French scientists have developed a new ultrasound imaging technology, which for the first time achieves comprehensive and high-precision visualization of microcirculation and complete blood flow dynamics from large blood vessels to the smallest blood vessels in living organs such as the heart, kidneys, and liver in four dimensions (three-dimensional space+time). This breakthrough provides an unprecedented perspective for researching and diagnosing blood circulation related diseases, and will have a profound impact on precision medicine for circulatory system diseases. The research was published in the latest issue of Nature Communications. Blood microcirculation is a critical system that sustains life, delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissue cells through a network of tiny blood vessels throughout the body, while clearing metabolic waste. Any structural or functional abnormalities in this system can lead to serious health problems such as heart failure, kidney failure, and various chronic diseases. However, for a long time, the medical community has lacked an imaging method that can clearly visualize microcirculation at the entire organ scale and simultaneously evaluate the overall function of arteries, veins, blood vessels, and lymphatic systems. A team including scientists from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research has developed a new type of ultrasound probe that, for the first time, performs four-dimensional blood flow imaging of multiple important organs in a live animal model. Its spatial resolution reaches less than 100 micrometers, which is sufficient to clearly capture blood flow changes in the smallest blood vessels. Research shows that this probe can not only display the overall vascular network of organs, but also accurately quantify blood flow dynamics. For example, in the liver, due to its unique blood flow structure, the three major blood flow systems of arteries, portal veins, and hepatic veins can be clearly distinguished, providing a new tool for understanding the perfusion mechanism of complex organs. The team members stated that the uniqueness of this technology lies in its ability to perform four-dimensional imaging of the entire vascular system of large organs at sub hundred micron scales. Both imaging range and resolution were previously unattainable. At present, the technology is entering the clinical testing stage, and the team is committed to promoting the application of the device in the human body. Due to the fact that the probe can be connected to small portable devices, it is expected to be directly integrated into clinical diagnosis and treatment processes in the future. Once applied in clinical practice, this new technology will become an important tool for a deeper understanding of systemic vascular dynamics, covering various levels from the aorta to the pre capillary arterioles. Especially, it is expected to provide objective basis for the treatment and monitoring of small vessel related diseases, which can currently only be indirectly diagnosed by excluding other causes. This new imaging technology can display the blood flow of the entire vascular network inside large organs such as the heart and kidneys of living animals in high definition, real-time, and three-dimensional. Even the smallest capillaries can be seen clearly, like having an ultra high definition camera that can shoot "4D movies" of blood vessels. The microcirculation of blood is responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to various parts of the body, and its health condition is crucial. The new technology provides direct and objective basis for the research and diagnosis of small vessel related diseases, and also gives scientists an unprecedented perspective, which helps to enhance our understanding of various organs in the human body. (New Society)