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Harindranath A, Shah K, Devadass D, George A, Banerjee Krishnan K, Arora M. IMU-Assisted Manual 3D-Ultrasound Imaging Using Motion-Constrained Swept-Fan Scans. ULTRASONIC IMAGING 2024; 46:164-177. [PMID: 38597330 DOI: 10.1177/01617346241242718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonic imaging can enable post-facto plane of interest selection. It can be performed with devices such as wobbler probes, matrix probes, and sensor-based probes. Ultrasound systems that support 3D-imaging are expensive with added hardware complexity compared to 2D-imaging systems. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) can potentially be used for 3D-imaging by using it to track the motion of a one-dimensional array probe and constraining its motion in one degree of freedom (1-DoF) rotation (swept-fan). This work demonstrates the feasibility of an affordable IMU-assisted manual 3D-ultrasound scanner (IAM3US). A consumer-grade IMU-assisted 3D scanner prototype is designed with two support structures for swept-fan. After proper IMU calibration, an appropriate KF-based algorithm estimates the probe orientation during the swept-fan. An improved scanline-based reconstruction method is used for volume reconstruction. The evaluation of the IAM3US system is done by imaging a tennis ball filled with water and the head region of a fetal phantom. From fetal phantom reconstructed volumes, suitable 2D planes are extracted for biparietal diameter (BPD) manual measurements. Later, in-vivo data is collected. The novel contributions of this paper are (1) the application of a recently proposed algorithm for orientation estimation of swept-fan for 3D imaging, chosen based on the noise characteristics of selected consumer grade IMU (2) assessment of the quality of the 1-DoF swept-fan scan with a deflection detector along with monitoring of maximum angular rate during the scan and (3) two probe holder designs to aid the operator in performing the 1-DoF rotational motion and (4) end-to-end 3D-imaging system-integration. Phantom studies and preliminary in-vivo obstetric scans performed on two patients illustrate the usability of the system for diagnosis purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Harindranath
- Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Komal Shah
- Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Arun George
- St. Johns Research Institute, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Manish Arora
- Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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Lozano D, López JM, Chinarro A, Morona R, Moreno N. A detailed 3D MRI brain atlas of the African lungfish Protopterus annectens. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7999. [PMID: 38580713 PMCID: PMC10997765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58671-x] [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: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of the brain by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evolutionary analyses is still in its incipient stage, however, it is particularly useful as it allows us to analyze detailed anatomical images and compare brains of rare or otherwise inaccessible species, evolutionarily contextualizing possible differences, while at the same time being non-invasive. A good example is the lungfishes, sarcopterygians that are the closest living relatives of tetrapods and thus have an interesting phylogenetic position in the evolutionary conquest of the terrestrial environment. In the present study, we have developed a three-dimensional representation of the brain of the lungfish Protopterus annectens together with a rostrocaudal anatomical atlas. This methodological approach provides a clear delineation of the major brain subdivisions of this model and allows to measure both brain and ventricular volumes. Our results confirm that lungfish show neuroanatomical patterns reminiscent of those of extant basal sarcopterygians, with an evaginated telencephalon, and distinctive characters like a small optic tectum. These and additional characters uncover lungfish as a remarkable model to understand the origins of tetrapod diversity, indicating that their brain may contain significant clues to the characters of the brain of ancestral tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lozano
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jesús M López
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Chinarro
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruth Morona
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nerea Moreno
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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Rummens S, Dierckx S, Brumagne S, Desloovere K, Peers K. Three-dimensional freehand ultrasonography to measure muscle volume of the lumbar multifidus: Reliability of processing technique and validity through comparison to magnetic resonance imaging. J Anat 2024; 244:601-609. [PMID: 38087647 PMCID: PMC10941570 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13988] [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: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a growing interest in muscle characteristics of the lumbar multifidus related to low back pain, but findings between studies are inconsistent. One of the issues explaining these conflicting findings might be the use of two-dimensional measures of cross-sectional area and thickness of the lumbar multifidus in most studies, which might be a suboptimal representation of the entire muscle volume. A three-dimensional volumetric assessment, combined with standardized imaging and processing measurement protocols, is highly recommended to quantify spinal muscle morphology. Three-dimensional freehand ultrasonography is a technique with large potential for daily clinical practice. It is achieved by combining conventional two-dimensional ultrasound with a motion-tracking system, recording the position and orientation of the ultrasound transducer during acquisition, resulting in a three-dimensional reconstruction. This study investigates intra- and interprocessor reliability for the quantification of muscle volume of the lumbar multifidus based on three-dimensional freehand ultrasound and its validity, in 31 patients with low back pain and 20 healthy