Real-Time Super-Resolution Ultrasound Imaging Using the Erythrocytes

Super-resolution ultrasound imaging using the erythrocytes (SURE) visualizes microvasculature in seconds without contrast agents. However, it is computationally intensive because it uses processing steps similar to those in ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM). The hypothesis is that a graphics processing unit (GPU) can process SURE in real time, allowing the resulting images to be displayed immediately at the patient's bedside. The processing included beamforming, motion correction, tissue signal removal through singular value decomposition (SVD)-based filtering, and peak detection. All calculations were performed on the GPU, where batches of 32 frames were processed in parallel to improve hardware utilization. The image quality was compared with that of the original SURE implementation for in vivo rat kidney data acquired at 417 frames/s, and the processing rate was measured on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU. The processing rate was 517 images/s, demonstrating real-time SURE imaging with GPU acceleration. Furthermore, the image quality was improved, with more blood vessels being clearly visualized. In conclusion, SURE imaging can be performed in real time, similar to power Doppler, enabling noninvasive super-resolution ultrasound imaging at the bedside.