Combined Effect of Erythrocyte Aggregation and Leukocyte Presence on Quantitative Blood Ultrasound: a Simulation Study

This study measures two quantitative ultrasound parameters for blood, backscattered power and attenuation coefficient, by simulating the typical aggregation patterns of red blood cells in response to variable shear rates. Also, the incorporation of leukocytes is proposed to imitate in-vivo conditions more effectively. Ultrasonic quantification of erythrocyte aggregation and/or abnormal levels of leukocyte presence can be used as early prediction technique for a range of pathological conditions. For both parameters, reasonable differences were found between different levels of aggregability which was further affected by the presence of leukocytes. The study provides a simulation method that can be helpful for characterization of blood using QUS.