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Jiao H, Mao Q, Razzaq N, Ankri R, Cui J. Ultrasound technology assisted colloidal nanocrystal synthesis and biomedical applications. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2024; 103:106798. [PMID: 38330546 PMCID: PMC10865478 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Non-invasive and high spatiotemporal resolution mythologies for the diagnosis and treatment of disease in clinical medicine promote the development of modern medicine. Ultrasound (US) technology provides a non-invasive, real-time, and cost-effective clinical imaging modality, which plays a significant role in chemical synthesis and clinical translation, especially in in vivo imaging and cancer therapy. On the one hand, the US treatment is usually accompanied by cavitation, leading to high temperature and pressure, so-called "hot spot", playing a significant role in sonochemical-based colloidal synthesis. Compared with the classical nucleation synthetic method, the sonochemical synthesis strategy presents high efficiency for the fabrication of colloidal nanocrystals due to its fast nucleation and growth procedure. On the other hand, the US is attractive for in vivo and medical treatment, with applications increasing with the development of novel contrast agents, such as the micro and nano bubbles, which are widely used in neuromodulation, with which the US can breach the blood-brain barrier temporarily and safely, opening a new door to neuromodulation and therapy. In terms of cancer treatment, sonodynamic therapy and US-assisted synergetic therapy show great effects against cancer and sonodynamic immunotherapy present unparalleled potentiality compared with other synergetic therapies. Further development of ultrasound technology can revolutionize both chemical synthesis and clinical translation by improving efficiency, precision, and accessibility while reducing environmental impact and enhancing patient care. In this paper, we review the US-assisted sonochemical synthesis and biological applications, to promote the next generation US technology-assisted applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haorong Jiao
- The Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiulian Mao
- The Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Noman Razzaq
- The Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rinat Ankri
- The Biomolecular and Nanophotonics Lab, Ariel University, 407000, P.O.B. 3, Ariel, Israel.
| | - Jiabin Cui
- The Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, 199 Renai Road, Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China.
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Lu Y, Fan K, Yuan J, Chen Y, Ge Y, Tao C, Liu X. Free scan real time 3D ultrasound imaging with shading artefacts removal. ULTRASONICS 2023; 135:107091. [PMID: 37515837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2023.107091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound imaging (USI) is a widely adopted imaging method in clinical diagnosis owing to its low cost, convenience, and safety. However, due to the complex acoustic attenuation, two-dimensional (2D) USI lacks the capability to achieve a clear imaging result when the target is shaded by high echo tissues. This paper proposes a three-dimensional (3D) free-scan real-time ultrasound imaging (FRUSI) method. By integrating 2D ultrasound image sequences around the region of interest (ROI) with a real-time and spatially accurate probe tracking method, the proposed FRUSI system provides clear and accurate ultrasound images for medical study. The experiment results on reconstruction precision and accuracy show the potential ability of our proposed system to provide high-quality 3D ultrasound imaging. Moreover, previously shaded targets can be discerned clearly in the same scan plane in both phantom studies and in vivo studies on the human finger joint. The performance of the proposed FRUSI system has demonstrated its potential value for clinical diagnosis to provide high ultrasound imaging quality and rich details in spatial information. Due to the convenient setup, the FRUSI system might potentially be expanded to other ultrasound imaging modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchen Lu
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Kai Fan
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Jie Yuan
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China.
