Post-doc (M/F) in ultrasound imaging of intraosseous blood flow in the human knee

The postdoc researcher will be in charge of:
- The development of an image reconstruction algorithm taking into account the 3D geometry of the knee bones, and the phenomena of wave refraction and wave speed anisotropy in bone
- The development of an optimal acquisition sequence based on the transmission of unfocused ultrasound beams
- The development of optimal signal processing for intraosseous power Doppler ultrasound
- In vivo measurements on patients, their analysis and comparison with MRI scans

The goal of this project is to develop intraosseous ultrasound imaging of blood flow in the human knee and validate it in vivo. The aim is to adapt the so-called "power Doppler" ultrasound to the bone of the knee. The study will be carried out using a programmable research ultrasound scanner and an ultrasound probe dedicated to the porous bone tissue (trabecular bone) contained in the knee bones. The project will recruit 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis with bone marrow lesions in the knee. The position and volume of the bone marrow lesions observed in the ultrasound images and in the MRI images will be compared.

Intraosseous vascular changes have been demonstrated during the development of bone and joint diseases. Today, there is no non-invasive imaging technology that allows direct measurement of intraosseous blood flow. This project aims to unlock this limitation by developing intraosseous ultrasound of intraosseous blood flow. This work is part of an international project including the Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale in Paris, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands. The clinical research will take place at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam.