Estimation and Correction of Ultrasound Beam Aberration Caused by Breast

乳腺引起的超声束像差的估计与校正

• 批准号: 7985875
• 负责人: ROBERT C WAAG
• 金额: $ 35.84万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-08-01 至 2014-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7985875
• 关键词: Acoustics; Algorithms; Anatomic structures; Behavior; Breast; Breast Diseases; Characteristics; Clinical; Data; Detection; Development; Diagnosis; Dimensions; Electronics; Fatty acid glycerol esters; Financial compensation; Focused Ultrasound Therapy; Generations; Histocompatibility Testing; Histologic; Image; Imaging Techniques; Investigation; Knowledge; Lighting; Link; Location; Magnetic Resonance; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mammary Gland Parenchyma; Measurement; Measures; Methods; Modeling; Monitor; Morphology; Performance; Phase; Physiologic pulse; Procedures; Process; Property; Protons; Recurrence; Relaxation; Research; Resolution; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Scanning; Severities; Severity of illness; Shapes; Signal Transduction; Simulate; Source; Specimen; Speed; Structure; System; Techniques; Testing; Time; Tissue Model; Tissues; Ultrasonic Transducer; Ultrasonic wave; Ultrasonography; Universities; Validation; Variant; Water; attenuation; base; data acquisition; density; design; digital models; image reconstruction; improved; instrument; malignant breast neoplasm; novel; public health relevance; response; simulation; sound; statistics; success; transmission process; two-dimensional; virtual

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this research is to develop ultrasound propagation algorithms and tissue models that mimic ultrasound scattering behavior in typical breast specimens for use in studying breast imaging techniques, and then to employ these models and algorithms to refine and evaluate adaptive focusing methods that correct for ultrasound beam aberration caused by propagation through breast inhomogeneities. The specific aims are to: 1) acquire high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging data throughout the volume of the breast and segment the data into tissue types with acoustic properties characterized by random processes, 2) calculate acoustic propagation in three dimensions through the modeled volume of the breast to determine the aberration produced by inhomogeneities in the breast, 3) perform pulse-echo measurements of aberration using the same specimens to validate the modeling of the breast and the calculation of aberration, and 4) simulate high-resolution b-scan images by using adaptive focusing that compensates for aberration. The segmented data will be used to develop realistic numerical models for calculations of propagation. Calculations of pulse propagation through the breast models will use three-dimensional k-space and fast multiple methods. Propagation through the models will be used to simulate measurements that are repeatable and easy to alter, allowing for efficient refinement of aberration-correction methods. Aberration will be determined using two new algorithms. In one algorithm, the aberration is estimated using cross spectra of pulse-echo signals obtained from a set of focuses in an isoplanatic region. In the other algorithm, aberration is estimated using cross correlation of echoes obtained from broad-beam illuminations produced by virtual sources. Variations of the parameters that govern these algorithms will be explored to optimize algorithm performance. Simulated point-reflector echoes received through the aberration path will be used to compute the true aberration for comparison with the aberration found using the two algorithms. The true focus achieved in each of the cases will be described by calculations and also by hydrophone measurements. Focus characteristics as well as image resolution will be evaluated with respect to breast morphology in the propagation paths. Arrival time fluctuations, waveform shape changes, and statistics of distortion will be determined for both calculated and measured results. Also, the size of the region over which aberration can be satisfactorily compensated with a single set of parameters will be determined. Focus characteristics and image resolution will be carefully evaluated and critically compared to available geometric and adaptive focusing techniques. Quantitative conclusions about the effects of aberration in ultrasound imaging of the breast and the performance of the two aberration correction algorithms will be developed. As a result of this research, adaptive focusing techniques using aberration correction will yield improved resolution that will significantly increase the capability of ultrasound b-scan imaging to distinguish between normal and diseased breast tissue and to determine the severity of breast disease in circumstances not now possible with ultrasound. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The objective of this project is to form significantly improved ultrasonic images throughout the volume of the breast by using adaptive focusing that compensates for aberration. This objective will be achieved by the development of realistic acoustic models of the breast from high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging data, use of the models to estimate aberration, validation of the models by measurements, and formation of b-scan images by using aberration correction. Success in the research will significantly increase the capability of ultrasound b-scans to distinguish between normal and diseased breast tissue and to determine the severity of disease in circumstances not now possible because b-scan resolution in breast is limited by aberration.

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的目的是开发模拟典型乳腺标本中超声散射行为的超声传播算法和组织模型，用于研究乳腺成像技术，然后利用这些模型和算法来完善和评估自适应聚焦方法可校正因乳房不均匀性传播而引起的超声波束像差。具体目标是：1）获取整个乳房体积的高分辨率磁共振成像数据，并将数据分割成具有随机过程特征的声学特性的组织类型，2）通过建模的体积计算三维声学传播乳房以确定乳房不均匀性产生的像差，3) 使用相同的样本进行像差脉冲回波测量，以验证乳房建模和像差计算，以及 4) 模拟高分辨率 B 扫描图像通过使用自适应聚焦来补偿像差。分段数据将用于开发用于传播计算的真实数值模型。通过乳房模型的脉冲传播计算将使用三维 k 空间和快速多重方法。通过模型的传播将用于模拟可重复且易于更改的测量，从而可以有效地改进像差校正方法。像差将使用两种新算法来确定。在一种算法中，使用从等晕区域中的一组焦点获得的脉冲回波信号的交叉谱来估计像差。在另一种算法中，使用从虚拟源产生的宽光束照明获得的回波的互相关来估计像差。将探索控制这些算法的参数的变化以优化算法性能。通过像差路径接收到的模拟点反射器回波将用于计算真实像差，以便与使用两种算法发现的像差进行比较。在每种情况下实现的真正焦点将通过计算和水听器测量来描述。将根据传播路径中的乳房形态来评估聚焦特性和图像分辨率。计算结果和测量结果都将确定到达时间波动、波形形状变化和失真统计。此外，将确定可以用单组参数令人满意地补偿像差的区域的大小。将仔细评估焦点特性和图像分辨率，并与现有的几何和自适应聚焦技术进行严格比较。将得出关于乳腺超声成像中像差影响的定量结论以及两种像差校正算法的性能。这项研究的结果是，使用像差校正的自适应聚焦技术将提高分辨率，从而显着提高超声 B 扫描成像的能力，以区分正常和患病的乳腺组织，并在目前不可能的情况下确定乳腺疾病的严重程度用超声波。 公共健康相关性：该项目的目标是通过使用补偿像差的自适应聚焦，在整个乳房体积内形成显着改进的超声图像。这一目标将通过以下方式实现：根据高分辨率磁共振成像数据开发真实的乳房声学模型，使用模型来估计像差，通过测量验证模型，并通过像差校正形成 B 扫描图像。研究的成功将显着提高超声 B 扫描的能力，以区分正常和患病的乳腺组织，并在目前无法实现的情况下确定疾病的严重程度，因为乳腺 B 扫描的分辨率受到像差的限制。