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Coppola A, Grasso D, Fontana F, Piacentino F, Minici R, Laganà D, Ierardi AM, Carrafiello G, D’Angelo F, Carcano G, Venturini M. Innovative Experimental Ultrasound and US-Related Techniques Using the Murine Model in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Systematic Review. J Clin Med 2023; 12:7677. [PMID: 38137745 PMCID: PMC10743777 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12247677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a cancer with one of the highest mortality rates in the world. Several studies have been conductedusing preclinical experiments in mice to find new therapeutic strategies. Experimental ultrasound, in expert hands, is a safe, multifaceted, and relatively not-expensive device that helps researchers in several ways. In this systematic review, we propose a summary of the applications of ultrasonography in a preclinical mouse model of PDAC. Eighty-eight studies met our inclusion criteria. The included studies could be divided into seven main topics: ultrasound in pancreatic cancer diagnosis and progression (n: 21); dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) (n: 5); microbubble ultra-sound-mediated drug delivery; focused ultrasound (n: 23); sonodynamic therapy (SDT) (n: 7); harmonic motion elastography (HME) and shear wave elastography (SWE) (n: 6); ultrasound-guided procedures (n: 9). In six cases, the articles fit into two or more sections. In conclusion, ultrasound can be a really useful, eclectic, and ductile tool in different diagnostic areas, not only regarding diagnosis but also in therapy, pharmacological and interventional treatment, and follow-up. All these multiple possibilities of use certainly represent a good starting point for the effective and wide use of murine ultrasonography in the study and comprehensive evaluation of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Coppola
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, Circolo Hospital, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy (M.V.)
- Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Dario Grasso
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, Circolo Hospital, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy (M.V.)
- Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Federico Fontana
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, Circolo Hospital, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy (M.V.)
- Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Filippo Piacentino
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, Circolo Hospital, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy (M.V.)
- Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Roberto Minici
- Radiology Unit, Dulbecco University Hospital, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.M.)
| | - Domenico Laganà
- Radiology Unit, Dulbecco University Hospital, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (R.M.)
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Ierardi
- Radiology Unit, IRCCS Ca Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Fabio D’Angelo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy;
- Orthopedic Surgery Unit, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Giulio Carcano
- Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
- Emergency and Transplant Surgery Department, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Massimo Venturini
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, Circolo Hospital, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy (M.V.)
- Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
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Dong S, Miao X, Zhang K, Zhu X, Gao Y, Chen H. Elastic modulus-reflected liver lesion stiffness relates to worse prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients with liver metastasis. World J Surg Oncol 2023; 21:262. [PMID: 37620975 PMCID: PMC10463669 DOI: 10.1186/s12957-023-03140-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver stiffness relates to more advanced tumor status and poor outcomes in primary liver cancer, while its prognostic role in pancreatic cancer with liver metastasis is unclear. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the correlation of elastic modulus (EM)-reflected liver lesion stiffness with clinical characteristics, tumor markers, and survival among pancreatic cancer patients with liver metastasis. METHODS Fifty-four pancreatic cancer patients with liver metastasis were enrolled, and the EM of liver metastasis and peripheral liver tissue was measured by two-dimensional shear wave elastography. Relative EM was calculated as the ratio of EM in liver metastasis to that in peripheral liver tissue, which reflected the relative liver lesion stiffness. RESULTS The median relative EM of liver metastasis was 7.8 (interquartile range: 4.8-10.7) folds. Relative EM of liver metastasis was correlated with primary pancreatic cancer location (P = 0.048), the presence of extra lung metastasis (P = 0.040), liver metastasis ≥ 3 cm (P = 0.007), and the absence of extraskeletal metastasis (P = 0.036); but it was not correlated with tumor markers such as CA199, CA125, or CEA (all P > 0.05). Encouragingly, high relative EM of liver metastasis (cut off by median value) was correlated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) (P = 0.032) but not overall survival (OS) (P = 0.285). Multivariable Cox analysis showed that high relative EM of liver metastasis (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.768, P = 0.048) and multiple metastases (HR = 2.262, P = 0.036) independently predicted decreased PFS, but only abnormal CEA independently forecasted decreased OS (HR = 2.390, P = 0.027). CONCLUSION Elastic modulus reflected liver lesion stiffness may predict a worse prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients with liver metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Dong
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xian Miao
- Department of Oncology, Nantong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhu
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yi Gao
