Analysis of Doppler Embolic Signals

Abstract

A broad view on the analysis of Doppler embolic signals is presented, uniting physics, engineering and computing, and clinical aspects. The overview of the field discusses the physiological significance of emboli and Doppler ultrasound with particular attention given to Transcranial Doppler; an outline of high-performance computing is presented, disambiguating the terminology and concepts used thereafter. The presentation of the major diagnostic approaches to Doppler embolic signals focuses on the most significant methods and techniques used to detect and classify embolic events including the clinical relevancy. Coverage of estimators such as time-frequency, time-scale, and displacement-frequency is included. The discussion of current approaches targets areas of identified need for improvement. A brief historical perspective of high-performance computing of Doppler blood flow signals and particularly Doppler embolic signals is accompanied by the reasoning behind the technological trends and approaches. The final remarks include, as a conclusion, a summary of the contribution and as future trends, some pathways hinting to where new developments might be expected.