 patients and 2 weeks after recurrent therapeutic treatment for 10 patients. There were 8 females and 12 males, including 3 pregnant patients (4, 5 and 6 months). Approximately 70% patients belong to the rural sides. The results of clinical laboratory exhibited higher level of leukocytosis in 85%, higher alkaline phosphatase in serum of 30% participants, irregular alanine aminotransferase level among 40%, and higher amylase in the serum of 10% patients. The sequential follow-up ultrasound was also made for diagnostics verification and evaluating the managing outcomes. After one week of initial ultrasound diagnosis, the 1st follow-up ultrasound was carried out to all the patients which revealed variation in the parasitic configuration and confirmed diagnosis in 14 cases. In 5 cases without any treatment, an impulsive exits of worms was reported from the biliary tree. In remaining 15 cases, the patients underwent multiple kinds of treatment. Six patients were cured using anthelminitic medications and four with surgical management. To conclude, Successive follow-up ultrasound proved to be very operational in ratifying the biliary worm’s diagnosis and has a significant function to assess the administrative outcomes. ​

Developing the software and hardware complex to diagnose the ascent of gas bubbles in a liquid metal by the Doppler anemometry method

The complex method of ultrasonic diagnostics of two-phase flows in a liquid metal medium is developed. It allows measuring the dynamic and structural characteristics of the floating inhomogeneity. A software and hardware complex that implements the proposed method is developed and tested for ultrasonic diagnostics of two-phase flows in water and liquid metal medium.

A SURVEY ON WORKING ENVIRONMENT, PERFORMANCE AND SATISFACTION AMONG PEDIATRIC SONOGRAPHERS IN RUSSIA: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Conducting of sociological investigation is an important condition for the implementing effective and targeted health policy. However, such studies, regarding ultrasonic diagnostics specialists are not enough. The article deals with analysis of results of the survey of ultrasonic diagnostic specialists on the issue of evaluation the quality of services provided for ultrasound diagnostics. Among the main factors affecting the quality of ultrasound diagnostics in Russia, doctors’ workload and inadequate material and technical base were often noted. Surveys of specialists allow to identify problem areas of an organizational, informational and technological nature in the work of the ultrasound service and take measures to eliminate them.

Identification and Assessment of Zones with Interfacial Partially Healed Cracks Using Lamb Waves Dispersion

Requirements of modern technics and technology resulted in development of composite materials that provides higher target properties than individual materials. Then, self-healing technology was proposed to increase the durability of such materials. This technology can be applied to various material types, for instance to cementitious one like concrete and mortar as well as multilayer laminar composites. In the both cases one of the most important issue is to estimate the degree of healing as well as the change in the material mechanical and physical properties like strength, stiffness, permeability, etc. during healing process. Various methods are possible to implement for such assessment including non-destructive ways of evaluation. In the present work ultrasonic diagnostics involving Lamb waves is considered and evaluated to show its applicability for practical testing of multilayer composites. The method is based on Six-dimensional Cauchy formalism developed earlier.

High-resolution ultrasonic diagnostics in post-contouring oedema

Background . The use of injectables is becoming ever more popular in aesthetic medicine. However, no clear guidelines are provided for the diagnosis and treatment of their early and late complications. Objectives . Assessment of ultrasonic diagnosis capacity for facial skin and soft tissue evaluation in post-contouring facial oedema. Methods . A case-control cohort study of post-procedural oedema was conducted. Two cohorts were selected: women having oedema after facial contouring with hyaluronic acid fillers and those without evident somatic displays. The cohorts differed by the filler’s presence (infiltration surrounding geleomas) or absence (soft tissue infiltration) in the swelling as diagnosed with ultrasound. Subsequent high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS, B-mode and Doppler imaging). Results . HRUS was used to examine 67 women with oedema after facial contouring. The patients aged 22 to 65 years had filler injections in soft facial tissues 2 weeks to 3 years prior to the visit. The fillers contained hyaluronic acid in 67 cases. Swelling was acute, with a wavelike recurrent course. According to HRUS, 30 patients had the filler in the oedema projection, 30 — in adjacent zones, 6 had no filler in oedema and 1 had fibrosis-associated oedema. The main HRUS traits of filler-induced oedemas were facial contour distortions and a uniformly amplified echogenicity of surrounding tissues. Conclusion . Patients with oedema after aesthetic contouring should have an ultrasound examination of facial skin and soft tissues for differential diagnosis, evaluation of the swelling degree and filler presence in soft tissues. Oedema typically develops in 3-4 months after the injection procedure. Hyaluronidase injections in the swelling zone are less effective without ultrasonic control.

