Application Of Ultrasound Research Articles

Novel Ultrasonic Pretreatment for Improving Drying Performance and Physicochemical Properties of Licorice Slices During Radio Frequency Vacuum Drying

To enhance the physicochemical quality, drying efficiency, and nutrient retention of dried Licorice products, this study investigated the effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on the radio frequency vacuum (RFV) drying characteristics, microstructure, and retention of natural active substances in Licorice slices. The ultrasonic time, power, and frequency were considered as experimental factors. The results showed that, compared with conventional RFV drying, ultrasonic pretreatment reduced the drying time of Licorice slices by 20–60 min. The Weibull model accurately described the moisture ratio changes under different pretreatment conditions (R2 > 0.9984, χ2 < 2.381 × 10−5). The optimal retention of polysaccharides, total phenols, total flavonoids, and antioxidants was achieved under pretreatment conditions of 30 min of ultrasonic time, 180 W of ultrasonic power, and 40 kHz of ultrasonic frequency. Furthermore, ultrasonic pretreatment preserved the internal cellular structure of Licorice slices, maintaining intact tissue cells and well-defined microchannels. However, a slight reduction in sample color was observed following ultrasound application. In conclusion, ultrasonic pretreatment significantly improved the RFV drying process for Licorice slices by enhancing drying efficiency, preserving active ingredients, and optimizing the physicochemical quality of the dried product. This study provides novel insights and methods for optimizing the drying process of Licorice, offering a foundation for further research and industrial applications.

Development of an inhalable contrast agent targeting the respiratory tract mucus layer for pulmonary ultrasonic imaging

Impaired mucociliary transport is a distinguishing sign of cystic fibrosis, but current methods of evaluation are invasive or expose young patients to ionizing radiation. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging may provide a feasible alternative. We formulated a cationic microbubble ultrasound contrast agent, to optimize adhesion to the respiratory mucus layer when inhaled. Potential toxicity was evaluated in human bronchial epithelial cell (hBEC) cultures following a 24-hour exposure, compared to positive and negative control conditions. In vivo tolerability and pulmonary image enhancement feasibility were evaluated in mice, comparing oropharyngeal administration of contrast agent to saline control. When induced to flow across mucus plated on microscope slides, cationic microbubbles demonstrated greater affinity for target samples than standard microbubbles. Cationic microbubbles elicited no proinflammatory or cytotoxic response in hBECs, nor were any cross-links to the cilia observed. Unlike standard microbubbles, cationic microbubbles mixed into the mucus layer, without epithelial absorption, and were observed to move with the mucus layer by the action of mucociliary transport. When administered to mice, cationic microbubbles enhanced sonographic visualization of the trachea, and were well-tolerated with no adverse effects. This developmental work supports the safety and feasibility of a mucus-targeting contrast agent that may be useful for pulmonary ultrasound applications.

Role of Ultrasound Application in the Production, Processing, and Preservation of Edible Flowers: A Review

ABSTRACTEdible flowers, with their abundance of nutrients, low‐calorie count, and beneficial compounds, are seen as a choice for a diet. However, the high moisture content in edible flowers makes it challenging to store, transport, and process edible flowers effectively, resulting in shelf‐life processing difficulties and increased risk of spoilage. Ultrasound technology has become popular in food processing due to its versatility in cleaning, preserving, freezing, and thawing emulsions formation and drying. This article review explores using ultrasound to improve the production and processing of edible flowers. The review discusses the impact of ultrasound on the drying process, extracting bioactive compounds, and extending the postharvest lifespan while enhancing the overall preservation of edible flowers. Ultrasonic technology has the advantage of promoting the development of the edible flower industry.

Optimization of the conditions for immobilization of crude pectinase on chitin using ultrasound and glutaraldehyde and its application in grape juice clarification

The current research focuses on optimizing the immobilization of crude pectinase, produced by solid-state fermentation, onto chitin using ultrasound and glutaraldehyde as a crosslinking agent for grape juice clarification. A Box-Behnken design was used to model the effects of ultrasound time (5–15 min), ultrasound amplitude (20 – 60 %), and water-to-support ratio for ultrasound application (16−24) on immobilized crude pectinase activity and immobilization efficiency. Optimal conditions, comprising ultrasound time of 10 min, ultrasound amplitude of 20 %, and water-to-support ratio for ultrasound application of 24, yielded an immobilized crude pectinase activity of 2.19 IU/mL and 74 % immobilization efficiency. The immobilized crude pectinase showed improved kinetic properties and retained 69 % activity after three use cycles. Both free and immobilized crude pectinase enhanced juice clarity, reducing sugar, and TSS while lowering viscosity.

