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Tran TNHT, Le LH, Ta D. Ultrasonic Guided Waves in Bone: A Decade of Advancement in Review. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2022; 69:2875-2895. [PMID: 35930519 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2022.3197095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of guided wave ultrasonography as a means to assess cortical bone quality has been a significant practice in bone quantitative ultrasound for more than 20 years. In this article, the key developments within the technology of ultrasonic guided waves (UGW) in long bones during the past decade are documented. The covered topics include data acquisition configurations available for measuring bone guided waveforms, signal processing techniques applied to bone UGW, numerical modeling of ultrasonic wave propagation in cortical long bones, formulation of inverse approaches to extract bone properties from observed ultrasonic signals, and clinical studies to establish the technology's application and efficacy. The review concludes by highlighting specific challenging problems and future research directions. In general, the primary purpose of this work is to provide a comprehensive overview of bone guided-wave ultrasound, especially for newcomers to this scientific field.
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Tran TNHT, Le LH, Ta D. Analysis of Ultrasonic Guided Wave Propagation in Multilayered Bone Structure With Varying Soft-Tissue Thickness in View of Cortical Bone Characterization. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2022; 69:147-155. [PMID: 34520355 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2021.3112621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Noninvasive characterization of cortical long bones using axial transmission ultrasound is a promising diagnostic technology for osteoporotic cortical thinning assessment. However, the soft tissue-bone coupling effect remains to be a challenge and an ambiguity especially in vivo. The influence of the overlying soft tissue layer with a varying thickness on the propagation of ultrasonic guided waves in cortical bone is studied experimentally and theoretically in this article. The wave propagation is characterized based on waveform comparison, spectral density and decomposition, dispersion energy imaging, and particle displacement analysis. Good agreement between experimental observations with theoretical predictions by semi-analytical finite element simulations is observed. The sensitivity of propagation characteristics in response to the coupled tissue thickness is elucidated. As the thickness of the loading soft tissue grows, the guided wave signals exhibit greater attenuated amplitude and delayed arrival time; more complex dispersive wave patterns emerge; and the modal number and density increase. The research findings advance the fundamental comprehension of ultrasonic-guided-wave excitation and interaction in long bones and facilitate further technical development and clinical utility of quantitative guided-wave ultrasonography in routine healthcare services as a nondestructive imaging modality for cortical bone examination.
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Bochud N, Laugier P. Axial Transmission: Techniques, Devices and Clinical Results. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1364:55-94. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-91979-5_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Lee MY, Jeyaprakash N, Yang CH. An investigation on osteoporosis based on guided wave propagation in multi-layered bone plates. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2021; 126:105026. [PMID: 34915357 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.105026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the multi-layer structure of bones has been used to simulate bone loss, and the guided waves were transmitted to the double-layer structured simulated bone plates, which are cortical bone and spongy bone. The soft tissue layer was simulated by water and the theoretical solution of the multilayer structure has been established. The guided waves were excited by the laser ultrasound technique and the Recursive Asymptotic Stiffness Matrix (RASM) was used to build a multilayer structure. Results show that, as the cortical bone is thinned, the dispersion relationship curve mode shifts toward high frequency and low phase velocity. Also, as the spongy bone density decreases, the dispersion relationship curve mode moves toward high frequency and high phase velocity. Further, it is found that, as the porosity rises, the mode of the dispersion relationship curve shifts to the direction of low frequency and low phase velocity. Through the addition of soft tissues and introduction of simultaneous changes in parameters, osteoporosis can be distinguished with high accuracy and hence this method can be applied to the detection of osteoporosis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Yan Lee
- Graduate Institute of Mechatronic Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, 10608, Taiwan.
| | - N Jeyaprakash
- Graduate Institute of Manufacturing Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, 10608, Taiwan; Additive Manufacturing Center for Mass Customization Production, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, 10608, Taiwan.
| | - Che-Hua Yang
- Graduate Institute of Manufacturing Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, 10608, Taiwan; Additive Manufacturing Center for Mass Customization Production, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, 10608, Taiwan.
