Military Radar Techniques Could Help Stroke Victims

Military signal processing methods used in radar systems could have the potential to improve early diagnosis and effective monitoring of stroke victims, reports to a new study.

A researcher at the University of Leicester (United Kingdom) investigated new methods of processing an ultrasound signal so as to obtain additional information. This involved developing new signal-processing algorithms for Doppler ultrasound devices by improving the axial resolution obtainable from transcranial Doppler (TCD) systems. The modified techniques helped improve the resolution of medical TCDs, thereby providing more detailed information about the depths at which movement of emboli in the cerebral circulation is occurring. The modifications can also be used to monitor the blood flow through vessels to assess if there are any problems such as blockages. This has the potential to aid in the early diagnosis and also in the monitoring of progression of vascular disease and stroke, since 25% of strokes are due to emboli blocking small blood vessels in the brain.

"Research into the detection of emboli and vascular disease, using ultrasound, has the potential to reduce stroke death and disability rates, and to generate large financial savings,” said study author Joanne Cowe, Ph.D. in electrical and electronic engineering, who wrote her doctoral thesis in medical physics, cardiovascular sciences.

Doppler ultrasound is a noninvasive test that can be used to evaluate blood flow and pressure by bouncing high-frequency sound waves off red blood cells (RBCs). By measuring the rate of change of the pitch (frequency), clinicians can estimate how fast the blood is flowing. The test may be done as an alternative to more invasive procedures such as arteriography and venography, which involve injecting dye into the blood vessel to enhance X-ray images.


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