Speckle tracking technology for quantifying lung sliding

Abstract

Ultrasound (US) is gaining recognition as a useful tool for assessing lung physiology and pathology. Yet, currently the skill of performing lung US is taught by experienced operators to novice ones, mainly by recognizing expected patterns. Recognizing the latter may be difficult and subjective. In this hypothesis we propose to apply a well-known and used image processing technology in echocardiography, speckle tracking (ST), to lung sliding - the marker of normal lung function. If implementing ST to lung sliding is technically feasible, several outcomes are expected: (1) Lung sliding will become an objective, operator-independent marker of normal lung function. (2) Subsequently, ST will provide normal values for lung sliding. (3) Lastly, the effects of pulmonary pathologies on lung sliding may be assessed. It is stressed, however, that the preliminary idea suggested here is limited to a single physiological phenomenon (lung sliding). Only when technical feasibility is demonstrated then ST technology may potentially be applied and investigated in other clinical settings of lung diseases.

Keywords: Lung sliding; Lung ultrasound; Speckle tracking.