Ultrasound-mediated catheter delivery of tissue plasminogen activator promotes thrombolysis by altering fibrin fibre thickness and clot permeability.

It has been proposed that low power, high frequency ultrasound can augment the ability of thrombolytic agents to dissolve clot in patients with venous thromboembolism. We created a bench model to examine what role and mechanism ultrasound may have in this process. Fibrin polymerisation was analysed through modified light-scattering experiments with the inclusion of catheter-mediated ultrasound application. We studied fibrin fibre diameters through scanning electron microscopy of ultrasound treated fibrin clots. Clot porosity was investigated using permeation tests, while fibrinolysis was analysed through lightscattering experiments, and by changes in porosity of lysing clots under flow. Application of ultrasound did not change initial fibrin polymerisation but did induce a reversible change in maximal turbidity of already formed fibrin clots. This change in turbidity was caused by a reduction in fibrin fibre diameter and was associated with an increase in clot porosity. These reversible structural changes were associated with a linear increase in fibrinolysis rates under static conditions, while an exponential increase in rates was observed under flow. The use of ultrasound augmentation of thrombolysis enhances clot dissolution through greater and more rapid fibrin degradation. This is due to conformational change created by the ultrasound in clot structure, a reversible phenomenon that may increase binding sites for lytic agent and could potentially allow the use of lower doses and shorter infusion times of ultrasound-assisted thrombolytic to treat venous thromboembolism in-vivo.

Application of Intraoperative Ultrasound in Laparoscopic Liver Resection with Pringle Maneuver: A Comparative Study with the Pringle Maneuver.

Background: Appropriate surgical techniques for controlling bleeding and preserving residual liver function are key to the success of laparoscopic liver resection. This study aims to evaluate the application effect of intraoperative ultrasound in the Pringle maneuver of laparoscopic liver resection. Materials and Methods: Between January 2022 and June 2023, 100 patients underwent laparoscopic liver resection and were randomly allocated to receive application of intraoperative ultrasound for Pringle maneuver (intraoperative ultrasound group, n = 50) or conventional Pringle maneuver (conventional group, n = 50). Intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion, operation time, hepatic portal block time, complications (bile leakage, hemorrhage, ascites, and posthepatectomy liver failure), and hospital stay were compared between groups, along with the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin (TB) levels at postoperative days 1, 3, and 7. Results: The operation time, postoperative ALT, AST, and TB levels on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7, complications (bile leakage, hemorrhage, ascites, and posthepatectomy liver failures), and hospital stay were comparable between groups. Compared with the conventional group, the intraoperative ultrasound group had significantly less intraoperative blood loss (P = .015), lower blood transfusion rate (P = .035), and less hepatic portal block time (P = .012). Conclusions: Applying intraoperative ultrasound in laparoscopic liver resection for hepatic pedicle occlusion is a safe, simple, and effective method.

A meta-analysis of the effect of ultrasound activation parameters on phase-change nanodroplets in imaging and therapy

Phase-change nanodroplets (PCNDs) have been used in ultrasound imaging, targeted drug delivery, blood-brain-barrier (BBB) opening, sonothrombolysis and histotripsy for over a decade. For these ultrasound applications, PCNDs provide higher in vivo lifetime than microbubbles (MBs), the potential for extravasation inside tumour and on demand activation, which is the transition of the liquid-core of nanodroplets to gaseous microbubbles through acoustic droplet vaporisation (ADV). Operating above the ADV threshold can offer repeatable activation of PCNDs and the subsequent oscillation of acoustically activated PCNDs, which is advantageous in imaging and therapeutic applications. Efficient and repeatable activation of PCNDs require a good understanding of ultrasound parameters and nanodroplet composition for different biomedical applications. Therefore, this article presents a meta-analysis of the effect of ultrasound activation parameters on ADV for various PCNDs in different biomedical applications. About 7,500 articles were considered for this study, but only 45 articles were chosen and evaluated in the meta-analysis based on the following criteria: 1): activation parameters, including ultrasound frequency, peak negative pressure, transmit pulse length or duration have been clearly mentioned, 2), droplets range in nanometre size (<1 µm), 3), experiments are performed at a temperature of 37°C and 4) ADV threshold has been clearly mentioned and observations are not due to inertial cavitation (IC). From selected publications, we recorded the activation frequency (0.06–16 MHz), ultrasound pressure (0.18–14.9 MPa), activation pulse length (µs-ms range) and nanodroplet size for different types of perfluorocarbon PCNDs (C3F8, C4F10, C5F12 and C6F14) and evaluated the relation of these parameters to each other. Finally, a Root Mean Square (RMS)-like power metric, which is a combination of ultrasound peak negative pressure and square root of ultrasound pulse length, is proposed for identifying the ADV threshold behaviour instead of using pressure or mechanical index values.

