Helmet ultrasound for brain imaging in post-hemicraniectomy patients

TL;DR

This paper introduces a wearable helmet ultrasound system capable of real-time, high-resolution brain imaging in post-hemicraniectomy patients, providing detailed structural and functional information noninvasively.

Contribution

The study presents a novel helmet-based ultrasound imaging device that achieves deep, high-resolution brain imaging and blood flow tracking in humans, bypassing the skull.

Findings

Achieved centimeter-scale depth imaging with submillimeter resolution.

Successfully tracked cerebral blood flow over multiple sessions.

Demonstrated imaging during motion-prone conditions.

Abstract

Noninvasive imaging deep into the adult brain at submillimeter and millisecond scales remains a challenge in medical imaging. Here, we report a helmet based ultrasound brain imager built from a customized helmet, a scanned ultrasound array, and three dimensional printing for real time imaging of human brain anatomical and functional information. Through its application to post hemicraniectomy patients in a sitting position, we achieved volumetric brain tissue structural, vascular, and blood flow images at centimeter scale depths with submillimeter and millisecond spatiotemporal resolutions. We also demonstrated the system capability to track cerebral blood flow over repeated imaging sessions, including during motion prone conditions. Our brain imager circumvents the skull and bridges the gap between high resolution human brain imaging and wearable convenience. This imager may serve as a platform for further investigations into human brain dynamics in post hemicraniectomy patients and offer insights into the brain that could surpass those obtained from non human primate studies.