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A Spray-on, Nanocomposite-Based Sensor Network for in-Situ Active Structural Health Monitoring. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19092077. [PMID: 31060259 PMCID: PMC6540028 DOI: 10.3390/s19092077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A new breed of nanocomposite-based spray-on sensor is developed for in-situ active structural health monitoring (SHM). The novel nanocomposite sensor is rigorously designed with graphene as the nanofiller and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the matrix, fabricated using a simple spray deposition process. Electrical analysis, as well as morphological characterization of the spray-on sensor, was conducted to investigate percolation characteristic, in which the optimal threshold (~0.91%) of the graphene/PVP sensor was determined. Owing to the uniform and stable conductive network formed by well-dispersed graphene nanosheets in the PVP matrix, the tailor-made spray-on sensor exhibited excellent piezoresistive performance. By virtue of the tunneling effect of the conductive network, the sensor was proven to be capable of perceiving signals of guided ultrasonic waves (GUWs) with ultrahigh frequency up to 500 kHz. Lightweight and flexible, the spray-on nanocomposite sensor demonstrated superior sensitivity, high fidelity, and high signal-to-noise ratio under dynamic strain with ultralow magnitude (of the order of micro-strain) that is comparable with commercial lead zirconate titanate (PZT) wafers. The sensors were further networked to perform damage characterization, and the results indicate significant application potential of the spray-on nanocomposite-based sensor for in-situ active GUW-based SHM.
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Tran TNHT, Le LH, Sacchi MD, Nguyen VH. Sensitivity analysis of ultrasonic guided waves propagating in trilayered bone models: a numerical study. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2018; 17:1269-1279. [DOI: 10.1007/s10237-018-1025-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Hoffmeister BK, Huber MT, Viano AM, Huang J. Characterization of a polymer, open-cell rigid foam that simulates the ultrasonic properties of cancellous bone. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 143:911. [PMID: 29495707 PMCID: PMC5812744 DOI: 10.1121/1.5023219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Materials that simulate the ultrasonic properties of tissues are used widely for clinical and research purposes. However, relatively few materials are known to simulate the ultrasonic properties of cancellous bone. The goal of the present study was to investigate the suitability of using a polymer, open-cell rigid foam (OCRF) produced by Sawbones®. Measurements were performed on OCRF specimens with four different densities. Ultrasonic speed of sound and normalized broadband ultrasonic attenuation were measured with a 0.5 MHz transducer. Three backscatter parameters were measured with a 5 MHz transducer: apparent integrated backscatter, frequency slope of apparent backscatter, and normalized mean of the backscatter difference. X-ray micro-computed tomography was used to measure the microstructural characteristics of the OCRF specimens. The trabecular thickness and relative bone volume of the OCRF specimens were similar to those of human cancellous bone, but the trabecular separation was greater. In most cases, the ultrasonic properties of the OCRF specimens were similar to values reported in the literature for cancellous bone, including dependence on density. In addition, the OCRF specimens exhibited an ultrasonic anisotropy similar to that reported for cancellous bone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew T Huber
- Department of Physics, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee 38112, USA
| | - Ann M Viano
- Department of Physics, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee 38112, USA
| | - Jinsong Huang
- College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
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Kassou K, Remram Y, Laugier P, Minonzio JG. Dispersion characteristics of the flexural wave assessed using low frequency (50-150kHz) point-contact transducers: A feasibility study on bone-mimicking phantoms. ULTRASONICS 2017; 81:1-9. [PMID: 28570855 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Guided waves-based techniques are currently under development for quantitative cortical bone assessment. However, the signal interpretation is challenging due to multiple mode overlapping. To overcome this limitation, dry point-contact transducers have been used at low frequencies for a selective excitation of the zeroth order anti-symmetric Lamb A0 mode, a mode whose dispersion characteristics can be used to infer the thickness of the waveguide. In this paper, our purpose was to extend the technique by combining a dry point-contact transducers approach to the SVD-enhanced 2-D Fourier transform in order to measure the dispersion characteristics of the flexural mode. The robustness of our approach is assessed on bone-mimicking phantoms covered or not with soft tissue-mimicking layer. Experiments were also performed on a bovine bone. Dispersion characteristics of measured modes were extracted using a SVD-based signal processing technique. The thickness was obtained by fitting a free plate model to experimental data. The results show that, in all studied cases, the estimated thickness values are in good agreement with the actual thickness values. From the results, we speculate that in vivo cortical thickness assessment by measuring the flexural wave using point-contact transducers is feasible. However, this assumption has to be confirmed by further in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koussila Kassou
- Laboratory of Instrumentation (LINS), USTHB, P.O. BOX 32, 16111 Bab-Ezzouar, Algiers, Algeria.