| | - Ying Chen
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Yun Ge
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Chao Tao
- School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China
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Yang Y, Wu R, Chen D, Fei C, Li D, Yang Y. An improved Fourier Ptychography algorithm for ultrasonic array imaging. Comput Biol Med 2023; 163:107157. [PMID: 37352636 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by the optical imaging algorithm, the Fourier Ptychography (FP) algorithm is adopted to improve the resolution of ultrasonic array imaging. In the FP algorithm, the steady-state spectrum is utilized to recover the high-resolution ultrasonic images. Meanwhile, the parameters of FP algorithm are empirical, which can affect the imaging quality of ultrasonic array. Then the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to optimize the parameters of FP algorithm to further improve the imaging quality of ultrasonic array. The tungsten imaging experiments and pig eye imaging experiments are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the developed algorithm. In addition, the proposed algorithm and the coherent wave superposition (CWS) algorithm are both based on single plane wave (SPW) algorithms and they are then compared. The results show that the CWS algorithm and FP algorithm have good longitudinal and lateral resolutions, respectively. The particle swarm optimization-based FP (PSOFP) imaging algorithm has both excellent lateral and longitudinal resolutions. The average lateral resolution of PSOFP imaging algorithm is improved by 34.47% compared with CWS imaging algorithm in the tungsten wires experiments, and the lateral boundary structure width of the lens is improved by 49.48% in the pig eye experiments. The proposed algorithm can effectively improve the ultrasonic imaging quality for medical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyao Yang
- School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
| | - Runcong Wu
- School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
| | - Dongdong Chen
- School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China.
| | - Chunlong Fei
- School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China; Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Di Li
- School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
| | - Yintang Yang
- School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710071, China
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Lee MH, Lew HM, Youn S, Kim T, Hwang JY. Deep Learning-Based Framework for Fast and Accurate Acoustic Hologram Generation. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2022; 69:3353-3366. [PMID: 36331635 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2022.3219401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic holography has been gaining attention for various applications, such as noncontact particle manipulation, noninvasive neuromodulation, and medical imaging. However, only a few studies on how to generate acoustic holograms have been conducted, and even conventional acoustic hologram algorithms show limited performance in the fast and accurate generation of acoustic holograms, thus hindering the development of novel applications. We here propose a deep learning-based framework to achieve fast and accurate acoustic hologram generation. The framework has an autoencoder-like architecture; thus, the unsupervised training is realized without any ground truth. For the framework, we demonstrate a newly developed hologram generator network, the holographic ultrasound generation network (HU-Net), which is suitable for unsupervised learning of hologram generation, and a novel loss function that is devised for energy-efficient holograms. Furthermore, for considering various hologram devices (i.e., ultrasound transducers), we propose a physical constraint (PC) layer. Simulation and experimental studies were carried out for two different hologram devices, such as a 3-D printed lens, attached to a single element transducer, and a 2-D ultrasound array. The proposed framework was compared with the iterative angular spectrum approach (IASA) and the state-of-the-art (SOTA) iterative optimization method, Diff-PAT. In the simulation study, our framework showed a few hundred times faster generation speed, along with comparable or even better reconstruction quality, than those of IASA and Diff-PAT. In the experimental study, the framework was validated with 3-D printed lenses fabricated based on different methods, and the physical effect of the lenses on the reconstruction quality was discussed. The outcomes of the proposed framework in various cases (i.e., hologram generator networks, loss functions, and hologram devices) suggest that our framework may become a very useful alternative tool for other existing acoustic hologram applications, and it can expand novel medical applications.
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Abiteboul R, Ilovitsh T. Optimized Simultaneous Axial Multifocal Imaging via Frequency Multiplexed Focusing. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2022; 69:2930-2942. [PMID: 35984787 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2022.3200468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Simultaneous axial multifocal imaging (SAMI) using a single acoustical transmission was developed to enhance the depth of field. This technique transmits a superposition of axial multifoci waveforms in a single transmission, thus increasing the frame rate. However, since all the waveforms are transmitted at a constant center frequency, there is a tradeoff between attenuation and lateral resolution when choosing a constant frequency for all the axial depths. In this work, we developed an optimized SAMI method by adding frequency dependence to each axial multifocus. By gradually increasing the frequency as a function of the focal depth, this method makes it possible to compensate for the gradually increasing F-number in order to achieve constant lateral resolution across the entire field of view. Alternatively, by gradually decreasing the axial multifoci frequencies as a function of depth, enhanced penetration depth and contrast are obtained. This method, termed frequency multiplexed SAMI (FM-SAMI), is described analytically and validated by resolution and contrast experiments performed on resolution targets, tissue-mimicking phantoms, and ex vivo biological samples. This is the first real-time implementation of a frequency multiplexing approach for axial multifoci imaging that facilitates high-quality imaging at an increased frame rate.