Effect of air velocity on airborne ultrasound application in pork liver drying

Airborne ultrasound is considered a feasible emerging technology for the intensification of the drying of biological materials due to its mild thermal effect avoiding the degradation of heat sensitive compounds. The effects brought about by airborne ultrasound on the drying are largely dependent on both the product structure itself and the process variables used. Thus, the present study examines the effect of the air velocity and the application of airborne ultrasound during the low-temperature convective drying of pork liver. For this purpose, drying experiments were carried out at 50 °C on pork liver cylinders using different air velocities, ranging from 1 to 6 m·s−1, without (AIR) and with ultrasound application (US). The modelling of the drying kinetics was approached using the diffusion theory, evaluating both the contribution of external convection and shrinkage. The experimental results demonstrated that the application of airborne ultrasound only increased the drying rate at air velocities below 3 m·s−1, shortening the drying time by up to 30 %.

Modeling Acoustic Attenuation, Sound Velocity and Wave Propagation in Lithium‐Ion Batteries via a Transfer Matrix

AbstractA simple 1D transfer matrix model of a battery is introduced and parametrized using harvested individual cell components at 0 % and 100 % SoC. This model allows for the calculation of group velocity and attenuation. The results of the model show good agreement with measured values, highlighting increased attenuation and group velocity at the resonances. This emphasizes the importance of selecting a suitable interrogation frequency for ultrasound investigations in lithium‐ion batteries. The model accurately replicates the observed weakening of resonances with increasing SoC. Additionally, it provides the basis to fit US spectroscopy data in the future, enabling immediate determination of component thickness and the Young's modulus of individual components, along with aiding in the identification aging effects of the anode and cathode materials. The model can visualize wave propagation within the battery. At certain frequencies, standing waves form which could be used in high‐intensity ultrasound applications targeted at individual cell components.

Overview of Therapeutic Ultrasound Applications and Safety Considerations: 2024 Update.

A 2012 review of therapeutic ultrasound was published to educate researchers and physicians on potential applications and concerns for unintended bioeffects (doi: 10.7863/jum.2012.31.4.623). This review serves as an update to the parent article, highlighting advances in therapeutic ultrasound over the past 12 years. In addition to general mechanisms for bioeffects produced by therapeutic ultrasound, current applications, and the pre-clinical and clinical stages are outlined. An overview is provided for image guidance methods to monitor and assess treatment progress. Finally, other topics relevant for the translation of therapeutic ultrasound are discussed, including computational modeling, tissue-mimicking phantoms, and quality assurance protocols.

Using Four-Component Instructional Design to Create an Interactive Point-of-Care Ultrasound Curriculum for Physician Associate Students.

Many physician assistant/associate (PA) programs lack point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education in the PA curricula and a standardized approach to ultrasound training. The four-component instructional design (4C/ID) model merges 4 concepts for developing effective instructional design content for complex content delivery, such as ultrasound. This research study created an interactive, 2-part ultrasound curriculum with an instructional designer for PA students using the 4C/ID model. Two interactive ultrasound curriculum models were created from the 4C/ID model using a knowledge-based precurriculum quiz, learning tasks with online modules and recordings, part-task practice with ultrasound experts, skills checkoffs, and a postcurriculum quiz including questions on students' perspectives of ultrasound. Two-tailed paired t-test analysis assessed the effectiveness of training. Evaluation of prelearning and postlearning quizzes demonstrated multiple statistically significant assessments supporting the use of instructional design technology for a PA program's ultrasound curriculum. This small study demonstrated that the 4C/ID model may be beneficial for PA POCUS training. The 2-part interactive curriculum improved PA student competency of ultrasound principles and applications and increased confidence for future clinical use of ultrasound.