| | - Youcef Remram
- Laboratory of Instrumentation (LINS), USTHB, P.O. BOX 32, 16111 Bab-Ezzouar, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Pascal Laugier
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale (LIB), F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Gabriel Minonzio
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale (LIB), F-75006 Paris, France
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Nguyen VH, Tran TN, Sacchi MD, Naili S, Le LH. Computing dispersion curves of elastic/viscoelastic transversely-isotropic bone plates coupled with soft tissue and marrow using semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) method. Comput Biol Med 2017; 87:371-381. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Thakare DR, Abid A, Pereira D, Fernandes J, Belanger P, Rajagopal P. Semi-analytical finite-element modeling approach for guided wave assessment of mechanical degradation in bones. Int Biomech 2017. [PMCID: PMC7857466 DOI: 10.1080/23335432.2017.1319295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerical models based on the Semi Analytical Finite-Element method are used to study the characteristics of guided wave modes supported by bone-like multi-layered tubular structures. The method is first validated using previous literature and experimental studies on phantoms mimicking healthy and osteoporotic conditions of cortical bone, and later used to study a trilayer marrow–bone–tissue system at varying mechanical degradation levels. The results show that bone condition strongly affects the modal properties of axially propagating guided waves and indicates that L(0,3) and F(1,6) are suitable modes for assessing the mechanical condition of the bone. The work here reports suitable modal selection and their dispersion properties which would the aid in development of a transduction mechanism for mechanical assessment of bones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhawal R. Thakare
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Nondestructive Evaluation, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Alexandre Abid
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole de Technologie Superieure, Montréal, Canada
| | - Daniel Pereira
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole de Technologie Superieure, Montréal, Canada
| | - Julio Fernandes
- Department of Surgery, Centre de recherche l’Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Pierre Belanger
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole de Technologie Superieure, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Centre de recherche l’Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Prabhu Rajagopal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Nondestructive Evaluation, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
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Bochud N, Vallet Q, Minonzio JG, Laugier P. Predicting bone strength with ultrasonic guided waves. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43628. [PMID: 28256568 PMCID: PMC5335564 DOI: 10.1038/srep43628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent bone quantitative ultrasound approaches exploit the multimode waveguide response of long bones for assessing properties such as cortical thickness and stiffness. Clinical applications remain, however, challenging, as the impact of soft tissue on guided waves characteristics is not fully understood yet. In particular, it must be clarified whether soft tissue must be incorporated in waveguide models needed to infer reliable cortical bone properties. We hypothesize that an inverse procedure using a free plate model can be applied to retrieve the thickness and stiffness of cortical bone from experimental data. This approach is first validated on a series of laboratory-controlled measurements performed on assemblies of bone- and soft tissue mimicking phantoms and then on in vivo measurements. The accuracy of the estimates is evaluated by comparison with reference values. To further support our hypothesis, these estimates are subsequently inserted into a bilayer model to test its accuracy. Our results show that the free plate model allows retrieving reliable waveguide properties, despite the presence of soft tissue. They also suggest that the more sophisticated bilayer model, although it is more precise to predict experimental data in the forward problem, could turn out to be hardly manageable for solving the inverse problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Bochud
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7371, INSERM UMR S1146, Laboratoire d'imagerie biomédicale, 15 rue de l'école de médecine, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Quentin Vallet
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7371, INSERM UMR S1146, Laboratoire d'imagerie biomédicale, 15 rue de l'école de médecine, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Gabriel Minonzio
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7371, INSERM UMR S1146, Laboratoire d'imagerie biomédicale, 15 rue de l'école de médecine, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Laugier
