CAREER: Super-Resolution 3D Ultrasound Imaging of Brain Activity

职业：大脑活动的超分辨率 3D 超声成像

• 批准号: 2237309
• 负责人: Carl Herickhoff
• 金额: $ 59.32万
• 依托单位: University of Memphis
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-07-01 至 2028-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2237309&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Super; Resolution; 3D; Ultrasound

Current tools scientists use to study brain activity tend to be either slow, invasive, expensive, or unable to take precise measurements widely or deeply. This project will create a new 3D ultrasound imaging tool that is fast, non-invasive, affordable, and able to measure activity everywhere in a rat’s brain in high-resolution. With this tool, scientists will be able to better research and understand how the brain works. This new ability to measure and understand brain activity could help improve teaching and learning, assess many brain-related conditions, and lead to new therapies.The project will design and build a new ultrasound transducer array probe that can operate at two very different frequencies. The array will be able to create and sense chirp vibrations in tiny microbubbles that can safely flow through blood vessels in the body. Bubble echo signals will be uniquely processed to quickly show detailed changes in blood flow in the brain that relate to neural activity. The image resolution will be less than 0.05 mm over the full 3D field of view.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

目前科学家用来研究大脑活动的工具要么速度慢、侵入性强、价格昂贵，要么无法广泛或深入地进行精确测量。该项目将创建一种快速、非侵入性、经济实惠且功能强大的新型 3D 超声成像工具。借助这种工具，科学家将能够更好地研究和了解大脑的工作原理，这种测量和理解大脑活动的新能力可以帮助改善教学和学习，评估许多大脑。相关病症，并带来新的疗法。该项目将设计和建造一种新的超声换能器阵列探头，该探头可以在两种截然不同的频率下运行，该阵列将能够在微小的微泡中产生和感知微泡的振动，这些微泡可以安全地流经体内的血管。经过独特处理，可快速显示与神经活动相关的大脑血流的详细变化，图像分辨率在整个 3D 视野内将小于 0.05 毫米。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并被认为值得支持。通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。