Non-Invasive Ultrasound Diagnostic Techniques for Steatotic Liver Disease and Focal Liver Lesions: 2D, Colour Doppler, 3D, Two-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography (2D-SWE), and Ultrasound-Guided Attenuation Parameter (UGAP).

We conducted a comprehensive literature review to evaluate the efficacy of combining two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) and ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter (UGAP) in assessing the risk of progressive metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). This narrative review explores the applications of liver ultrasound in diagnosing metabolic liver diseases, focusing on recent advancements in diagnostic techniques for steatotic liver disease (SLD). Liver ultrasound can detect a spectrum of SLD manifestations, from metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MASLD) to fibrosis and cirrhosis. It is also possible to identify inflammation, hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and various other liver lesions. Innovative ultrasound applications, including elastography and UGAP, can significantly enhance the diagnostic capabilities of ultrasound in accurately interpreting liver diseases. Understanding the pathogenesis of liver diseases requires a thorough analysis of their etiology and progression in order to develop sound diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Chronic liver diseases (CLD) vary in origin, with MASLD affecting approximately 20-25% of the general population. The insidious progression of CLD from inflammation to fibrosis and cirrhosis underscores the need for effective early detection methods. This review aims to highlight the evolving role of non-invasive ultrasound-based diagnostic tests in the early detection and staging of liver diseases. By synthesizing current evidence, we aim to provide an updated perspective on the utility of advanced ultrasound techniques in redefining the diagnostic landscape for metabolic liver diseases.

The Application of Ultrasound Pre-Treatment in Low-Temperature Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanorods

Zinc oxide, due to its unique physicochemical properties, including dual piezoelectric and semiconductive ones, demonstrates a high application potential in various fields, with a particular focus on nanotechnology. Among ZnO nanoforms, nanorods are gaining particular interest. Due to their ability to efficiently transport charge carriers and photoelectric properties, they demonstrate significant potential in energy storage and conversion, as well as photovoltaics. They can be prepared via various methods; however, most of them require large energy inputs, long reaction times, or high-cost equipment. Hence, new methods of ZnO nanorod fabrication are currently being sought out. In this paper, an ultrasound-supported synthesis of ZnO nanorods with zinc acetate as a zinc precursor has been described. The fabrication of nanorods included the treatment of the precursor solution with ultrasounds, wherein various sonication times were employed to verify the impact of the sonication process on the effectiveness of ZnO nanorod synthesis and the sizes of the obtained nanostructures. The morphology of the obtained ZnO nanorods was imaged via a scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, while the particle size distribution within the precursor suspensions was determined by means of dynamic light scattering (DLS). Additionally, the dynamic viscosity of precursor suspensions was also verified. It was demonstrated that ultrasounds positively affect ZnO nanorod synthesis, yielding longer nanostructures through even reactant distribution. Longer nanorods were obtained as a result of short sonication (1–3 min), wherein prolonged treatment with ultrasounds (4–5 min) resulted in obtaining shorter nanorods. Importantly, the application of ultrasounds increased particle homogeneity within the precursor suspension by disintegrating particle agglomerates. Moreover, it was demonstrated that ultrasonic treatment reduces the dynamic viscosity of precursor suspension, facilitating faster particle diffusion and promoting a more uniform growth of longer ZnO nanorods. Hence, it can be concluded that ultrasounds constitute a promising solution in obtaining homogeneous ZnO nanorods, which is in line with the principles of green chemistry.

Recent Advancements in High-Frequency Ultrasound Applications from Imaging to Microbeam Stimulation.

Ultrasound is a versatile and well-established technique using sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper limit of human hearing. Typically, therapeutic and diagnosis ultrasound operate in the frequency range of 500 kHz to 15 MHz with greater depth of penetration into the body. However, to achieve improved spatial resolution, high-frequency ultrasound (>15 MHz) was recently introduced and has shown promise in various fields such as high-resolution imaging for the morphological features of the eye and skin as well as small animal imaging for drug and gene therapy. In addition, high-frequency ultrasound microbeam stimulation has been demonstrated to manipulate single cells or microparticles for the elucidation of physical and functional characteristics of cells with minimal effect on normal cell physiology and activity. Furthermore, integrating machine learning with high-frequency ultrasound enhances diagnostics, including cell classification, cell deformability estimation, and the diagnosis of diabetes and dysnatremia using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). In this paper, current efforts in the use of high-frequency ultrasound from imaging to stimulation as well as the integration of deep learning are reviewed, and potential biomedical and cellular applications are discussed.