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7371, INSERM UMR S1146, Laboratoire d'imagerie biomédicale, 15 rue de l'école de médecine, F-75006, Paris, France
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Hata T, Nagatani Y, Takano K, Matsukawa M. Simulation study of axial ultrasonic wave propagation in heterogeneous bovine cortical bone. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 140:3710. [PMID: 27908063 DOI: 10.1121/1.4967234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The effect of the heterogeneity of the long cortical bone is an important factor when applying the axial transmission technique. In this study, the axial longitudinal wave velocity distributions in specimens from the mid-shaft of a bovine femur were measured, in the MHz range. Bilinear interpolation and the piecewise cubic Hermite interpolating polynomial method were used to construct three-dimensional (3D) axial velocity models with a resolution of 40 μm. By assuming the uniaxial anisotropy of the bone and using the results of previous experimental studies [Yamato, Matsukawa, Yanagitani, Yamazaki, Mizukawa, and Nagano (2008b). Calcified Tissue Int. 82, 162-169; Nakatsuji, Yamamoto, Suga, Yanagitani, Matsukawa, Yamazaki, and Matsuyama (2011). Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 50, 07HF18], the distributions of all elastic moduli were estimated to obtain a 3D heterogeneous bone model and a uniform model. In the heterogeneous model, moduli at the surface were smaller than those inside the model. The elastic finite-difference time-domain method was used to simulate axial ultrasonic wave propagation in these models. In the heterogeneous model, the wavefront of the first arriving signal (FAS) was dependent on the heterogeneity, and the FAS velocity depended on the measured position. These phenomena were not observed in the uniform model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiho Hata
- Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe 610-0321, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Nagatani
- Department of Electronics, Kobe City College of Technology, Kobe 651-2194, Japan
| | - Koki Takano
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe 610-0321, Japan
| | - Mami Matsukawa
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe 610-0321, Japan
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Rizvi B, Da Silva E, Slatkovska L, Cheung AM, Tavakkoli J, Pejović-Milić A. Technical Note: Bone mineral density measurements of strontium-rich trabecular bone-mimicking phantoms using quantitative ultrasound. Med Phys 2016; 43:5817. [DOI: 10.1118/1.4963805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
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Bochud N, Vallet Q, Bala Y, Follet H, Minonzio JG, Laugier P. Genetic algorithms-based inversion of multimode guided waves for cortical bone characterization. Phys Med Biol 2016; 61:6953-6974. [DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/61/19/6953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Vallet Q, Bochud N, Chappard C, Laugier P, Minonzio JG. In Vivo Characterization of Cortical Bone Using Guided Waves Measured by Axial Transmission. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2016; 63:1361-1371. [PMID: 27392349 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2016.2587079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Cortical bone loss is not fully assessed by the current X-ray methods, and there is an unmet need in identifying women at risk of osteoporotic fracture, who should receive a treatment. The last decade has seen the emergence of the ultrasound (US) axial transmission (AT) techniques to assess a cortical bone. Recent AT techniques exploit the multimode waveguide response of the long bones such as the radius. A recent ex vivo study by our group evidenced that a multimode AT approach can yield simultaneous estimates of cortical thickness (Ct.Th) and stiffness. The aim of this paper is to move one step forward to evaluate the feasibility of measuring multimode guided waves (GW) in vivo and to infer from it cortical thickness. Measurements were taken on the forearm of 14 healthy subjects with the goal to test the accuracy of the estimated thickness using the bidirectional AT method implemented on a dedicated 1-MHz linear US array. This setup allows determining in vivo the dispersion curves of GW transmitted in the cortical layer of the radius. An inverse procedure based on the comparison between the measured and modeled dispersion curves predicted by a 2-D transverse isotropic free plate waveguide model allowed an estimation of cortical thickness, despite the presence of soft tissue. The Ct.Th values were validated by comparison with the site-matched estimates derived from X-ray high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Results showed a significant correlation between both measurements ( r2 = 0.7 , , and [Formula: see text] mm). This pilot study demonstrates the potential of bidirectional AT for the in vivo assessment of cortical thickness, a bone strength-related factor.