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Civale J, Parasaram V, Bamber JC, Harris EJ. High frequency ultrasound vibrational shear wave elastography for preclinical research. Phys Med Biol 2022; 67:245005. [PMID: 36410042 PMCID: PMC9728510 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aca4b8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical evaluation of novel therapies using models of cancer is an important tool in cancer research, where imaging can provide non-invasive tools to characterise the internal structure and function of tumours. The short propagation paths when imaging tumours and organs in small animals allow the use of high frequencies for both ultrasound and shear waves, providing the opportunity for high-resolution shear wave elastography and hence its use for studying the heterogeneity of tissue elasticity, where heterogeneity may be a predictor of tissue response. Here we demonstrate vibrational shear wave elastography (VSWE) using a mechanical actuator to produce high frequency (up to 1000 Hz) shear waves in preclinical tumours, an alternative to the majority of preclinical ultrasound SWE studies where an acoustic radiation force impulse is required to create a relatively low-frequency broad-band shear-wave pulse. We implement VSWE with a high frequency (17.8 MHz) probe running a focused line-by-line ultrasound imaging sequence which as expected was found to offer improved detection of 1000 Hz shear waves over an ultrafast planar wave imaging sequence in a homogenous tissue-mimicking phantom. We test the VSWE in anex vivotumour xenograft, demonstrating the ability to detect shear waves up to 10 mm from the contactor position at 1000 Hz. By reducing the kernel size used for shear wave speed estimation to 1 mm we are able to produce shear wave speed images with spatial resolution of this order. Finally, we present VSWE data from xenograft tumoursin vivo, demonstrating the feasibility of the technique in mice under isoflurane sedation. Mean shear wave speeds in the tumours are in good agreements with those reported by previous authors. Characterising the frequency dependence of shear wave speed demonstrates the potential to quantify the viscoelastic properties of tumoursin vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Civale
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, United Kingdom
| | - V Parasaram
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, United Kingdom
| | - JC Bamber
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, United Kingdom
| | - EJ Harris
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, United Kingdom
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Sarwar U, Naeem M, Nurjis F, Karim S, Raza A. Ultrasound-mediated in vivo biodistribution of coumarin-labeled sorafenib-loaded liposome-based nanotheranostic system. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2022; 17:1909-1927. [PMID: 36695214 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2022-0137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to synthesize folate-conjugated sorafenib-loaded (FCSL) liposomes for theranostic application using ultrasound (US). Materials & methods: US parameter optimization, in vitro release, anticancer effect, in vivo biodistribution, optical imaging and biocompatibility of liposomes were studied. Results: With 84% in vitro release after 4 min of US exposure at 3 MHz (1.2 mechanical index), FCSL liposomes showed lower IC50 (8.70 μM) versus sorafenib (9.34 μM) against HepG2 cells. In vivo biodistribution of FCSL liposomes versus sorafenib after 9 mg/kg injection in the liver (8.63 vs 0.55) > intestine (8.45 vs 1.07) > stomach (5.62 vs 0.57) > kidney (5.46 vs 0.91) showed longer circulation time in plasma and can be tracked in mice. Conclusion: A threefold higher drug concentration in the liver in US-exposed mice makes this a successful nanotheranostic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usama Sarwar
- NILOP Nanomedicine Research Laboratories, National Institute of Lasers & Optronics College (NILOP-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Nilore, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan.,Department of Biotechnology, Medical Genetics Research Laboratory, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Naeem
- Department of Biotechnology, Medical Genetics Research Laboratory, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| | - Farwa Nurjis
- NILOP Nanomedicine Research Laboratories, National Institute of Lasers & Optronics College (NILOP-C), Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Nilore, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan
| | - Shafqat Karim
- Nano Materials Research Group, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology (PINSTECH), Nilore, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan
| | - Abida Raza
- National Center of Industrial Biotechnology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan
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Zhang Q. A novel ResNet101 model based on dense dilated convolution for image classification. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-021-04897-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractImage classification plays an important role in computer vision. The existing convolutional neural network methods have some problems during image classification process, such as low accuracy of tumor classification and poor ability of feature expression and feature extraction. Therefore, we propose a novel ResNet101 model based on dense dilated convolution for medical liver tumors classification. The multi-scale feature extraction module is used to extract multi-scale features of images, and the receptive field of the network is increased. The depth feature extraction module is used to reduce background noise information and focus on effective features of the focal region. To obtain broader and deeper semantic information, a dense dilated convolution module is deployed in the network. This module combines the advantages of Inception, residual structure, and multi-scale dilated convolution to obtain a deeper level of feature information without causing gradient explosion and gradient disappearance. To solve the common feature loss problems in the classification network, the up- down-sampling module in the network is improved, and multiple convolution kernels with different scales are cascaded to widen the network, which can effectively avoid feature loss. Finally, experiments are carried out on the proposed method. Compared with the existing mainstream classification networks, the proposed method can improve the classification performance, and finally achieve accurate classification of liver tumors. The effectiveness of the proposed method is further verified by ablation experiments.Highlights
The multi-scale feature extraction module is introduced to extract multi-scale features of images, it can extract deep context information of the lesion region and surrounding tissues to enhance the feature extraction ability of the network.