The role of endothelial dysfunction for assessment of a rehab potential in the patients with acute stroke

The analysis of the endothelial reactivity in the acute stroke by it severity and determination of rehab potential. Twenty-three patients with ischemic stroke, aged 50 to 80 years, who were treated in the regional vascular center of Omsk region, were studied. The severity of stroke and stroke outcome was assessed by NIHSS and the modified Rankin scale. The test with reactive hyperemia was performed for all patients with measurement of the diameter of the brachial artery by ultrasonic diagnostics. Endothelial reaction that was investigated in the postischemic vasodilatation test depends on the severity of stroke and neurological deficiency. Moreover, endothelial dysfunction with bad outcome appears on the 7th day after stroke. The method can be used for evaluation of rehab potential.

Mechanically tunable ultrasonic metamaterial lens with a subwavelength resolution at long working distances for bioimaging

In this study, a novel acoustic doublet meta-material lens has been designed and tested to demonstrate both a far-field focal point and ultra-long collimation characteristics past the Fresnel zone. The switching of the two behaviors can be adjusted by a simple linear mechanical translation of one of the lens units. The doublet lens can focus the sound wave beyond 38λ away from the experiment’s lens, which is farther than any existing ultrasonic transducer or meta-lenses lenses. In terms of collimating behavior, the doublet lens is a unique metamaterial lens that experimentally demonstrates a long and narrow collimating beam over 70λ. Besides the design and characterization, the meta-lens have been used to detect real objects, including inorganic and organic matter. A subwavelength spatial resolution has been demonstrated. The detection limit was 0.26λ in the monostatic setup and 0.62λ in a bistatic experimental setup. This lens demonstrates super-resolution detection capabilities at distances of 42λ and can enable ultrasonic diagnostics deep within a material or a biological tissue. The experimental performance of the doublet meta-material lens illustrated its potential to apply acoustic metamaterial elements in a practical imaging application, including the detection of biological tissues

Closed-Form Expressions on CMUTs With Layered Anisotropic Microplates Under Residual Stress and Pressure.

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) are promising in the emerging fields of personalized ultrasonic diagnostics, therapy, and noninvasive 3-D biometric. However, previous theories describing their mechanical behavior rarely consider multilayer and anisotropic material properties, resulting in limited application and significant analysis errors. This article proposes closed-form expressions for the static deflection, collapse voltage, and resonant frequency of circular-microplate-based CMUTs, which consider both the aforementioned properties as well as the effects of residual stress and hydrostatic pressure. These expressions are established by combining the classical laminated thin plate (CLTP) theory, Galerkin method, a partial expansion approach for electrostatic force, and an energy equivalent method. A parametric study based on finite-element method simulations shows that considering the material anisotropy can significantly improve analysis accuracy (~25 times higher than the theories neglecting the material anisotropy). These expressions maintain accuracy across almost the whole working voltage range (up to 96% of collapse voltages) and a wide dimension range (diameter-to-thickness ratios of 20-80 with gap-to-thickness ratios of ≤2). Furthermore, their utility in practical applications is well verified using numerical results based on more realistic boundary conditions and experimental results of CMUT chips. Finally, we demonstrate that the high accuracy of these expressions at thickness-comparable deflection results from the extended applicable deflection range of the CLTP theory when it is used for electrostatically actuated microplates.

Ultrasonic differential diagnostics of cyst and cystic tumors of the spleen

The incidence of focal lesions in the spleen is 3.2–4.2% per 100,000 population. Spleen cysts are rare (incidence 0.75 per 100,000). These are single or multiple, thin- and smooth-walled cavities filled with a transparent liquid. Distinguish between primary (or true) cysts, lined with epithelium, and secondary (or false), devoid of epithelial lining. Among the primary cysts, there are congenital cysts formed in the embryonic period due to the migration of peritoneal cells into the spleen tissue, dermoid and epidermoid cysts. A special group of primary cysts are parasitic cysts. Cystic tumors of the spleen include lymphangioma and lymphoma.The main difficulties in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of cysts and cystic tumors of the spleen are associated with the rarity of this pathology and, as a consequence, a small number of works, including a significant number of the cases. However, in those works where a large number of the cases are described, most often this is one morphological form and an analysis of its various characteristics.Purpose. Based on the analysis of our own examination data of a significant number of patients with cysts and cystic tumors of the spleen, to assess the possibility of differential diagnosis of individual morphological forms according to ultrasound data.Materials and methods. 323 patients with cysts and cystic tumors of the spleen from 15 to 77 years old (men – 105 (32.5%); women – 218 (67.5%) were treated at A.V. Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery for the period from 1980 to 2020. All patients underwent ultrasound during examination. Surgical treatment was carried out in various ways – (85.1%), when making a preoperative diagnosis of an uncomplicated spleen cyst of small size, dynamic observation was carried out (verification by puncture biopsy data).Results. Morphological verification of cysts and cystic tumors of the spleen was presented as follows (taking into account possible difficulties in identifying the epithelial lining): true cyst – 182 (56.4%); dermoid cyst – 3 (0.9%) (malignant – in 1 case); pseudocyst – 16 (5.0%); pancreatogenic – 34 (10.5%); echinococcus – 52 (16.1%); lymphangioma – 24 (7.4%); lymphoma – 10 (3.1%); ovarian cancer metastasis – 2 (0.6%). The article describes the ultrasound signs of the above forms of the lesions with an emphasis on the complexity of diagnosis.Conclusions. Primary and parasitic spleen cysts are well differentiated according to ultrasound; false cysts of the spleen, depending on the cause of their occurrence, can create difficulties in their identification and differentiation (they require careful dynamic control); cystic tumors of the spleen should be differentiated from malignant tumors and metastases of a cystic structure, as a result of which such vigilance should always be present when they are detected.