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Xu K, Ta D, Cassereau D, Hu B, Wang W, Laugier P, Minonzio JG. Multichannel processing for dispersion curves extraction of ultrasonic axial-transmission signals: Comparisons and case studies. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 140:1758. [PMID: 27914382 DOI: 10.1121/1.4962491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Some pioneering studies have shown the clinical feasibility of long bones evaluation using ultrasonic guided waves. Such a strategy is typically designed to determine the dispersion information of the guided modes to infer the elastic and structural characteristics of cortical bone. However, there are still some challenges to extract multimode dispersion curves due to many practical limitations, e.g., high spectral density of modes, limited spectral resolution and poor signal-to-noise ratio. Recently, two representative signal processing methods have been proposed to improve the dispersion curves extraction. The first method is based on singular value decomposition (SVD) with advantages of multi-emitter and multi-receiver configuration for enhanced mode extraction; the second one uses linear Radon transform (LRT) with high-resolution imaging of the dispersion curves. To clarify the pros and cons, a face to face comparison was performed between the two methods. The results suggest that the LRT method is suitable to separate the guided modes at low frequency-thickness-product ( fh) range; for multimode signals in broadband fh range, the SVD-based method shows more robust performances for weak mode enhancement and noise filtering. Different methods are valuable to cover the entire fh range for processing ultrasonic axial transmission signals measured in long cortical bones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailiang Xu
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Handan Road No 220, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Dean Ta
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Handan Road No 220, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Didier Cassereau
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale (LIB), 15 rue de l'école de médecine, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Bo Hu
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Handan Road No 220, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiqi Wang
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Handan Road No 220, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Pascal Laugier
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale (LIB), 15 rue de l'école de médecine, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Gabriel Minonzio
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, INSERM, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale (LIB), 15 rue de l'école de médecine, 75006, Paris, France
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Parmar BJ, Yang X, Chaudhry A, Shajudeen PS, Nair SP, Weiner BK, Tasciotti E, Krouskop TA, Righetti R. Ultrasound elastography assessment of bone/soft tissue interface. Phys Med Biol 2015; 61:131-50. [PMID: 26611328 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/61/1/131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
We report on the use of elastographic imaging techniques to assess the bone/soft tissue interface, a region that has not been previously investigated but may provide important information about fracture and bone healing. The performance of axial strain elastograms and axial shear strain elastograms at the bone/soft tissue interface was studied ex vivo on intact and fractured canine and ovine tibias. Selected ex vivo results were corroborated on intact sheep tibias in vivo. The elastography results were statistically analyzed using elastographic image quality tools. The results of this study demonstrate distinct patterns in the distribution of the normalized local axial strains and axial shear strains at the bone/soft tissue interface with respect to the background soft tissue. They also show that the relative strength and distribution of the elastographic parameters change in the presence of a fracture and depend on the degree of misalignment between the fracture fragments. Thus, elastographic imaging modalities might be used in the future to obtain information regarding the integrity of bones and to assess the severity of fractures, alignment of bone fragments as well as to follow bone healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biren J Parmar
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USA
