Super-resolution ultrasound to assess kidney failure and breast cancer

Prof. Dr. Fabian Kiessling – fkiessling@ukaachen.de

Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, NRW, 52074, Germany

Additional authors: Celine Porte, Zuzanna Magnuska, Thomas Lisson, Jannine Salewski, Susanne Fleig, Matthias Kohlen, Uta Kunter, Stefanie Dencks, Elmar Stickeler, Georg Schmitz

Popular version of 1aBA1 – Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM) for the Characterization of Kidneys and Breast Cancer
Presented at the 188th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0037262

–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–

Super-resolution ultrasound is a technique for assessing the microvasculature of tissues. It achieves higher resolution than ultrasound detectors by using advanced methods to locate and track ultrasound contrast agents (microbubbles). The latter are known from GPS or RADAR. This allows comprehensive characterisation of anatomical and functional features at the level of a single microvessel. Multiple features can then be obtained and used to identify vascular patterns. We can show that super-resolution ultrasound can predict which breast cancer patients will respond to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy and which will require a modified treatment plan, which is critical to their overall prognosis. In addition, in the kidney, we can visualise glomeruli (important functional units), the number of which indicates chronic kidney disease long before functional deficits occur. This would allow early treatment and could help to minimise the need for biopsies, which is currently the only method that can provide this information. In addition, we show that super-resolution ultrasound also provides valuable physiological information about kidney function. As breast cancer and chronic kidney disease are very common, a large population could benefit from the clinical implementation of super-resolution ultrasound imaging. In addition, many other conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetic microvascular disease and cerebral ischaemia, are being investigated and may expand the application of this technology.

Life-threatening pregnancy disorder detected in placenta with quantitative ultrasound

Andrew Markel – amarkel@tulane.edu

Tulane University, 6823 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA, 70118, United States

Popular version of 5aBA3 – Quantitative Ultrasound-Based Characterization of Placental Microstructure During Preeclampsia
Presented at the 188th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0038280

–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–

Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy disorder that currently has no cure and is a significant cause of death for expecting mothers and their babies worldwide. A recent study by researchers at Tulane University and Weill Cornell Medicine has shown that quantitative ultrasound imaging of the placenta may help doctors detect preeclampsia earlier. Through this collaboration, the researchers discovered a connection between quantitative ultrasound images and the size of biological structures in the placenta. This preliminary study in rats also saw a significant difference between normal and preeclamptic placentas using quantitative ultrasound (Figure 1, bottom row), opening the door for potential applications in human medicine.

Figure 1. Comparison between normal ultrasound (top row) and quantitative ultrasound (bottom row) images of a normal placenta (left column) and a preeclamptic placenta (right column) in pregnant rats. Placentas in normal ultrasound images are outlined in red. A 5 mm scale bar is provided in the upper left-hand corner of all images for reference.

During normal pregnancies, the placenta delivers nutrients from the mother to the fetus and undergoes microscopic changes in its structure that allow it to deliver more nutrients as the fetus grows larger. For women with preeclampsia, the placenta fails to develop correctly, resulting in significant microstructural changes that cause high blood pressure, birth defects, and organ failure. The only way that doctors can alleviate the mother’s symptoms from preeclampsia is by delivering the baby and placenta early, which puts the baby at risk for developing complications associated with premature birth.

Ultrasound imaging is the most common method that doctors use to monitor pregnancies, but the ultrasound imaging methods currently used in clinics cannot detect the microstructural changes in the placenta that occur during preeclampsia (Figure 1, top row). Instead, preeclampsia is often detected when the mother has already developed high blood pressure and kidney failure, which can lead to further heart and kidney disease complications in the mother, even after the baby and placenta are delivered. Doctors need a better way to monitor the placenta for preeclampsia so that they can better understand how the disease develops and diagnose at risk women earlier.

Quantitative ultrasound imaging methods apply mathematical models of sound interactions and statistics to quantify the microscopic structural elements’ size, structure, and organization in human organs. With quantitative ultrasound, doctors will be able to diagnose diseases that would be impossible to detect using current ultrasound imaging methods. So, researchers studying the placenta in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tulane University decided to team up with researchers developing quantitative ultrasound algorithms in the Department of Radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine to investigate how quantitative ultrasound could help to diagnose preeclampsia. The research team is currently conducting a pilot study with human placentas after birth to determine how quantitative ultrasound images can help doctors diagnose preeclampsia in the clinic. Earlier diagnosis of preeclampsia could have a major impact on the way that doctors study and treat the disease, potentially saving the lives of thousands of women and children all around the world.

Sound Waves Shatter Cancer Cells: A New Era in Cancer Treatment

Connor Centner – connor.centner@louisville.edu
Twitter: @ConnorCentner

University of Louisville School of Medicine, University of Louisville Bioengeering, Louisville, KY, 40202, United States

Popular version of 1pBA14 – Miniature Histotripsy Device to Treat Human Pathologies
Presented at the 187th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0035013

–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–

Imagine a world where treating cancer doesn’t mean enduring invasive surgeries, long hospital stays, or intense side effects. Many researchers around the globe are working tirelessly to make that vision a reality. One approach could be ultrasound. Ultrasound has traditionally been associated with imaging, such as during pregnancy or heart examinations. Over the past few decades, however, scientists have reimagined its role in medicine, exploring ultrasound as a therapeutic tool to treat various diseases, including cancer. Histotripsy takes this idea to new heights. By directing focused ultrasound waves right into a tumor, we can quickly disrupt and break down cancer cells by forming tiny bubbles. When these bubbles collapse, they can collapse at speeds of several hundred meters per second, approaching speeds of a supersonic aircraft. Due to the focused nature of the device, it can protect nearby healthy cells. In fact, histotripsy is already FDA to treat certain cancers, such as liver cancer, and has shown tremendous success.

Yet, its application for colon cancer or lung cancer have yet to be fully explored. To target these cancers, a smaller device had to be developed. In fact, the device diameter is about half that of a penny (Figure 1). This would allow our device to be used with an endoscope, which means doctors can reach the tumor inside the body without needing to make big cuts.

This prototype device was recently studied in our lab. To explore the initial effectiveness of the device, lung and colon cancer cells were rapidly treated (2 minutes or less of treatment time). In fact, we were able to kill over 60% of the cells in sample (Figure 2). This highlights the versatility of the histotripsy device in treating various cancers and underscores its promising potential for a range of applications in cancer therapy. With continued research and development, this innovative technology may help improve cancer treatment and offer new hope to those affected by this disease.

Catch and Release Can Give Sea Turtles the Bends #ASA186

Catch and Release Can Give Sea Turtles the Bends #ASA186

Veterinarians team up with fishers to evaluate the health of accidentally caught sea turtles.

Media Contact:
AIP Media
301-209-3090
media@aip.org

OTTAWA, Ontario, May 13, 2024 – Six out of seven sea turtle species are endangered, and humans are primarily responsible. Commercial fishing activities are the largest human-caused disturbance to sea turtles due to accidental capture.

Fishers are typically unaware if a sea turtle is caught in their net until its completely pulled out of the water. However, releasing sea turtles without veterinary evaluations can be harmful. When accidentally caught, the turtles’ normal diving processes are interrupted, which can cause abnormal gas in their organs, gas emboli, to form. Veterinarians around the globe are working to understand the possible consequences of this pathology and determine the best treatment for turtles depending on when they surface. Here, they used ultrasound imaging to get a closer look at sea turtles’ bodies in realtime, focusing on the heart, liver, and kidney.

A sea turtle getting an ultrasound at Oceanogràfic as part of a veterinary procedure. (Photo taken by Katherine Eltz during her visit there to learn more about how this type of data is acquired for veterinary purposes)

Katherine Eltz, a first-year doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, determined that there are ways to differentiate gas levels over time in sea turtles. Eltz, whose home laboratory focuses on ultrasound imaging for decompression sickness mitigation in humans, collaborated with veterinarians who measured gas emboli in turtles in real time on fishing boats. She will present her work Monday, May 13, at 4:00 p.m. EDT as part of a joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Canadian Acoustical Association, running May 13-17 at the Shaw Centre located in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

“Veterinarians can examine whole-body MRI or X-ray scans and find specific bubbles in a variety of different organs,” said Eltz. “The benefit of ultrasound is that we can see bubbles flowing through vessels or stationary in tissues. The portability of ultrasound means that it can be brought onto fishing boats, which we took advantage of to collect half of the data used in this project.”

Her collaborators from the Oceanogràfic Foundation were the first to report decompression sickness in turtles. Eltz examined ultrasound data collected from sea turtles found off the coast of Brazil, Italy, and Spain, though this issue is found in sea turtles worldwide. The data collection from Eltz’s collaborators at Oceanogràfic comes from veterinarians who joined fishers off the coasts of these countries and imaged the turtles immediately to monitor their bubbles after surfacing.