Integrated Ultrasonic Diagnostics of Acute Appendicitis and its Complications in Children

Integrated Ultrasonic Diagnostics of Acute Appendicitis and its Complications in Children

Determination of fracture toughness for carbon fiber reinforced plastics free of the crack initiator using the acoustic microscopy

The fracture toughness which reflects change in the elastic deformation energy of the structural element with an increase in the crack area per unit at the onset of straining is one of the crack resistance parameters of carbon fiber plastics (CFRPs). When studying the fracture toughness, the position of the crack front is determined: both the initial one and that obtained as a result of crack growth. Currently existing test standards (STO TsAGI, ASTM D7905) determine the viscosity by the shear mode GIIc using the samples with a crack initiator. However, the method does not reflect the real conditions of crack initiation in CFRPs structures and can lead to a decrease in the accuracy of determining the load of crack initiation. A new technique of the fracture viscosity determination free of the standard delamination initiator has been developed in TsAGI. We present the results of developing the proposed methodology. The GIIc values were determined for a shear crack under three-point bending conditions after wedging. To determine the position and shape of the crack front, as well as to assess the dynamics of its propagation under subsequent loads, we used ultrasonic methods — ultrasonic flaw detection (ultrasonic NDT) and acoustic microscopy instead of the standard visual observation of the crack boundaries from the end surface of the samples. It is shown that acoustic microscopy at a frequency of 50 MHz provides determination of the crack front position in CFRP samples at a depth of 3.0 – 3.5 mm with a high resolution about 100 μm. The features of the crack growth under shear conditions are discussed. The results of the study show that high accuracy of acoustic microscopy in comparison with traditional ultrasonic NDT diagnostics is strongly sought for determining the shape of the cracks, as well as for analyzing the dynamics of crack growth and revealing the mechanisms of interlayer crack propagation in a composite material.

Design and Research of Ultrasonic Diagnostics Online Teaching Based on Blackboard

With the continuous development of medical ultrasound diagnostics technology, ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology has become an essential branch of ultrasound medical diagnostics, and increasing attention has been paid to the teaching of ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology diagnostics. Based on the modern blackboard network platform and mobile video monitoring technology, a vivid and intuitive online course of ultrasound diagnostics in obstetrics and gynecology is established, which is conducive to implementing communications and interactions among students, teachers, and resources, improving the teaching quality and learning efficiency, and cultivating ultrasound diagnostics skills of medical students.

Three-level gradation of echocardiography algorithms

Allocation of three levels of an echocardiography with corresponding levels of algorithms for optimum integration into multilevel diagnostic process is offered. Express, clinical and expert division corresponds to preventive, standard medical-diagnostic and highly technological directions of public health services. Three-level gradation should not cause decrease in its quality at the expense of the differentiated direction of conditionally healthy faces — on screening, the diseased — on clinical, cardiological patients — on expert ultrasonic cardiac diagnostics.

Modern Aspects of Echografical Diagnostics of Neoplasms of Ovaries During Pregnancy

The objective: to study modern aspects of diagnostics of neoplasms of ovaries during pregnancy.Materials and methods. 90 pregnant women with neoplasms of ovaries were surveyed. All pregnant women were divided into 3 studied groups: group 1 – 30 women from a neoplasm of ovaries by which surgical treatment is executed in various durations of gestation; the group 2 – 30 women with neoplasms of ovaries by which surgical treatment is executed during Cesarean section; the group 3 – 30 women with neoplasms of ovaries by which surgical treatment is executed in various terms after labors.Results. Results of the conducted researches testify that accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) ultrasonic diagnostics on nosology made: benign epithelial tumors, including serous, serous papillary, mucinous cystadenomas – 71.3% and 94.7%, mature cystic teratomas – 91.8% and 98.6%, the endometrioidal of cysts – 83.7% and 97.5% respectively. Accuracy of diagnostics of boundary and malignant tumors of an ovary was the greatest and made 91.1% and 99.3%. Echografical diagnostics of tumorous educations (the paraovariale, follicular cysts, cysts of yellow body, the simple cysts deprived of the covering epithelium, the teka-lyuteinove of cysts) at pregnancy differed smaller accuracy (sensitivity of 76.3%; specificity of 88.2%).Сonclusion. The received results needs to be considered at diagnostics of neoplasms of ovaries during pregnancy.