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Kilappa V, Moilanen P, Salmi A, Haeggström E, Zhao Z, Myllylä R, Timonen J. Tailoring the excitation of fundamental flexural guide waves in coated bone by phase-delayed array: two-dimensional simulations. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 137:1134-1143. [PMID: 25786929 DOI: 10.1121/1.4908312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The fundamental flexural guided wave (FFGW) enables ultrasonic assessment of cortical bone thickness. In vivo, it is challenging to detect this mode, as its power ratio with respect to disturbing ultrasound is reduced by soft tissue covering the bone. A phase-delayed ultrasound source is proposed to tailor the FFGW excitation in order to improve its power ratio. This situation is analyzed by 2D finite-element simulations. The soft tissue coating (7-mm thick) was simulated as a fluid covering an elastic plate (bone, 2-6 mm thick). A six-element array of emitters on top of the coating was excited by 50-kHz tone bursts so that each emitter was appropriately delayed from the previous one. Response was recorded by an array of receivers on top of the coating, 20-50 mm away from the closest emitter. Simulations predicted that such tailored/phase-delayed excitations should improve the power ratio of FFGW by 23 ± 5 dB, independent of the number of emitters (N). On the other hand, the FFGW magnitude should increase by 5.8 ± 0.5 dB for each doubling of N. This suggests that mode tailoring based on phase-delayed excitation may play a key role in the development of an in vivo FFGW assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vantte Kilappa
- Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Petro Moilanen
- Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Ari Salmi
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Edward Haeggström
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Zuomin Zhao
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4500, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Risto Myllylä
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4500, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Jussi Timonen
- Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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Minonzio JG, Foiret J, Moilanen P, Pirhonen J, Zhao Z, Talmant M, Timonen J, Laugier P. A free plate model can predict guided modes propagating in tubular bone-mimicking phantoms. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 137:EL98-EL104. [PMID: 25618107 PMCID: PMC4277555 DOI: 10.1121/1.4903920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Revised: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this work was to show that a non-absorbing free plate model can predict with a reasonable accuracy guided modes measured in bone-mimicking phantoms that have circular cross-section. Experiments were carried out on uncoated and coated phantoms using a clinical axial transmission setup. Adjustment of the plate model to the experimental data yielded estimates for the waveguide characteristics (thickness, bulk wave velocities). Fair agreement was achieved over a frequency range of 0.4 to 1.6 MHz. A lower accuracy observed for the thinnest bone-mimicking phantoms was caused by limitations in the wave number measurements rather than by the model itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Gabriel Minonzio
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, F-75006, Paris, France ,
| | - Josquin Foiret
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, F-75006, Paris, France ,
| | - Petro Moilanen
- Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland ,
| | - Jalmari Pirhonen
- Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland ,
| | - Zuomin Zhao
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Oulu, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Maryline Talmant
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Jussi Timonen
- Department of Physics, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Pascal Laugier
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, F-75006, Paris, France
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Chen J, Su Z. On ultrasound waves guided by bones with coupled soft tissues: a mechanism study and in vitro calibration. ULTRASONICS 2014; 54:1186-96. [PMID: 24008173 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2013.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The influence of soft tissues coupled with cortical bones on precision of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) has been an issue in the clinical bone assessment in conjunction with the use of ultrasound. In this study, the effect arising from soft tissues on propagation characteristics of guided ultrasound waves in bones was investigated using tubular Sawbones phantoms covered with a layer of mimicked soft tissue of different thicknesses and elastic moduli, and an in vitro porcine femur in terms of the axial transmission measurement. Results revealed that presence of soft tissues can exert significant influence on the propagation of ultrasound waves in bones, leading to reduced propagation velocities and attenuated wave magnitudes compared with the counterparts in a free bone in the absence of soft tissues. However such an effect is not phenomenally dependent on the variations in thickness and elastic modulus of the coupled soft tissues, making it possible to compensate for the coupling effect regardless of the difference in properties of the soft tissues. Based on an in vitro calibration, this study proposed quantitative compensation for the effect of soft tissues on ultrasound waves in bones, facilitating development of high-precision QUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangang Chen
- The Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Zhongqing Su
- The Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