Elucidating siRNA Cellular Delivery Mechanism Mediated by Quaternized Starch Nanoparticles.

Starch-based nanoparticles are highly utilized in the realm of drug delivery taking advantage of their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Studies have utilized Quaternized starch (Q-starch) for small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery, in which quaternary amines enable interaction with negatively charged siRNA, resulting in self-assembly complexation. Although reports present numerous applications, the demonstrated efficacy is nonetheless limited due to undiscovered cellular mechanistic delivery. In this study, a deep dive into Q-starch/siRNA complexes' cellular mechanism and kinetics at the cellular level is revealed using single-particle tracking and cell population level using imaging flow cytometry. Uptake studies depict the efficient cellular internalization via endocytosis while a significant fraction of complexes' intracellular fate is lysosome. Utilizing single-particle tracking, it is found that an average of 15% of cellular detected complexes escape the endosome which holds the potential for the integration in the cytoplasmatic gene silencing mechanism. Additional experimental manipulations (overcoming endosomal escape) demonstrate that the complex's disassembly is the rate-limiting step, correlating Q-starch's structure-function properties as siRNA carrier. Structure-function properties accentuating the high affinity of the interaction between Q-starch's quaternary groups and siRNA's phosphate groups that results in low release efficiency. However, low-frequency ultrasound (20kHz) application may have induced siRNA release resulting in faster gene silencing kinetics.

Wireless Ultrasound Devices in Anatomy Education: Insights from Medical Undergraduates

AbstractPoint-of-care ultrasound has become an important part of patient care, and the increased use thereof has led to a greater demand for the integration of ultrasound training in the early medical undergraduate curriculum. The use of handheld wireless ultrasound devices is not currently integrated within the undergraduate anatomy medical curriculum of Stellenbosch University and the additional value of wireless ultrasonography, in relation to the clinical practice of anatomical knowledge, therefore, warranted further investigation. This study aimed to explore undergraduate medical students’ perceptions of the use of handheld wireless ultrasound scanning to enhance knowledge and understanding of anatomy for clinical application. During the dissection sessions, students visualized anatomical structures of the musculoskeletal system, by scanning themselves, using handheld, wireless ultrasound devices. After the session, an electronic survey was distributed to the students and three ultrasonography questions were included in the routine practical test. Eighty-one survey responses were collected, with 41 of those responses being completed. The highest student agreement in the Likert scale survey was observed when assessing the convenience of practice of wireless ultrasound devices, while the lowest agreement was reported for confidence in the participant’s capability of generating ultrasound images. Two main themes were developed from the open-ended questions at the end of the survey: the instructional integration of ultrasound and ultrasound within the clinical setting. This research demonstrated that readily available access to handheld wireless ultrasound scanning has the potential to enhance students’ longitudinal learning experience and improve anatomical comprehension. As future clinicians, improved understanding could aid ultrasound application in the clinical realm.

Effect of Physical Separation with Ultrasound Application on Brewers' Spent Grain to Obtain Powders for Potential Application in Foodstuffs.

Brewers' spent grain (BSG) is the primary by-product of beer production, and its potential use in food products is largely dependent on its processing, given its moisture content of up to 80%. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of physical separation with ultrasound application on the color, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, proximate composition, total dietary fibers, and particle size distribution of BSG powders. Wet BSG (W) was subjected to two processes: one without ultrasound (A) and one with ultrasound (B). Both processes included pressing, convective air-drying, sieving, fraction separation (A1 and B1 as coarse with particles ≥ 2.36 mm; A2 and B2 as fine with particles < 2.36 mm), and milling. The total color difference compared to W increased through both processes, ranging from 1.1 (B1 vs. A1) to 5.7 (B1 vs. A2). There was no significant difference in TPC, but process B powders, particularly B2, showed lower antioxidant activity against ABTS•+, likely due to the release of antioxidant compounds into the liquid fraction during pressing after ultrasound treatment. Nonetheless, process B powders exhibited a higher content of soluble dietary fibers. In conclusion, ultrasound application shows potential for further extraction of soluble fibers. However, process A might be more practical for industrial and craft brewers. Further studies on the use of the resulting BSG powders as food ingredients are recommended.