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Ghanbarzadeh-Dagheyan A, Nili VA, Ejtehadi M, Savabi R, Kavehvash Z, Ahmadian MT, Vahdat BV. Time-domain ultrasound as prior information for frequency-domain compressive ultrasound for intravascular cell detection: A 2-cell numerical model. ULTRASONICS 2022; 125:106791. [PMID: 35809517 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2022.106791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study proposes a new method for the detection of a weak scatterer among strong scatterers using prior-information ultrasound (US) imaging. A perfect application of this approach is in vivo cell detection in the bloodstream, where red blood cells (RBCs) serve as identifiable strong scatterers. In vivo cell detection can help diagnose cancer at its earliest stages, increasing the chances of survival for patients. This work combines time-domain US with frequency-domain compressive US imaging to detect a 20-μ MCF-7 circulating tumor cell (CTC) among a number of RBCs within a simulated venule inside the mouth. The 2D image reconstructed from the time-domain US is employed to simulate the reflected and scattered pressure field from the RBCs, which is then measured at the location of the receivers. The RBCs are tagged one time by a human operator and another time, automatically, by template-based computer vision. Next, the resulting signal from the RBCs is subtracted from the measured total signal in frequency domain to generate the scattered-field data, coming from the CTC alone. Feeding that signal and the background pressure field into a norm-one-based compressive sensing code enables detecting the CTC at various locations. As errors could arise in determining the location of the RBCs and their acoustic properties in the real world, small errors (up to 10% in the former and 5% in the latter) are purposefully introduced to the model, to which the proposed method is shown to be resilient. Localization errors are smaller than 12 μ when a human tags the RBCs and smaller than 25 μ when computer vision is applied. Despite its limitations, this study, for the first time, reports the results of combining two US modalities aimed at cell detection and introduces a unique and useful application for ultrahigh-frequency US imaging. It should be noted that this method can be used in detecting weak scatterers with ultrasound waves in other applications as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashkan Ghanbarzadeh-Dagheyan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Department of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Vahid Amin Nili
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Ejtehadi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Savabi
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Kavehvash
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
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Gao R, Xue Q, Ren Y, Zhang H, Song L, Liu C. Achieving depth-independent lateral resolution in AR-PAM using the synthetic-aperture focusing technique. PHOTOACOUSTICS 2022; 26:100328. [PMID: 35242539 PMCID: PMC8861412 DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2021.100328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (AR-PAM) is a promising imaging modality that renders images with ultrasound resolution and extends the imaging depth beyond the optical ballistic regime. To achieve a high lateral resolution, a large numerical aperture (NA) of a focused transducer is usually applied for AR-PAM. However, AR-PAM fails to hold its performance in the out-of-focus region. The lateral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) degrade substantially, thereby leading to a significantly deteriorated image quality outside the focal area. Based on the concept of the synthetic-aperture focusing technique (SAFT), various strategies have been developed to address this challenge. These include 1D-SAFT, 2D-SAFT, adaptive-SAFT, spatial impulse response (SIR)-based schemes, and delay-multiply-and-sum (DMAS) strategies. These techniques have shown progress in achieving depth-independent lateral resolution, while several challenges remain. This review aims to introduce these developments in SAFT-based approaches, highlight their fundamental mechanisms, underline the advantages and limitations of each approach, and discuss the outlook of the remaining challenges for future advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongkang Gao
- Research Laboratory for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, CAS Key Laboratory of Health Informatics, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qiang Xue
- Research Laboratory for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, CAS Key Laboratory of Health Informatics, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, The Shenzhen Medical Ultrasound Engineering Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Yaguang Ren
- Research Laboratory for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, CAS Key Laboratory of Health Informatics, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Hai Zhang
- Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, The Shenzhen Medical Ultrasound Engineering Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518020, China
- Department of Ultrasound, The Second Clinical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Liang Song
- Research Laboratory for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, CAS Key Laboratory of Health Informatics, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Chengbo Liu
- Research Laboratory for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, CAS Key Laboratory of Health Informatics, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Corresponding author.
