Studying tissue hemodynamics following breast compression has the potential to reveal new contrast mechanisms for evaluating breast cancer. However, how compression will be distributed and, consequently, how hemodynamics will be altered inside the compressed breast remain unclear. To explore the effect of compression, 12 healthy volunteers were studied by applying a step compression increase (4.5–53.4 N) using an optical imaging system capable of concurrently measuring pressure distribution and hemodynamic responses. Finite element analysis was used to predict the distribution of internal fluid pressure (IFP) in breast models. Comparisons between the measured pressure distribution and the reconstructed hemodynamic images for the healthy volunteers indicated significant (p < 0.05) negative correlations. The findings from a breast cancer patient showed that IFP distribution during compression strongly correlates with the observed differential hemodynamic images. We concluded that dynamic breast compression results in non-uniform internal pressure distribution throughout the breast that could potentially drive directed blood flow. The encouraging results obtained highlight the promise of developing dynamic optical imaging biomarkers for breast cancer by interpreting differential hemodynamic images of breast tissue during compression in the context of measured pressure distribution and predicted IFP.

中文翻译：

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功能动态光学成像过程中乳腺样压缩下乳房组织的力学和血液动力学响应

研究乳房受压后的组织血流动力学有可能揭示评估乳腺癌的新对比机制。但是，如何压缩压力以及如何在压缩乳房内部改变血流动力学仍不清楚。为了探索压缩的效果，使用能够同时测量压力分布和血液动力学响应的光学成像系统，通过逐步压缩（4.5-53.4 N）来研究12位健康志愿者。有限元分析被用来预测乳房模型中的内部流体压力（IFP）的分布。对于健康志愿者，测得的压力分布与重建的血流动力学图像之间的比较表明存在显着的（p <0.05）负相关。一名乳腺癌患者的发现表明，压缩过程中的IFP分布与观察到的差异血流动力学图像密切相关。我们得出的结论是，动态乳房压迫会导致整个乳房内部压力分布不均匀，从而有可能推动定向血流。获得的令人鼓舞的结果凸显了通过在测得的压力分布和预测的IFP的背景下解释乳房组织在压迫过程中的不同血流动力学图像来开发用于乳腺癌的动态光学成像生物标记物的希望。我们得出的结论是，动态乳房压迫会导致整个乳房内部压力分布不均匀，从而有可能推动定向血流。获得的令人鼓舞的结果凸显了通过在测得的压力分布和预测的IFP的背景下解释乳房组织在压迫过程中的不同血流动力学图像来开发用于乳腺癌的动态光学成像生物标记物的希望。我们得出的结论是，动态乳房压迫会导致整个乳房内部压力分布不均匀，从而有可能推动定向血流。获得的令人鼓舞的结果凸显了通过在测得的压力分布和预测的IFP的背景下解释乳房组织在压迫过程中的不同血流动力学图像来开发用于乳腺癌的动态光学成像生物标记物的希望。