Eltz’s results come from two experimental groups with different circumstances regarding time and gas severity. The brightness from the ultrasounds taken from the groups is a valuable quantitative metric to separate each ultrasound by grade. These findings can help veterinarians better treat sea turtles presenting with gas embolism. Ultrasound brightness could become a quantitative metric for veterinarians to determine which turtles need hyperbaric oxygen treatment and which can be released.

“The largest task still at hand is to work towards standardizing the acquisition of the ultrasound data collected for this project,” said Eltz. “Now, I can work with veterinarians to help adjust their methods, including improved image processing to standardize the data in post-processing.”

With a rich dataset from Oceanogràfic at her disposal, Eltz hopes to examine other possible factors that may be related to gas severity. These insights all help lead to better prediction of the outcomes for bycaught sea turtles.

———————– MORE MEETING INFORMATION ———————–
​Main Meeting Website: https://acousticalsociety.org/ottawa/    
Technical Program: https://eppro02.ativ.me/src/EventPilot/php/express/web/planner.php?id=ASASPRING24

ASA PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Press Room will be updated with newsworthy stories and the press conference schedule at https://acoustics.org/asa-press-room/.

LAY LANGUAGE PAPERS
ASA will also share dozens of lay language papers about topics covered at the conference. Lay language papers are summaries (300-500 words) of presentations written by scientists for a general audience. They will be accompanied by photos, audio, and video. Learn more at https://acoustics.org/lay-language-papers/.

PRESS REGISTRATION
ASA will grant free registration to credentialed and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend the in-person meeting or virtual press conferences, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, AIP staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

ABOUT THE CANADIAN ACOUSTICAL ASSOCIATION/ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE D’ACOUSTIQUE

  • fosters communication among people working in all areas of acoustics in Canada
  • promotes the growth and practical application of knowledge in acoustics
  • encourages education, research, protection of the environment, and employment in acoustics
  • is an umbrella organization through which general issues in education, employment and research can be addressed at a national and multidisciplinary level

The CAA is a member society of the International Institute of Noise Control Engineering (I-INCE) and the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA), and is an affiliate society of the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration (IIAV). Visit https://caa-aca.ca/.

Intense Ultrasound Extracts Genetic Info for Less Invasive Cancer Biopsies #ASA186

Intense Ultrasound Extracts Genetic Info for Less Invasive Cancer Biopsies #ASA186

Upcoming technology can extract cancer biomarkers from cells to enable affordable, noninvasive, and regular cancer screening.

Media Contact:
AIP Media
301-209-3090
media@aip.org

OTTAWA, Ontario, May 13, 2024 – Ultrasound imaging offers a valuable and noninvasive way to find and monitor cancerous tumors. However, much of the most crucial information about a cancer, such as specific cell types and mutations, cannot be learned from imaging and requires invasive and damaging biopsies. One research group developed a way to employ ultrasound to extract this genetic information in a gentler way.

At the University of Alberta, a team led by Roger Zemp explored how intense ultrasound can release biological indicators of disease, or biomarkers, from cells. These biomarkers, like miRNA, mRNA, DNA, or other genetic mutations, can help identify different types of cancer and inform the subsequent therapy. Zemp will present this work Monday, May 13, at 8:30 a.m. EDT as part of a joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Canadian Acoustical Association, running May 13-17 at the Shaw Centre located in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

ultrasound

Ultrasound image of micro-histotripsy liberation of biomarkers in a tumor. Image Credit: Joy Wang and Pradyumna Kedarisetti.

“Ultrasound, at exposure levels higher than is used for imaging, can create tiny pores in cell membranes, which safely reseal,” Zemp said. “This process is known as sonoporation. The pores formed due to sonoporation were previously used to get drugs into cells and tissues. In our case, we care about releasing the contents of cells for diagnostics.”

The ultrasound releases biomarkers from the cells into the bloodstream, increasing their concentration to a level high enough for detection. Using this method, oncologists can detect cancer and monitor its progression or treatment without the need for painful biopsies. Instead, they can use blood samples, which are easier to procure and less expensive.

“Ultrasound can enhance the levels of these genetic and vesicle biomarkers in blood samples by over 100 times,” said Zemp. “We were able to detect panels of tumor-specific mutations, and now epigenetic mutations that were not otherwise detectable in blood samples.”

Not only was this approach successful at detecting biomarkers, but it also boasts a lower price compared to conventional testing. 

“We’ve also found that we can conduct ultrasound-aided blood testing to look for circulating tumor cells in blood samples with single-cell sensitivity for the price of a COVID test,” said Zemp. “This is significantly cheaper than the current methods, which cost about $10,000 per test.”

The team also demonstrated the potential for applying intense ultrasound to liquefy small volumes of tissue for biomarker detection. The liquified tissue can be retrieved from blood samples or through fine-needle syringes, a much more comfortable option compared to the damaging core-needle alternative.

More accessible techniques to identify cancer will not only allow for earlier detection and treatment but will also allow medical practitioners to be nimble in their approach. They can establish if certain therapies are working without the risks and expenses often associated with repeated biopsies.

“We hope that our ultrasound technologies will benefit patients by providing clinicians a new kind of molecular readout of cells and tissues with minimal discomfort,” said Zemp.

———————– MORE MEETING INFORMATION ———————–
​Main Meeting Website: https://acousticalsociety.org/ottawa/    
Technical Program: https://eppro02.ativ.me/src/EventPilot/php/express/web/planner.php?id=ASASPRING24

ASA PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Press Room will be updated with newsworthy stories and the press conference schedule at https://acoustics.org/asa-press-room/.

LAY LANGUAGE PAPERS
ASA will also share dozens of lay language papers about topics covered at the conference. Lay language papers are summaries (300-500 words) of presentations written by scientists for a general audience. They will be accompanied by photos, audio, and video. Learn more at https://acoustics.org/lay-language-papers/.

PRESS REGISTRATION
ASA will grant free registration to credentialed and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend the in-person meeting or virtual press conferences, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, AIP staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

ABOUT THE CANADIAN ACOUSTICAL ASSOCIATION/ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE D’ACOUSTIQUE

  • fosters communication among people working in all areas of acoustics in Canada
  • promotes the growth and practical application of knowledge in acoustics
  • encourages education, research, protection of the environment, and employment in acoustics
  • is an umbrella organization through which general issues in education, employment and research can be addressed at a national and multidisciplinary level

The CAA is a member society of the International Institute of Noise Control Engineering (I-INCE) and the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA), and is an affiliate society of the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration (IIAV). Visit https://caa-aca.ca/.

Listening for bubbles to make scuba diving safer

Joshua Currens – jcurrens@unc.edu

Department of Radiology; Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States

Popular version of 5aBAb8 – Towards real-time decompression sickness mitigation using wearable capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer arrays
Presented at the 186th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0027683

–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–

Scuba diving is a fun recreational activity but carries the risk of decompression sickness (DCS), commonly known as ‘the bends’. This condition occurs when divers ascend too quickly, causing gas that has accumulated in their bodies to expand rapidly into larger bubbles—similar to the fizz when a soda can is opened.

To prevent this, divers will follow specific safety protocols that limit how fast they rise to the surface and stop at predetermined depths to allow bubbles in their body to dissipate. However, these are general guidelines that do not account for every person in every situation. This limitation can make it harder to prevent DCS effectively in all individuals without unnecessarily lengthening the time to ascend for a large portion of divers. Traditionally, these bubbles have only been detected with ultrasound technology after the diver has surfaced, so it is a challenge to predict DCS before it occurs (Figure 1b&c). Early identification of these bubbles could allow for the development of personalized underwater instructions to bring divers back to the surface and minimize the risk of DCS.

To address this challenge, our team is creating a wearable ultrasound device that divers can use underwater.

Ultrasound works by sending sound waves into the body and then receiving the echoes that bounce back. Bubbles reflect these sound waves strongly, making them visible in ultrasound images (Figure 1d). Unlike traditional ultrasound systems that are too large and not suited for underwater use, our innovative device will be compact and efficient, designed specifically for real-time bubble monitoring while diving.

Currently, our research involves testing this technology and optimizing imaging parameters in controlled environments like hyperbaric chambers. These are specialized rooms where underwater conditions can be replicated by increasing the inside pressure. We recently collected the first ultrasound scans of human divers during a hyperbaric chamber dive with a research ultrasound system, and next we plan to use it with our first prototype. With this data, we hope to find changes in the images that indicate where bubbles are forming. In the future, we plan to start testing our custom ultrasound tool on divers, which will be a big step towards continuously monitoring divers underwater, and eventually personalized DCS prevention.

divingFigure 1. (a) Scuba diver underwater. (b) Post-dive monitoring for bubbles using ultrasound. (c) Typical ultrasound system (developed using Biorender). (d) Bubbles detected in ultrasound images as bright spots in heart. Images courtesy of JC, unless otherwise noted.