Investigation of a cascaded piezoelectric transducer with cone horn for multi-mode power ultrasound application

To meet the ultrasonic application requirement of high power intensity and large mechanical displacement, a new theoretical method is used to study the multi-mode characteristic of the cascaded piezoelectric transducer with cone horn in this paper. Based on equivalent circuit and Kirchhoff’s law to obtain the frequency equation and vibration velocity expression of the transducer, then the resonance frequency and effective electromechanical coupling coefficient can be calculated, the velocity amplification ratio can be obtained in the meantime. This method is distinguish from traditional theoretical analysis, which avoids complex transformation of the multi-excitation sources in cascaded structure, and can calculate more performance parameters. The relationships between these performance parameters and the excitation position of the piezoelectric stack, the length and output end radius of the cone horn are analyzed and compared with the numerical simulation, and the optimized parameters of the transducer size are given. A transducer is manufactured for experimental test, the results show that the experimental value is in good agreement with theoretical calculation and finite element simulation. This work is expected to be used in the optimal analysis of the multi-mode transducer in high power ultrasonic field.

The LUSBI Protocol (Lung Ultrasound/BREST Score/Inferior Vena Cava)-Its Role in a Differential Diagnostic Approach to Dyspnea of Cardiogenic and Non-Cardiogenic Origin.

Background and Objectives: PoCUS ultrasound applications are widely used in everyday work, especially in the field of emergency medicine. The main goal of this research was to create a diagnostic and therapeutic protocol that will integrate ultrasound examination of the lungs, ultrasound measurements of the inferior vena cava (assessment of central venous pressure) and BREST scores (risk stratification for heart failure), with the aim of establishing a more effective differential diagnostic approach for dyspneic patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the emergency medicine department with the educational center of the community health center of Banja Luka. Eighty patients of both sexes were included and divided into experimental and control groups based on the presence or absence of dyspnea as a dominant subjective complaint. Based on the abovementioned variables, the LUSBI protocol (lung ultrasound/BREST score/inferior vena cava) was created, including profiles to determine the nature of the origin of complaints. The biochemical marker of heart failure NT pro-BNP served as a laboratory confirmation of the cardiac origin of the complaints. Results: The distribution of NT pro BNP values in the experimental group showed statistically significant differences between individual profiles of the LUSBI protocol (p < 0.001). Patients assigned to group B PLAPS 2 had significantly higher average values of NT pro-BNP (20159.00 ± 3114.02 pg/mL) compared to other LUSBI profiles. Patients from the experimental group who had a high risk of heart failure according to their BREST scores also had a significantly higher average maximum expiratory diameter compared to those without heart failure (p = 0.004). A statistically significant difference (p = 0.001) in LUSBI profiles was observed between the groups of patients divided according to CVP categories. Conclusion: The integration of the LUSBI protocol into the differential diagnosis of dyspnea has been shown to be very effective in confirming or excluding a cardiac cause of the disease in patients.

Agreement between manual and automatic ultrasound measurement of the velocity-time integral in the left ventricular outflow tract in intensive care patients: evaluation of the AUTO-VTI® tool.

Transthoracic echocardiography is widely used in intensive care unit (ICU) to manage patients with acute circulatory failure. Recently, automated ultrasound (US) measurement applications have been developed but their clinical performance has not been evaluated yet. The aim of this study was to assess the agreement between automated and manual measurements of the velocity-time integral in the left ventricular outflow tract (VTI-LVOT) using the auto-VTI® tool. This prospective, single-center, interventional study included ICU patients with acute circulatory failure. The examination involved two successive manual measurements of VTI-LVOT (mean of 3 consecutive heartbeats in regular sinus rhythm, and 5 heartbeats in irregular rhythm), followed by a measurement using auto-VTI® software. In patients receiving a fluid challenge, trending ability in detecting fluid responsiveness was also evaluated. Seventy patients were included between January 19, 2020, and September 24, 2020, at the Nîmes University Hospital. The feasibility of the auto-VTI® was 94%. The mean difference between the two methods was 11% with limits of agreement from - 19% to 42%. The proportion of agreement at the 15% difference threshold was 68% [58%; 80%]. The precision and least significant change measured for the manual measurement of VTI were 7.4 and 10.5%, respectively, and by inference for the automated method 28% and 40%. The new auto-VTI® tool, despite interesting feasibility, demonstrated an insufficient agreement with a systematic bias and an insufficient precision limiting its implementation in critically ill patients.Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04360304.