Ultrasound Imaging of Breast by Use of a Hemispheric Array and Inverse Scattering

使用半球阵列和逆散射对乳房进行超声成像

• 批准号: 8307744
• 负责人: ROBERT C WAAG
• 金额: $ 90.54万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2014-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8307744
• 关键词: Achievement; Algorithms; Anatomy; Architecture; Biopsy; Breast; Breast Cancer Detection; Breast Cancer Treatment; Characteristics; Clinical; Collection; Computers; Data; Detection; Development; Diagnosis; Dimensions; Disease; Electronics; Elements; Foundations; Fourier Transform; Frequencies; Image; Image Analysis; Implant; Investigation; Malignant Neoplasms; Mammography; Maps; Measurement; Measures; Methods; Modeling; Monitor; Monitoring for Recurrence; Morphologic artifacts; Motion; Output; Patients; Performance; Physiologic pulse; Process; Property; Recurrence; Research Personnel; Research Project Grants; Residual state; Resolution; Resources; Risk; Schedule; Signal Transduction; Speed; System; Technology; Testing; Three-Dimensional Imaging; Time; Tissues; Transducers; Ultrasonic wave; Ultrasonography; Variant; Weight; attenuation; base; clinical application; computing resources; cost; image reconstruction; improved; in vivo; instrument; malignant breast neoplasm; millimeter; novel; operation; public health relevance; quantitative ultrasound; response; sound; success; system architecture; time interval; transmission process; two-dimensional; volunteer

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this project is to form high-resolution speckle-free quantitative ultrasound images throughout the volume of the breast in vivo by using a hemispheric transducer array for measurements and inverse scattering for image reconstruction. Achievement of this objective will show the clinical feasibility of using non-- ionizing ultrasound imaging to screen for breast cancer without the use of ionizing x-rays and will provide a foundation for risk-free examination of the breast for cancer detection. The proposed methods will overcome x- ray mammography limitations such as low resolution of contrast in dense breasts, compression-induced deformation of anatomy and discomfort in patients, and poor imaging of breasts with implants. Success would ultimately change the way screening for breast cancer is performed and significantly improve detection, diagnosis, and monitoring for recurrence or response to treatment of breast cancer. In the proposed system, ultrasound waves are transmitted into the breast, waves scattered by the breast are received, and the measurements of the scattered waves are stored for subsequent off-line reconstruction of images. The envisioned parallel architecture of the transmit and receive channels associated with each transducer element permits the collection of scattering from the in vivo breast during a short time, e.g., about two seconds, to avoid image-degrading motion artifacts. The planned use of off-line processing by available computing resources for image reconstruction circumvents the need to acquire and configure computer facilities. The hemispheric array is comprised of multiple planar facets so that conventional flat-wafer fabrication technology can be used to implement the array. The system has transmit electronics, receive electronics, and a transmit-receive switch associated with each element. A control unit communicates with the electronics. Image reconstruction begins by using measured pulse waveforms to estimate the gross properties (i.e., contour, average speed of sound, and average slope of attenuation) of the breast. From these properties, background scattering is determined and subtracted from the measured scattering to obtain residual scattering linearly related to tissue variations. The scattering measurements are in the near field but the coefficients of the temporal Fourier transform of the scattered signals emulate far field measurements in local regions that fill a hemisphere of Fourier spatial-- frequency space with components of the spatial Fourier transform of the local tissue variations. These measurements are extrapolated to obtain values of the Fourier spatial-frequency components in the opposite hemisphere. The entire sphere of spatial-frequency components is used to form weighted products of fields that are based on the initial estimate of breast characteristics and are then iteratively refined. The resulting images show sound speed and attenuation slope throughout the breast volume. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The objective of this project is to form significantly improved ultrasonic images throughout the volume of the breast in vivo by using a novel imaging system. Achievement of this objective will show the clinical feasibility of using non-ionizing ultrasound imaging to screen for breast cancer without the use of ionizing x-rays, provide a foundation for risk-free examination of the breast for cancer detection, and overcome x-ray mammography limitations such as low resolution of contrast in dense breast, compression induced deformation of anatomy and discomfort in patients, and poor imaging of breasts with implants. Success would ultimately change the way screening for breast cancer is performed and significantly improve detection, diagnosis, and monitoring for recurrence or response to treatment of breast cancer.

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的目标是通过使用半球换能器阵列进行测量和逆散射进行图像重建，在体内形成整个乳房体积的高分辨率无散斑定量超声图像。这一目标的实现将证明使用非电离超声成像在不使用电离X射线的情况下筛查乳腺癌的临床可行性，并将为无风险的乳房检查以检测癌症奠定基础。所提出的方法将克服X射线乳房X线照相术的局限性，例如致密乳房中对比度的低分辨率、压缩引起的解剖结构变形和患者的不适以及植入物的乳房成像效果差。成功将最终改变乳腺癌筛查的方式，并显着改善乳腺癌的检测、诊断和复发或治疗反应的监测。在所提出的系统中，超声波被发射到乳房中，接收乳房散射的波，并且存储散射波的测量结果以用于随后的离线图像重建。设想的与每个换能器元件相关联的发射和接收通道的并行架构允许在短时间内(例如，大约两秒)收集来自体内乳房的散射，以避免图像退化的运动伪影。计划使用可用计算资源进行离线处理来进行图像重建，从而避免了获取和配置计算机设施的需要。半球形阵列由多个平面组成，因此可以使用传统的平面晶圆制造技术来实现该阵列。该系统具有发射电子器件、接收电子器件以及与每个元件相关联的发射-接收开关。控制单元与电子设备通信。图像重建首先使用测量的脉冲波形来估计乳房的总体特性（即轮廓、平均声速和平均衰减斜率）。根据这些特性，确定背景散射并从测量的散射中减去背景散射以获得与组织变化线性相关的残余散射。散射测量位于近场，但散射信号的时间傅里叶变换系数模拟局部区域中的远场测量，该局部区域用局部组织变化的空间傅里叶变换的分量填充傅里叶空间-频率空间的半球。外推这些测量值以获得对侧半球的傅里叶空间频率分量的值。空间频率分量的整个范围用于形成基于乳房特征的初始估计的场的加权乘积，然后进行迭代细化。生成的图像显示整个乳房体积的声速和衰减斜率。 公共健康相关性：该项目的目标是通过使用新型成像系统在体内乳腺体积内形成显着改进的超声图像。这一目标的实现将展示在不使用电离X射线的情况下使用非电离超声成像筛查乳腺癌的临床可行性，为无风险乳房检查癌症检测提供基础，并克服X射线乳房X光检查的局限性，例如致密乳房的对比度分辨率低、压缩引起的解剖变形和患者不适以及植入物乳房成像效果差。成功将最终改变乳腺癌筛查的方式，并显着改善乳腺癌的检测、诊断和复发或治疗反应的监测。