Longitudinal Vascular Monitoring of Acute and Diabetic Kidney Diseases with 3D Renal Ultrafast Ultrasound Doppler Imaging

Nephropathy, a worldwide health concern marked by irreversible kidney function decline, highlights the need for non-invasive imaging techniques to directly observe renal microcirculation, which is closely linked to kidney filtration function. While contrast agents are used cautiously in kidney disease patients, ultrafast ultrasound Doppler (UFD) imaging offers superior vascular sensitivity without requiring contrast media, allowing for detailed visualization of microvessels. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) renal UFD imaging system. This system can capture the complete vascular volume of a rat kidney in vivo at high spatial resolution (below 170 μm). We employed this technology to conduct long-term monitoring of vascular changes associated with two kidney conditions: acute kidney injury (AKI) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD).