In vivo rat brain for Ultrasound Localization Microscopy: raw and beamformed data.

<p><strong>Datasets provided for Open Platform for Ultrasound Localization Microscopy: Performance Assessment of Localization Algorithms.</strong></p> <p><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> <p>Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (<strong>ULM</strong>) is an ultrasound imaging technique that relies on the acoustic response of sub-wavelength ultrasound scatterers to map the microcirculation with an order of magnitude increase in resolution. Initially demonstrated <em>in vitro</em>, this technique has matured and sees implementation<em> in vivo</em> for vascular imaging of organs, and tumors in both animal models and humans. The performance of the localization algorithm greatly defines the quality of vascular mapping. We compiled and implemented a collection of ultrasound localization algorithms and devised three datasets<em> in silico</em> and<em> in vivo</em> to compare their performance through 18 metrics. We also present two novel algorithms designed to increase speed and performance. By openly providing a complete package to perform ULM with the algorithms, the datasets used, and the metrics, we aim to give researchers a tool to identify the optimal localization algorithm for their usage, benchmark their software and enhance the overall image quality in the field while uncovering its limits.</p> <p>This article provides all materials and post-processing scripts and functions.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong></p> <p>200.000 ultrasound images have been acquired <em>in vivo </em>on a rat brain with skull removal at 1000 Hz with a 15&nbsp;MHz linear probe.</p> <p>This dataset contains raw radiofrequency data (<strong>RF</strong>) and beamformed images (<strong>IQ</strong>) of the brain vascularization with flowing microbubbles (ultrasound contrast agent).</p> <p><strong>Article to be cited:</strong> Heiles, Chavignon, Hingot, Lopez, Teston and Couture.<br> <a href="http://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-021-00824-8"><em>Performance benchmarking of microbubble-localization algorithms for ultrasound localization microscopy</em>, Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2022, (doi.org/10.1038/s41551-021-00824-8)</a>.</p> <p><strong>Related processing scripts and codes:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://github.com/AChavignon/PALA">github.com/AChavignon/PALA</a></p> <p><strong>Related datasets:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4343435">doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4343435</a></p> <p><strong>Acknowledgments:</strong></p> <p>We thank Cyrille Orset (INSERM UMR-S U1237, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders, GIP Cyceron, BB@C, Caen, France) for animals&rsquo; preparation and perfusion of contrast agent and the biomedical imaging platform CYCERON (UMS 3408 Unicaen/CNRS, Caen, France).</p>