The depth feature extraction module is used to focus on the local features of the lesion region from both channel and space, weaken the influence of irrelevant information, and strengthen the recognition ability of the lesion region.
The feature extraction module is enhanced by the parallel structure of dense dilated convolution, and the deeper feature information is obtained without losing the image feature information to improve the classification accuracy.
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Bedewi MA, Elsifey AA, Alfaifi T, Saleh AK, Swify SM, Sandougah KJ. Shearwave elastography of the Sartorius muscle. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021; 100:e25196. [PMID: 33726013 PMCID: PMC7982227 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000025196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to study sonoelastographic features of thesartorius muscle, and its relation to the demographic factors.The study included 70 muscles in 35 healthy subjects. High-resolution ultrasound and shearwave elastography were used to evaluate the sartorius muscle. Stiffness values were measured.The mean shear elastic modulus of the sartorius muscle was 21.96 ± 5.1 kPa. Demographic factors showed no relation to the elastic modulus of the left sartorius muscle. Positive statistical correlation was noted between the elastic modulus of the right sartorius muscle, weight, and body mass index.Our results could be a reference point for evaluating sartorius muscle stiffness in future research considering different pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ayman K. Saleh
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Orthopedic Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Alazhar University, Cairo
| | | | - Kholoud J. Sandougah
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Al Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Serkova NJ, Glunde K, Haney CR, Farhoud M, De Lille A, Redente EF, Simberg D, Westerly DC, Griffin L, Mason RP. Preclinical Applications of Multi-Platform Imaging in Animal Models of Cancer. Cancer Res 2021; 81:1189-1200. [PMID: 33262127 PMCID: PMC8026542 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In animal models of cancer, oncologic imaging has evolved from a simple assessment of tumor location and size to sophisticated multimodality exploration of molecular, physiologic, genetic, immunologic, and biochemical events at microscopic to macroscopic levels, performed noninvasively and sometimes in real time. Here, we briefly review animal imaging technology and molecular imaging probes together with selected applications from recent literature. Fast and sensitive optical imaging is primarily used to track luciferase-expressing tumor cells, image molecular targets with fluorescence probes, and to report on metabolic and physiologic phenotypes using smart switchable luminescent probes. MicroPET/single-photon emission CT have proven to be two of the most translational modalities for molecular and metabolic imaging of cancers: immuno-PET is a promising and rapidly evolving area of imaging research. Sophisticated MRI techniques provide high-resolution images of small metastases, tumor inflammation, perfusion, oxygenation, and acidity. Disseminated tumors to the bone and lung are easily detected by microCT, while ultrasound provides real-time visualization of tumor vasculature and perfusion. Recently available photoacoustic imaging provides real-time evaluation of vascular patency, oxygenation, and nanoparticle distributions. New hybrid instruments, such as PET-MRI, promise more convenient combination of the capabilities of each modality, enabling enhanced research efficacy and throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J Serkova
- Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.