DETERMINATION OF THE ACTUAL AREA OF DRY ACOUSTIC CONTACT IN THE SYSTEM “TRANSDUCER–PRODUCT” IN LOW-FREQUENCY DEFECTOSCOPY

The conditions for the emission of acoustic energy into the pipeline environment and the reception of reflected signals from inconsistencies in dry acoustic contact cause certain dimensions of the actual contact area between the transducers and the pipe surface. The basic approaches to the determination of the actual area of ​​dry acoustic contact between the surfaces of the piezoelectric transducer and the pipe are formulated under the influence of constant static force of pressing the surfaces in low-frequency flaw detection using ultrasonic directional waves. Expressions have been proposed to determine the area of ​​actual acoustic contact for single and numerical micro projections of the pipe surface. The principle of quality control of balancing of acoustic antenna piezoelectric transducers in modern systems of low-frequency diagnostics of the technical state of longitudinal pipelines by ultrasonic directed waves is described. It is revealed that after correct balancing of all the acoustic antenna piezoelectric transducers, the column image does not appear on the display screen and the mathematical support of the system will automatically collect the technical status of the diagnosed section of the pipeline, the results of which are displayed on the display screen. It is established that the actual area of ​​dry acoustic contact in the "piezoelectric product" system in low-frequency defectoscopy depends on the magnitude of the static force of pressing the surface of the piezoelectric transducer to the surface of the product. It is revealed that the deformation of the micro protrusions of the surface of the product under the action of static clamping force is uneven, which does not allow to fully calculate the actual area of ​​dry contact by mathematical methods. It is shown that in modern systems of low-frequency ultrasonic diagnostics of extended pipelines, directional waves control the quality of dry contact of the surface of the piezoelectric transducer with the surface of the pipe by balancing acoustic antennas with the use of special test programs.

Surface express ultrajet diagnostics of space vehicle materials

The article substantiates the possibility of using waterjet hydrophysical diagnostics for the express estimation of features of physical and mechanical properties of structural materials obtained by selective laser sintering. It is shown that, based on the results of ultrasonic diagnostics, functionally necessary information is obtained to improve the quality of implementation of all stages of products’ life cycle in production of which it is promising to use additive technologies. On the example of the constructive element of the Russian Observatory " Millimetron "(Spektr-M project) it is shown that the approaches proposed by the author can be used in the process of technological preparation of rocket’s production and space technology (RST), aircraft building, turbo-power engineering, etc.

Wave Resonance and the Supersonic Generation of Shear Waves in Dissipative Media

A new means of the supersonic generation and resonant amplification of shear elastic waves in dissipative media is developed. The procedure is based on the remote formation of a source of low-frequency shear waves inside a biological tissue under the radiation pressure of a focused ultrasonic beam. Finite-difference modeling of the propagation of low-frequency shear waves in biological tissues is performed. Measurements and visualization of focused acoustic fields along with a Mach spiral structures in acoustic phantoms are performed that confirm the efficiency and feasibility of the developed means of the supersonic generation and resonant amplification of shear waves in biological tissues for ultrasonic diagnostics and therapy.

DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF INSTRUMENTAL METHODS OF INVESTIGATION IN ACUTE AORTIC SYNDROME

Objective - to define diagnostic value of different instrumental methods of diagnostics inacute aortic syndromeMaterial and methods. We analyzed the results of diagnostics and surgical treatment of484 patients with acute aortic syndrome, which required surgical treatment. Two hundredand sixty four patients made up the group of aortic aneurysms and its complications andthe other 220 were with aortic dissections and its complications respectively. In ourobservation, the following instrumental methods were used: ultrasonic full duplex scanwith colored mapping of aortic signal, Х-ray contrast angiography of the aorta, CT of theaorta.Results. Disadvantages, advantages, sensitivity and specificity of various diagnosticmethods of acute aortic syndrome were defined. We also assessed the visualizationfeatures of renal, iliac and coronary arteries lesions, exposure of defects and dissection ofthe aortic wall.Conclusions. Based on the conducted analysis with substantial clinical material, efficiency of angiography, ultrasonic diagnostics and x-ray computer tomography for theexposure of acute aortic pathology have been studied, advantages and disadvantages ofradial diagnostic methods are detected. The reasons for limitations of every method arestudied, the sequence of diagnostic tests are determined; the algorithms of radialdiagnostics of urgent aortic pathology or damage are developed.