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Chen X, Lowerison MR, Dong Z, Han A, Song P. Deep Learning-Based Microbubble Localization for Ultrasound Localization Microscopy. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2022; 69:1312-1325. [PMID: 35171770 PMCID: PMC9116497 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2022.3152225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) is an emerging vascular imaging technique that overcomes the resolution-penetration compromise of ultrasound imaging. Accurate and robust microbubble (MB) localization is essential for successful ULM. In this study, we present a deep learning (DL)-based localization technique that uses both Field-II simulation and in vivo chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) data for training. Both radio frequency (RF) and in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data were tested in this study. The simulation experiment shows that the proposed DL-based localization was able to reduce both missing MB localization rate and MB localization error. In general, RF data showed better performance than IQ. For the in vivo CAM study with high MB concentration, DL-based localization was able to reduce the vessel MB saturation time by more than 50% compared to conventional localization. In addition, we propose a DL-based framework for real-time visualization of the high-resolution microvasculature. The findings of this article support the use of DL for more robust and faster MB localization, especially under high MB concentrations. The results indicate that further improvement could be achieved by incorporating temporal information of the MB data.
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Wang Y, Ma G, Gao G, Tao J, Cao W, Sun H, Ma F, Zhang Y, Wei Y, Tian M. Bioimaging of Dissolvable Microneedle Arrays: Challenges and Opportunities. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2022; 2022:9758491. [PMID: 36034102 PMCID: PMC9368514 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9758491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of microneedle arrays (MNAs) as a novel, simple, and minimally invasive administration approach largely addresses the challenges of traditional drug delivery. In particular, the dissolvable MNAs act as a promising, multifarious, and well-controlled platform for micro-nanotransport in medical research and cosmetic formulation applications. The effective delivery mostly depends on the behavior of the MNAs penetrated into the body, and accurate assessment is urgently needed. Advanced imaging technologies offer high sensitivity and resolution visualization of cross-scale, multidimensional, and multiparameter information, which can be used as an important aid for the evaluation and development of new MNAs. The combination of MNA technology and imaging can generate considerable new knowledge in a cost-effective manner with regards to the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of active substances for the treatment of various diseases. In addition, noninvasive imaging techniques allow rapid, receptive assessment of transdermal penetration and drug deposition in various tissues, which could greatly facilitate the translation of experimental MNAs into clinical application. Relying on the recent promising development of bioimaging, this review is aimed at summarizing the current status, challenges, and future perspective on in vivo assessment of MNA drug delivery by various imaging technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanni Wang
- Laboratory of Biologics and Biomaterials, College of Pharmacy, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Gehua Ma
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Guangzhi Gao
- Laboratory of Biologics and Biomaterials, College of Pharmacy, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Ji Tao
- Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wenzhao Cao
- Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haohao Sun
- College of Information Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Fengsen Ma
- Laboratory of Biologics and Biomaterials, College of Pharmacy, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Life Science Research Center, Frontier Crossing Institute, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Yilong Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Sensing and System, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou 310023, China
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Yen Wei
- Department of Chemistry and the Tsinghua Center for Frontier Polymer Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Mei Tian
- Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
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Amjadian M, Mostafavi SM, Chen J, Kavehvash Z, Zhu J, Wang L. Super-Resolution Photoacoustic Microscopy Using Structured-Illumination. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2021; 40:2197-2207. [PMID: 33856988 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2021.3073555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A novel super-resolution volumetric photoacoustic microscopy, based on the theory of structured-illumination, is proposed in this paper. The structured-illumination will be introduced in order to surpass the diffraction limit in a photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) structure. Through optical excitation of the targeted object with a sinusoidal spatial fringe pattern, the object's frequency spectrum is forced to shift in the spatial frequency domain. The shifting in the desired direction leads to the passage of the high-frequency contents of the object through the passband of the acoustic diffraction frequency response. Finally, combining the low-frequency image with the high-frequency parts in four regular orientations in the spatial frequency domain is equivalent to imaging the targeted object with an imaging system of two-fold bandwidth and thus half lateral resolution. In order to obtain the image of out-of-focus regions and improve the lateral resolution outside the focal region of a PAM imaging system, Fourier-domain reconstruction algorithm based on the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) using the virtual detector concept is utilized for reduction in the required computational load and time. The performance of the proposed imaging system is validated with in vivo and ex vivo targets. The experimental results obtained from several tungsten filaments in the depth range of 1.2 mm, show an improvement of -6 dB lateral resolution from 55- [Formula: see text] to 25- [Formula: see text] and also an improvement of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) from 16-22 dB to 27-33 dB in the proposed system.