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21
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Moreau L, Minonzio JG, Talmant M, Laugier P. Measuring the wavenumber of guided modes in waveguides with linearly varying thickness. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014; 135:2614-2624. [PMID: 24815245 DOI: 10.1121/1.4869691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Measuring guided waves in cortical bone arouses a growing interest to assess skeletal status. In most studies, a model of waveguide is proposed to assist in the interpretation of the dispersion curves. In all the reported investigations, the bone is mimicked as a waveguide with a constant thickness, which only approximates the irregular geometry of cortical bone. In this study, guided mode propagation in cortical bone-mimicking wedged plates is investigated with the aim to document the influence on measured dispersion curves of a waveguide of varying thickness and to propose a method to overcome the measurement limitations induced by such thickness variations. The singular value decomposition-based signal processing method, previously introduced for the detection of guided modes in plates of constant thickness, is adapted to the case of waveguides of slowly linearly variable thickness. The modification consists in the compensation at each frequency of the wavenumber variations induced by the local variation in thickness. The modified method, tested on bone-mimicking wedged plates, allows an enhanced and more accurate detection of the wavenumbers. Moreover, the propagation in the directions of increasing and decreasing thickness along the waveguide is investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Moreau
- UPMC University Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7623, LIP, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Gabriel Minonzio
- UPMC University Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7623, LIP, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Maryline Talmant
- UPMC University Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7623, LIP, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Laugier
- UPMC University Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7623, LIP, F-75005, Paris, France
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22
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Xu K, Ta D, He R, Qin YX, Wang W. Axial transmission method for long bone fracture evaluation by ultrasonic guided waves: simulation, phantom and in vitro experiments. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2014; 40:817-27. [PMID: 24433749 PMCID: PMC4973576 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Revised: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Mode conversion occurs when the ultrasonic guided waves encounter fractures. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of fracture assessment in long cortical bone using guided-mode conversion. Mode conversion behavior between the fundamental modes S0 and A0 was analyzed. The expressions proposed for modal velocity were used to identify the original and converted modes. Simulations and phantom experiments were performed using 1.0-mm-thick steel plates with a notch width of 0.5 mm and notch depths of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm. Furthermore, in vitro experiments were carried out on nine ovine tibias with 1.0-mm-wide partial transverse gap break and cortical thickness varying from 2.10 to 3.88 mm. The study confirmed that mode conversion gradually becomes observable as fracture depth increases. Energy percentages of the converted modes correlated strongly with fracture depth, as illustrated by the frequency-sweeping experiments on steel phantoms (100-1100 kHz, r(2) = 0.97, p < 0.0069) and the fixed-frequency experiments on nine ovine tibias (250 kHz, r(2) = 0.97, p < 0.0056). The approaches described, including mode excitation, velocity expressions and energy percentage criteria, may also contribute to ultrasonic monitoring of long bone fracture healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailiang Xu
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dean Ta
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Runxin He
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Xian Qin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Weiqi Wang
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Moreau L, Minonzio JG, Foiret J, Bossy E, Talmant M, Laugier P. Accurate measurement of guided modes in a plate using a bidirectional approach. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014; 135:EL15-EL21. [PMID: 24437851 DOI: 10.1121/1.4832335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Measuring guided wave propagation in long bones is of interest to the medical community. When an inclination exists between the probe and the tested specimen surface, a bias is introduced on the guided mode wavenumbers. The aim of this study was to generalize the bidirectional axial transmission technique initially developed for the first arriving signal. Validation tests were performed on academic materials such a bone-mimicking plate covered with either a silicon or fat-mimicking layer. For any inclination, the wavenumbers measured with the probe parallel to the waveguide surface can be obtained by averaging the wavenumbers measured in two opposite directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Moreau
