Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39545706›Full record

ArticleMedical physics2025

Open-chest cardiac ultrasound-mediated imaging with a vacuum coupler.

Nilesh Mathuria, Krithik Vishwanath, Giorgio Brero, Blake C Fallon, Antonio Martino, Richard C Willson, Carly S Filgueira, Richard R Bouchard

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Medical physics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Nilesh MathuriaHouston Methodist Heart and Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
Krithik VishwanathDepartment of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Giorgio BreroDepartment of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA.
Blake C FallonDepartment of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA.
Antonio MartinoDepartment of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA.
Richard C WillsonDepartment of Biochemical & Biophysical Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Carly S FilgueiraDepartment of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA.
Richard R BouchardDepartment of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.

Funding

Photoacoustic Imaging to Guide Catheter Ablation of Cardiac ArrhythmiasR21HL159534 · NHLBI · METHODIST HOSPITAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI MATHURIA, NILESH · 2022 to 2023
$453k
George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular NanomedicineJohn S. Dunn Foundation Collaborative Research AwardNHLBI NIH HHS R21 HL159534NIH HHS R21 HL159534
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA fundamental obstacle for the preclinical development of ultrasound-(US) mediated cardiac imaging remains cardiac motion, which limits interframe correlation during extended acquisition periods. PURPOSE: To address this need, we present the design and implementation of a 3D-printed vacuum coupler that stabilizes a US transducer on the epicardial surface of the heart for feasibility assessment and development of advanced, cardiac, US-mediated imaging approaches.

methodsThe vacuum coupler was 3D printed with biocompatible resins and secured with a standard intraoperative suction aspirator. US-mediated imaging (i.e., B-mode and photoacoustic [PA] imaging) was performed in an open-chest porcine model with and without the vacuum coupler. Based on inter-frame displacement tracking and cross-correlation (CC) coefficients, changes in frame motion and stability were compared for each imaging mode/configuration through a prolonged (∼1 min) acquisition, while the impact on PA-based SO

resultsWhen compared to conventional handheld imaging, stand-off imaging, and coupler without suction, epicardial imaging with the vacuum coupler and suction applied led to a significantly reduced mean axial displacement of 0.15 mm versus 0.89, 0.49, & 0.49 mm, respectively (p-values ≤ 8.65e-7). Comparing the coupler without suction to that with suction applied, physiologically unrealistic SO

conclusionsEpicardial US-mediated imaging with a vacuum coupler reduces cardiac motion artifact, providing a consistent sampling of an intended region of interest (ROI) over multiple cardiac cycles. This could help facilitate the development of advanced US-mediated imaging, which is often hindered by cardiac motion. Stable implementation of these imaging techniques could allow for intra-operative assessments of local cardiac perfusion as well as tissue characterization.

Indexed as

HeartThoraxAnimalsEquipment DesignPrinting, Three-DimensionalSwineUltrasonographyVacuum3D printing and modelingcardiac motionphotoacoustic imagingtransducer stabilizerultrasound imaging

Identifiers

PMID39545706
PMCPMC11788239

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.