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Jeon P, Kim J, Lee H, Kwon HS, Kim DY. Comparative study on resolution enhancements in fluorescence-structured illumination Fresnel incoherent correlation holography. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:9231-9241. [PMID: 33820355 DOI: 10.1364/oe.417206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH) is a new approach for incoherent holography, which also has enhancement in the transverse resolution. Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is another promising super-resolution technique. SI-FINCH, the combination of SIM and FINCH, has been demonstrated lately for scattering objects. In this study, we extended the application of SI-FINCH toward fluorescent microscopy. We have built a versatile multimodal microscopy system that can obtain images of four different imaging schemes: conventional fluorescence microscopy, FINCH, SIM, and SI-FINCH. Resolution enhancements were demonstrated by comparing the point spread functions (PSFs) of the four different imaging systems by using fluorescence beads of 1-μm diameter.
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12
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Christensen-Jeffries K, Couture O, Dayton PA, Eldar YC, Hynynen K, Kiessling F, O'Reilly M, Pinton GF, Schmitz G, Tang MX, Tanter M, van Sloun RJG. Super-resolution Ultrasound Imaging. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2020; 46:865-891. [PMID: 31973952 PMCID: PMC8388823 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The majority of exchanges of oxygen and nutrients are performed around vessels smaller than 100 μm, allowing cells to thrive everywhere in the body. Pathologies such as cancer, diabetes and arteriosclerosis can profoundly alter the microvasculature. Unfortunately, medical imaging modalities only provide indirect observation at this scale. Inspired by optical microscopy, ultrasound localization microscopy has bypassed the classic compromise between penetration and resolution in ultrasonic imaging. By localization of individual injected microbubbles and tracking of their displacement with a subwavelength resolution, vascular and velocity maps can be produced at the scale of the micrometer. Super-resolution ultrasound has also been performed through signal fluctuations with the same type of contrast agents, or through switching on and off nano-sized phase-change contrast agents. These techniques are now being applied pre-clinically and clinically for imaging of the microvasculature of the brain, kidney, skin, tumors and lymph nodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Christensen-Jeffries
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Olivier Couture
- Institute of Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS FRE 2031, PSL University, Paris, France.
