Human Mole Contrast-Free Microvascular Imaging using Erythrocytes

SUper-Resolution ultrasound imaging using Erythrocytes (SURE) creates microvascular images without any contrast agent injection, with only a few seconds of acquisition time. This paper hypothesizes that it is possible to reveal the microvascular density and velocity estimation of a human mole without the use of contrast agents, with just two seconds of data acquisition. In this study, imaging results from a single volunteer are presented. The SURE density image obtained using a Verasonics research scanner is compared with the Power Doppler image acquired from a commercial GE LOGIQ E9 scanner. The SURE tracking pipeline successfully visualized and estimated the velocity map and velocity profile of vessels as small as 65 μm in diameter, with flow velocities as low as 3.2 mm/s. It shows the feasibility of visualizing the vasculature of benign moles, which potentially can assist medical doctors in distinguishing between benign and malignant moles and prioritizing them for further investigation.