Diagnosing Small Joints by Soft Ultrasound Probes

通过软超声探头诊断小关节

• 批准号: 9437235
• 负责人: Sheng Xu
• 金额: $ 18.05万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-12-15 至 2019-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9437235
• 关键词: Acoustics; Address; Adult; Affect; Algorithms; Anisotropy; Area; Arthritis; Back; Cadaver; Coupling; Devices; Diagnosis; Diagnostic; Dimensions; Disease; Early Diagnosis; Elements; Ensure; Exercise; Fiber; Finger joint structure; Fingers; Frequencies; Gel; Health Care Costs; Healthcare; Hockey; Human; Image; Ionizing radiation; Island; Joints; Lateral; Location; Membrane; Metals; Modeling; Morphologic artifacts; Muscle Fibers; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Noise; Patients; Penetration; Performance; Phase; Physicians; Physiologic pulse; Polymers; Population; Positioning Attribute; Research; Resolution; Scanning; Services; Shapes; Signal Transduction; Skin; Structure; Sum; Surface; System; Techniques; Technology; Tendon structure; Testing; Therapeutic; Thick; Thinness; Time; Tissues; Transducers; Ultrasonic Transducer; Ultrasonics; Ultrasonography; arthropathies; base; cost; design; disease diagnosis; elastomeric; electric impedance; experience; image processing; imaging modality; improved; innovation; mechanical properties; musculoskeletal ultrasound; next generation; operation; pressure; repaired; tool

PROJECT SUMMARY Diseases of small joints such as arthritis and tendon abnormalities are prevalent, which leads to not only lasting patient suffering but also heavy healthcare cost. Musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging is an invaluable tool for diagnosing these diseases. However, current rigid and planar ultrasound probes have limited contact area with the highly curved irregular surfaces of the small joints, which leads to poor acoustic coupling and limited sonographic window. Also, the rigid probes require experienced professionals to scan the joints back and forth, with different scanning positions and orientations, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. In addition, this causes anisotropic artifacts in the acquired images and is thus highly operator-dependent. In this project, a thin and soft ultrasound probe is proposed to allow conformal and intimate integration with the small joints for comprehensive, rapid, and artifact-free examinations. The approach is to explore an innovative “island-bridge” structure that integrates an array of high performance rigid ultrasound transducers with an elastomeric polymer matrix, so mechanical properties of the resulting system will be similar to those of the human skin. Advanced imaging processing algorithm based on phased-array control mechanism will be developed. The acquired images will be high resolution in both axial and lateral dimensions. The final device will be tested on cadaver finger joints, and the collected results will be verified with these from conventional ultrasound probes. The soft ultrasound probes may suggest a transformative technology that holds promise for the next generation of wearable diagnostic devices for the small joints.

项目摘要 小关节的疾病（例如关节炎和肌腱异常）很普遍，这不仅导致 持久的患者遭受痛苦，但医疗保健费用很高。肌肉骨骼超声成像是无价的 这些疾病的诊断工具。但是，当前的刚性和平面超声探针的接触有限 小关节的高度弯曲不规则表面的区域，导致声耦合不良和 有限的超声检查窗口。此外，刚性探测要求经验丰富的专业人员扫描关节 又有不同的扫描位置和方向，这是劳动密集型且耗时的。 此外，这会导致各向异性伪像在获得的图像中，因此高度依赖于操作员。在这个 项目，提出了薄而柔软的超声探针，以允许与小 用于全面，快速和无伪影检查的关节。方法是探索创新的 “岛桥”结构将一系列高性能刚性超声传感器与 弹性体聚合物基质，因此所得系统的机械性能将与 人皮。基于梯级阵列控制机制的高级成像处理算法将是 发达。获得的图像将是轴向和横向尺寸的高分辨率。最终设备 将在尸体手指关节上进行测试，并通过常规的结果对收集的结果进行验证 超声问题。柔软的超声问题可能表明有希望的变革性技术 小关节的下一代可穿戴诊断设备。