Correction of time-intensity curves for tissue perfusion evaluation using ultrasound contrast agent

Instability of scattering of ultrasound contrast agents (UCA) during their interaction with flowing blood will modify their time-intensity curves, which imposes a limitation on the ability of time-intensity curves for UCA aided tissue perfusion evaluation. A direct correction method, using the varying scattering of UCA as a function of time, is proposed and verified with an in vitro flow model and in vivo studies on six anesthetized open-chest dogs. The result of the experiment demonstrates that the homemade UCA is efficient, and the parameters derived from the corrected time-intensity, especially areas under the curve, are more closely correlated with myocardial ischemic degree. This method appears to be a useful addition to existing clinical techniques for quantifying tissue perfusion with UCA.