- UPMC University Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7623, LIP, F-75005, Paris, France , ,
| | - Jean-Gabriel Minonzio
- UPMC University Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7623, LIP, F-75005, Paris, France , ,
| | - Josquin Foiret
- UPMC University Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7623, LIP, F-75005, Paris, France , ,
| | - Emmanuel Bossy
- Institut Langevin ESPCI ParisTech, CNRS Unité Mixte de Recherche 7587, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale ERL U979, 1 rue Jussieu F-75005 Paris France
| | - Maryline Talmant
- UPMC University Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7623, LIP, F-75005, Paris, France ,
| | - Pascal Laugier
- UPMC University Paris 06, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7623, LIP, F-75005, Paris, France ,
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Tran TNHT, Stieglitz L, Gu YJ, Le LH. Analysis of ultrasonic waves propagating in a bone plate over a water half-space with and without overlying soft tissue. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2013; 39:2422-2430. [PMID: 24035409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2011] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent in vitro studies have shown that guided waves can characterize bone properties. However, for clinical applications to be viable, the soft-tissue layer should be considered. This study examined the effect of soft tissue on guided waves using a bovine bone plate over a water half-space and overlaid by a 4-mm gelatin-based soft-tissue mimic. The data (with and without soft tissue) clearly show a high-frequency, fast-propagating wave packet and a low-frequency, delayed phase group. The presence of soft tissue attenuates the signals significantly and increases mode density and number as predicted by theory. The data retain higher frequency content than the bone-plate data at large offsets. Using theoretical dispersion curves, the guided modes can be identified with mode 1 (similar to the A0 Lamb mode) minimally affected by the addition of soft tissue. There is infiltration of high-frequency, late-arriving energy within the low-velocity guided-wave regime. Results of travel-time calculation suggest that P-wave and PP-reflections/multiples within the soft tissue may be responsible for the high-frequency oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tho N H T Tran
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Chen J, Cheng L, Su Z, Qin L. Modeling elastic waves in coupled media: Estimate of soft tissue influence and application to quantitative ultrasound. ULTRASONICS 2013; 53:350-362. [PMID: 22858152 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2012.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2012] [Revised: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/29/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The effect of medium coupling on propagation of elastic waves is a general concern in a variety of engineering and bio-medical applications. Although some theories and analytical models are available for describing waves in multi-layered engineering structures, they do not focus on canvassing ultrasonic waves in human bones with coupled soft tissues, where the considerable differences in acoustic impedance between bone and soft tissue may pose a challenge in using these models (the soft tissues having an acoustic impedance around 80% less than that of a typical bone). Without proper treatment of this coupling effect, the precision of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) for clinical bone assessment can be compromised. The coupling effect of mimicked soft tissues on the first-arriving signal (FAS) and second-arriving signal (SAS) in a series of synthesized soft-tissue-bone phantoms was investigated experimentally and calibrated quantitatively. Understanding of the underlying mechanism of the coupling effect was supplemented by a dedicated finite element analysis. As revealed, the medium coupling impacts influence on different wave modes to different degrees: for FAS and SAS, the most significant changes take place when the soft tissues are initially introduced, and the decrease in signal peak energy continues with increase in the thickness or elastic modulus of the soft tissues, but the changes in propagation velocity fluctuate within 5% regardless of further increase in the thickness or elastic modulus of the soft tissues. As an application, the calibrated effects were employed to enhance the precision of SAS-based QUS when used for predicting the simulated healing status of a mimicked bone fracture, to find prediction of healing progress of bone fracture based on changes in velocity of the FAS or the SAS is inaccurate without taking into account the effect of soft tissue coupling, entailing appropriate compensation for the coupling effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangang Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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