| | - Paul A Dayton
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yonina C Eldar
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Kullervo Hynynen
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fabian Kiessling
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Meaghan O'Reilly
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gianmarco F Pinton
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Georg Schmitz
- Chair for Medical Engineering, Faculty for Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Meng-Xing Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mickael Tanter
- Institute of Physics for Medicine Paris, Inserm U1273, ESPCI Paris, CNRS FRE 2031, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Ruud J G van Sloun
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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13
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Harput S, Christensen-Jeffries K, Ramalli A, Brown J, Zhu J, Zhang G, Leow CH, Toulemonde M, Boni E, Tortoli P, Eckersley RJ, Dunsby C, Tang MX. 3-D Super-Resolution Ultrasound Imaging With a 2-D Sparse Array. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2020; 67:269-277. [PMID: 31562080 PMCID: PMC7614008 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2019.2943646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
High-frame-rate 3-D ultrasound imaging technology combined with super-resolution processing method can visualize 3-D microvascular structures by overcoming the diffraction-limited resolution in every spatial direction. However, 3-D super-resolution ultrasound imaging using a full 2-D array requires a system with a large number of independent channels, the design of which might be impractical due to the high cost, complexity, and volume of data produced. In this study, a 2-D sparse array was designed and fabricated with 512 elements chosen from a density-tapered 2-D spiral layout. High-frame-rate volumetric imaging was performed using two synchronized ULA-OP 256 research scanners. Volumetric images were constructed by coherently compounding nine-angle plane waves acquired at a pulse repetition frequency of 4500 Hz. Localization-based 3-D super-resolution images of two touching subwavelength tubes were generated from 6000 volumes acquired in 12 s. Finally, this work demonstrates the feasibility of 3-D super-resolution imaging and super-resolved velocity mapping using a customized 2-D sparse array transducer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevan Harput
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K., and also with the Division of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, U.K
| | | | - Alessandro Ramalli
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy, and also with the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Imaging and Dynamics, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jemma Brown
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Division of Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, U.K
| | - Jiaqi Zhu
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Ge Zhang
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Chee Hau Leow
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Matthieu Toulemonde
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Enrico Boni
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Piero Tortoli
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Robert J. Eckersley
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Division of Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, U.K
| | - Chris Dunsby
- Department of Physics and the Centre for Pathology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Meng-Xing Tang
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
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14
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Ilovitsh A, Ilovitsh T, Ferrara KW. Multiplexed ultrasound beam summation for side lobe reduction. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13961. [PMID: 31562381 PMCID: PMC6765004 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50317-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Two-way focusing, which relies on sweeping a focused beam across a field of view, is the conventional method for performing high-quality ultrasound imaging. Side lobes resulting from diffraction reduce the image contrast, thus degrade the image quality. In this paper, we present a new method for beam shaping the transmitted ultrasound waveform in order to reduce side lobes and improve image quality. The beam shaping is achieved by transmitting two different waveforms that are interlaced between the odd and even elements. One waveform generates a standard diffraction-limited single focus, and the second waveform generates two foci at the same focal depth as the single focus. The distance between the two foci is selected such that they will destructively interfere with the first order side lobes of the single focus, effectively eliminating these side lobes. A 7.5 dB side lobe reduction was measured experimentally at a depth of 60 mm, using a phased array transducer with a center frequency of 3 MHz. This real-time method utilizes standard receive beamforming, identical to traditional two-way focusing, and does not require post-processing. The method can be implemented with conventional ultrasound systems, without the need for additional components. The proposed method is described analytically, optimized via numerical simulation, and validated by experiments using wire targets, tissue-mimicking phantoms, and in vivo imaging of the rat bladder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asaf Ilovitsh
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Tali Ilovitsh
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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15
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Harput S, Christensen-Jeffries K, Brown J, Zhu J, Zhang G, Eckersley RJ, Dunsby C, Tang MX. 3-D Motion Correction for Volumetric Super-Resolution Ultrasound Imaging. IEEE INTERNATIONAL ULTRASONICS SYMPOSIUM : [PROCEEDINGS]. IEEE INTERNATIONAL ULTRASONICS SYMPOSIUM 2019; 2018. [PMID: 34093969 DOI: 10.1109/ultsym.2018.8580145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Motion during image acquisition can cause image degradation in all medical imaging modalities. This is particularly relevant in 2-D ultrasound imaging, since out-of-plane motion can only be compensated for movements smaller than elevational beamwidth of the transducer. Localization based super-resolution imaging creates even a more challenging motion correction task due to the requirement of a high number of acquisitions to form a single super-resolved frame. In this study, an extension of two-stage motion correction method is proposed for 3-D motion correction. Motion estimation was performed on high volumetric rate ultrasound acquisitions with a handheld probe. The capability of the proposed method was demonstrated with a 3-D microvascular flow simulation to compensate for handheld probe motion. Results showed that two-stage motion correction method reduced the average localization error from 136 to 18 μm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevan Harput
