A system for objective vessel compression assessment for deep venous thrombosis characterization using ultrasound image data and a sensorized ultrasound probe is presented. Two new objective measures calculated from applied force and transverse vessel area are also presented and used to describe vessel compressibility. A modified star-Kalman algorithm is used for feature detection in acquired ultrasound images, and objective measures of vessel compressibility are calculated from the detected features and acquired force and location data from the sensorized probe. A three-dimensional shape model of the examined vessel that includes compressibility measures mapped as colors to its surface is presented on the user interface, as well as a virtual representation of the image plane. The compressibility measures were validated using expert segmentation of healthy and diseased vessels and compared using paired t-tests, which showed a significant difference between healthy and diseased cases for both measures. 100% sensitivity and specificity were obtained for both measures. The system was implemented in real-time (16 Hz) and evaluated using a tissue phantom and on healthy human subjects. Sensitivity was 100% and 60%, while specificity was 97% for both measures when implemented. The initial results for the system and its components are promising.
As one of two planetary objects (other than Earth) that have solid surfaces, thick atmospheres, and astrobiological significance, Titan, like Mars, merits ongoing study with multiple spacecraft. We propose that a Titan orbiter dedicated to geophysics, geology, and atmospheric science be added to the New Frontiers menu for the coming decade.
Future space missions will further our knowledge of tidal heating and orbital resonances, processes thought to create spectacular volcanism and oceans of magma or water on other worlds.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.