Contrast-Enhanced Subharmonic Aided Pressure Estimation (SHAPE) using Ultrasound Imaging with a Focus on Identifying Portal Hypertension

Noninvasive, accurate measurement of pressures within the human body has long been an important but elusive clinical goal. Contrast agents for ultrasound imaging are gas-filled, encapsulated microbubbles (diameter < 10 μm) that traverse the entire vasculature and enhance signals by up to 30 dB. These microbubbles also produce nonlinear oscillations at frequencies ranging from the subharmonic (half of the transmit frequency) to higher harmonics. The subharmonic amplitude has an inverse linear relationship with the ambient hydrostatic pressure. Here an ultrasound system capable of performing real-time, subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) is presented. During ultrasound contrast agent infusion, an algorithm for optimizing acoustic outputs is activated. Following this calibration, subharmonic microbubble signals (i.e., SHAPE) have the highest sensitivity to pressure changes and can be used to noninvasively quantify pressure. The utility of the SHAPE procedure for identifying portal hypertension in the liver is the emphasis here, but the technique has applicability across many clinical scenarios.