SBIR Phase II: Acoustoelastic Tissue Property Evaluation of Selected Tissue Region in Dynamic Ultrasound Images

SBIR 第二阶段：动态超声图像中选定组织区域的声弹性组织特性评估

• 批准号: 1152716
• 负责人: Jeffrey Dalsin
• 金额: $ 49.39万
• 依托单位: Echometrix, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-04-15 至 2015-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1152716&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Acoustoelastic; Tissue

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes to develop a real-time ultrasound system for evaluating musculoskeletal soft tissue conditions by implementing the novel ultrasound post-processing software developed in Phase I into a programmable platform ultrasound system. Today, radiologists diagnose most musculoskeletal diseases by observing static MRI or conventional ultrasound images and considering key factors that support only qualitative, subjective assessments. Developing an efficient, real-time, quantitative method for diagnosing soft tissue (e.g., tendons and ligaments) injuries and monitoring healing can lead to more accurate diagnoses and reduce re-injury of incompletely healed tissues. The project will enhance the novel software technology's clinical utility and workflow efficiency. The original software will be enhanced by improving the software to automatically detect a region of interest with the ultrasound image. The registered regions of interest can be matched precisely from one patient visit to the next. Developing data mining software will further increase efficiency and accuracy by leveraging machine learning to assist with diagnostic decisions. These software improvements will be integrated with the platform ultrasound system to improve clinical workflow. The integrated product will both match the work flow efficiency of standard ultrasound and dramatically advance the utility of ultrasound within the musculoskeletal arena. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project, if successful, will dramatically improve clinicians' ability to care for soft tissue injuries and will position the company to capitalize on (1) pressure to reduce medical imaging costs, (2) musculoskeletal specialists' growing interest in ultrasound, especially portable instruments, (3) a major ultrasound manufacturer's focus on the large and relatively untapped musculoskeletal ultrasound market, and (4) the recent emergence of quantitative ultrasound for non-musculoskeletal applications. This Phase II project will produce an efficient, real-time, quantitative method for diagnosing soft tissue injuries and monitoring healing. In the US alone, overuse injuries (strains, sprains) are the most frequently reported musculoskeletal injuries. Annually, 18.4 million such injuries cost approximately $92 B. Patients suffering from musculoskeletal injuries currently face three challenges at diagnosis, care, and outcome. First, current diagnostic methods, including MRI, ultrasound, or physical manipulation, rely on highly subjective and observer-dependent interpretation, so accuracy varies. Second, MRI is still the standard of care, but is far more costly than ultrasound. Substituting ultrasound for MRI, where appropriate for initially diagnosing musculoskeletal conditions, could save Medicare $736 M/year. Third, the lack of an objective monitoring method to determine when a patient can safely return to activity means patients risk missing unnecessary work time or re-injury.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）II期项目提议开发一种实时超声系统，以通过将I阶段I期的新型超声后处理软件实施到可编程平台超声系统中，以评估肌肉骨骼软组织条件。如今，放射科医生通过观察静态MRI或常规超声图像来诊断大多数肌肉骨骼疾病，并考虑仅支持定性，主观评估的关键因素。开发一种有效，实时，定量的方法来诊断软组织（例如肌腱和韧带）损伤并监测愈合可以导致更准确的诊断，并减少对未完全治愈的组织的损害。该项目将提高新型软件技术的临床实用性和工作流效率。通过改进软件以自动检测超声图像的关注区域，可以增强原始软件。感兴趣的注册区域可以与一个患者访问下一个可以匹配。开发数据挖掘软件将通过利用机器学习来帮助做出诊断决策，从而进一步提高效率和准确性。这些软件改进将与平台超声系统集成，以改善临床工作流程。集成的产品既可以匹配标准超声的工作流效率，又可以显着提高肌肉骨骼领域内超声波的实用性。如果成功的话，该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将显着提高临床医生护理软组织伤害的能力，并将公司置于（1）降低医学成像成本的压力，（2）骨骼专家对超声波（尤其是可移植工具）的超越群体的兴趣日益增长，尤其是对大型制造商的群体，（3）大型市场和4.（3）相比，（3）群体的相关性和相对于4.的相关性（3）对于非肌肉骨骼应用的定量超声的最新出现。该II期项目将产生一种有效，实时的定量方法，用于诊断软组织损伤和监测愈合。仅在美国，过度使用的伤害（菌株，扭伤）是最常见的肌肉骨骼损伤。每年1,840万此类伤害的费用约为92美元。患有肌肉骨骼损伤的患者目前在诊断，护理和结局方面面临三个挑战。首先，当前的诊断方法（包括MRI，超声或物理操纵）依赖于高度主观和观察者依赖性解释，因此准确性会有所不同。其次，MRI仍然是护理的标准，但比超声检查成本要高得多。在最初诊断肌肉骨骼状况的情况下，将超声替换为MRI，可以节省Medicare $ 736 m/年。第三，缺乏客观监测方法来确定患者何时可以安全地重返活动，这意味着患者可能会遇到不必要的工作时间或重伤。