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BP, UK
| | | | - Jemma Brown
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Division of Imaging Sciences, King's College London, SE1 7EH, London, UK
| | - Jiaqi Zhu
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BP, UK
| | - Ge Zhang
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BP, UK
| | - Robert J Eckersley
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Division of Imaging Sciences, King's College London, SE1 7EH, London, UK
| | - Chris Dunsby
- Department of Physics and the Centre for Pathology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Meng-Xing Tang
- ULIS Group, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BP, UK
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16
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Ilovitsh A, Ilovitsh T, Foiret J, Stephens DN, Ferrara KW. Simultaneous Axial Multifocal Imaging Using a Single Acoustical Transmission: A Practical Implementation. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2019; 66:273-284. [PMID: 30530361 PMCID: PMC6375789 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2018.2885080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Standard ultrasound imaging techniques rely on sweeping a focused beam across a field of view; however, outside the transmission focal depth, image resolution and contrast are degraded. High-quality deep tissue in vivo imaging requires focusing the emitted field at multiple depths, yielding high-resolution and high-contrast ultrasound images but at the expense of a loss in frame rate. Recent developments in ultrasound technologies have led to user-programmable systems, which enable real-time dynamic control over the phase and apodization of each individual element in the imaging array. In this paper, we present a practical implementation of a method to achieve simultaneous axial multifoci using a single acoustical transmission. Our practical approach relies on the superposition of axial multifoci waveforms in a single transmission. The delay in transmission between different elements is set such that pulses constructively interfere at multiple focal depths. The proposed method achieves lateral resolution similar to successive focusing, but with an enhanced frame rate. The proposed method uses standard dynamic receive beamforming, identical to two-way focusing, and does not require additional postprocessing. Thus, the method can be implemented in real time on programmable ultrasound systems that allow different excitation signals for each element. The proposed method is described analytically and validated by laboratory experiments in phantoms and ex vivo biological samples.
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17
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Couture O, Hingot V, Heiles B, Muleki-Seya P, Tanter M. Ultrasound Localization Microscopy and Super-Resolution: A State of the Art. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2018; 65:1304-1320. [PMID: 29994673 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2018.2850811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Because it drives the compromise between resolution and penetration, the diffraction limit has long represented an unreachable summit to conquer in ultrasound imaging. Within a few years after the introduction of optical localization microscopy, we proposed its acoustic alter ego that exploits the micrometric localization of microbubble contrast agents to reconstruct the finest vessels in the body in-depth. Various groups now working on the subject are optimizing the localization precision, microbubble separation, acquisition time, tracking, and velocimetry to improve the capacity of ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) to detect and distinguish vessels much smaller than the wavelength. It has since been used in vivo in the brain, the kidney, and tumors. In the clinic, ULM is bound to improve drastically our vision of the microvasculature, which could revolutionize the diagnosis of cancer, arteriosclerosis, stroke, and diabetes.
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18
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Ilovitsh T, Ilovitsh A, Foiret J, Ferrara KW. Imaging beyond ultrasonically-impenetrable objects. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5759. [PMID: 29636513 PMCID: PMC5893560 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23776-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound images are severely degraded by the presence of obstacles such as bones and air gaps along the beam path. This paper describes a method for imaging structures that are distal to obstacles that are otherwise impenetrable to ultrasound. The method uses an optically-inspired holographic algorithm to beam-shape the emitted ultrasound field in order to bypass the obstacle and place the beam focus beyond the obstruction. The resulting performance depends on the transducer aperture, the size and position of the obstacle, and the position of the target. Improvement compared to standard ultrasound imaging is significant for obstacles for which the width is larger than one fourth of the transducer aperture and the depth is within a few centimeters of the transducer. For such cases, the improvement in focal intensity at the location of the target reaches 30-fold, and the improvement in peak-to-side-lobe ratio reaches 3-fold. The method can be implemented in conventional ultrasound systems, and the entire process can be performed in real time. This method has applications in the fields of cancer detection, abdominal imaging, imaging of vertebral structure and ultrasound tomography. Here, its effectiveness is demonstrated using wire targets, tissue mimicking phantoms and an ex vivo biological sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tali Ilovitsh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Asaf Ilovitsh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Josquin Foiret
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Katherine W Ferrara
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, USA.
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