- Animal Imaging Shared Resource, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Kristine Glunde
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, and the Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Chad R Haney
- Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
| | | | | | | | - Dmitri Simberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - David C Westerly
- Animal Imaging Shared Resource, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Lynn Griffin
- Department of Radiology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Ralph P Mason
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas
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Baek J, Ahmed R, Ye J, Gerber SA, Parker KJ, Doyley MM. H-scan, Shear Wave and Bioluminescent Assessment of the Progression of Pancreatic Cancer Metastases in the Liver. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2020; 46:3369-3378. [PMID: 32907773 PMCID: PMC9066934 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The non-invasive quantification of tumor burden and the response to therapies remain an important objective for imaging modalities. To characterize the performance of two newly optimized ultrasound-based analyses, we applied shear wave and H-scan scattering analyses to repeated trans-abdominal ultrasound scans of a murine model of metastatic pancreatic cancer. In addition, bioluminescence measurements were obtained as an alternative reference. The tumor metastases grow aggressively and result in death at approximately 4 wk if untreated, but longer for those treated with chemotherapy. We found that our three imaging methods (shear wave speed, H-scan, bioluminescence) trended toward increasing output measures with time during tumor growth, and these measures were delayed for the group receiving chemotherapy. The relative sensitivity of H-scan tracked closely with bioluminescence measurements, particularly in the early to mid-stages of tumor growth. The correlation between H-scan and bioluminescence was found to be strong, with a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient greater than 0.7 across the entire series. These preliminary results suggest that non-invasive ultrasound imaging analyses are capable of tracking the response of tumor models to therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihye Baek
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Rifat Ahmed
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jian Ye
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Scott A Gerber
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Kevin J Parker
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.
| | - Marvin M Doyley
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
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Ahmed R, Doyley MM. Parallel Receive Beamforming Improves the Performance of Focused Transmit-Based Single-Track Location Shear Wave Elastography. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2020; 67:2057-2068. [PMID: 32746171 PMCID: PMC7590368 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2020.2998979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Single-track location shear wave elastography (STL-SWEI) is robust against speckle-induced noise in shear wave speed (SWS) estimates; however, it is not immune to other incoherent sources of noise (such as electronic noise) that increases the variance in SWS estimates. Although estimation averaging enabled by parallel receive beamforming adequately suppresses these noise sources, these beamforming techniques often rely on broad transmit beams (plane or diverging). While broad beam approaches, such as plane-wave imaging, are becoming ubiquitous in research ultrasound systems, clinical systems usually employ focused transmit beams due to compatibility with hardware beamforming and deeper penetration. Consequently, improving the noise robustness of focused transmit-based STL-SWEI may enable easier translation to clinical scenarios. In this article, we experimentally evaluated the performance of parallel beamforming for STL-SWEI using fixed or multiple transmit focus. By imaging tissue-mimicking phantoms, we found that parallel beamforming improved the focal zone elastographic signal-to-noise ratio (SNRe) by 40.9%. For a receive line spacing equivalent to transducer pitch, averaging estimates from three parallel lines produced peak SNRe at the focal zone (25 mm), while, at the shallower regions (< 20 mm), a larger number of parallel lines (>7) were needed. Increasing the beamforming line density by a factor of 8 increased the focal zone SNRe only by 13.2%. When SWS quantification was desirable at a fixed depth (such as within the push focal depth), using a deeper tracking focal zone enabled higher parallel line count and improved the peak SNRe by 33%. The multifocusing strategy produced a lower SNRe than the single-focus configurations. For a fixed tracking focal zone, a depth-dependent averaging based on the simulated transmit intensity adequately accounted for the transmit beamwidth. The results in this work demonstrated that STL-SWEI can be implemented using focused transmit beams with robust noise-suppression capability.
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Abstract
The H-scan approach ('H' denoting hue, or Hermite) is a recent matched filter methodology that aims to add information to the traditional ultrasound B-scan. The theory is based on the differences in the echoes produced by different classes of reflectors or scatterers. Matched filters can be created for different types of scatterers, whereby the maximum output indicates a match, and color schemes can be used to indicate the class of scatterer responsible for echoes, providing a visual interpretation of the results. However, within the theory of weak scattering from a variety of shapes, small changes in the size of the inhomogeneous objects will create shifts in the scattering transfer function. In this paper, we argue for a general power law transfer function as the canonical model for transfer functions from most normal soft vascularized tissues, at least over some bandpass spectrum illuminated by the incident pulse. In cases where scatterer size and distributions change, this produces a corresponding shift in center frequency, along with time and frequency domain characteristics of echoes, and these are captured by matched filters to distinguish and visualize in color the major characteristics of scattering types. With this general approach, the H-scan matched filters can be set to elicit more fine grain shifts in scattering types, commensurate with more subtle changes in tissue morphology. Compensation for frequency-dependent attenuation is helpful for avoiding beam softening effects with increasing depths. Examples from phantoms and normal and pathological tissues are provided to demonstrate that the H-scan analysis and displays are sensitive to scatterer size and morphology, and can be adapted to conventional imaging systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J. Parker
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
| | - Jihye Baek
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
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