subjects. Two processors manually segmented the lumbar multifidus on three-dimensional freehand ultrasound images using Stradwin software following a well-defined method. We assessed the concurrent validity of the measurement of multifidus muscle volume using three-dimensional freehand ultrasound compared with magnetic resonance imaging in 10 patients with low back pain. Processing reliability and agreement were determined using intraclass correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman plots, and calculation of the standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change, while validity was defined based on correlation analysis. The processing of three-dimensional freehand ultrasound images to measure lumbar multifidus volume was reliable. Good to excellent intraclass correlation coefficients were found for intraprocessor reliability. For interprocessor reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficients were moderate to good, emphasizing the importance of processing guidelines and training. A single processor analysis is preferred in clinical studies or when small differences in muscle volume are expected. The correlation between magnetic resonance imaging and three-dimensional freehand ultrasound measurements of lumbar multifidus volume was moderate to good but with a systematically smaller multifidus volume measured on three-dimensional freehand ultrasound. These results provide opportunities for both researchers and clinicians to reliably assess muscle structure using three-dimensional freehand ultrasound in patients with low back pain and to monitor changes related to pathology or interventions. To allow implementation in both research and clinical settings, guidelines on three-dimensional freehand ultrasound processing and training were provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Rummens
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sofie Dierckx
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simon Brumagne
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat Desloovere
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Peers
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Ma X, Shen E, Yuan J, Gong L, Kong W, Jin Z, Tao C, Liu X. Volumetric B-mode ultrasound and Doppler Imaging: Automatic Tracking With One Single Camera. ULTRASONIC IMAGING 2024; 46:90-101. [PMID: 38041446 DOI: 10.1177/01617346231213385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Vascular diseases may occur in the upper extremities, and the lesions can span the entire length of the blood vessel. One of the most popular methods to identify vascular disorders is ultrasound Doppler imaging. However, traditional two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound Doppler imaging cannot capture the entire length of a long vessel in one image. Medical professionals often have to painstakingly reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) data using 2D ultrasound images to locate the lesions, especially for large blood vessels. 3D ultrasound Doppler imaging can display the morphological structure of blood vessels and the distribution of lesions more directly, providing a more comprehensive view compared to 2D imaging. In this work, we propose a wide-range 3D volumetric ultrasound Doppler imaging system with dual modality, in which a high-definition camera is adopted to automatically track the movement of the ultrasound transducer, simultaneously capturing a corresponding sequence of 2D ultrasound Doppler images. We conducted experiments on human arms using our proposed system and separately with X-ray computerized tomography (X-CT). The comparison results prove the potential value of our proposed system in the diagnosis of arm vascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Ma
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Enxiang Shen
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Yuan
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Li Gong
- Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wentao Kong
- Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhibin Jin
- Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chao Tao
- School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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Generowicz BS, Dijkhuizen S, De Zeeuw CI, Koekkoek SKE, Kruizinga P. Swept-3-D Ultrasound Imaging of the Mouse Brain Using a Continuously Moving 1-D-Array-Part I: Doppler Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2023; 70:1714-1725. [PMID: 37788196 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2023.3318653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Volumetric 3-D Doppler ultrasound imaging can be used to investigate large scale blood dynamics outside of the limited view that conventional 2-D power Doppler images (PDIs) provide. To create 3-D PDIs, 2-D-matrix array transducers can be used to insonify a large volume for every transmission; however, these matrices suffer from low sensitivity, high complexity, and high cost. More typically, a 1-D-array transducer is used to scan a series of stationary 2-D PDIs, after which a 3-D volume is created by concatenating the 2-D PDIs in postprocessing, which results in long scan times due to repeated measurements. Our objective was to achieve volumetric 3-D Doppler ultrasound imaging with a high Doppler sensitivity, similar to that of a typical stationary recording using a 1-D-array transducer, while being more affordable than using 2-D-matrix arrays. We achieved this by mounting a 1-D-array transducer to a high-precision motorized linear stage and continuously translating over the mouse brain in a sweeping manner. For Part I of this article, we focused on creating the best vascular images by investigating how to best combine filtered beamformed ultrasound frames, which were not acquired at the same spatial locations, into PDIs. Part II focuses on the implications of sampling transient brain hemodynamics through functional ultrasound (fUS) while continuously translating over the mouse brain. In Part I, we show how the speed at which we sweep our 1-D-array transducer affects the Doppler spectrum in a flow phantom. In vivo recordings were performed on the mouse brain while varying the sweeping speed, showing how higher sweeping speeds negatively affect the PDI quality. A weighting vector is found to combine frames while continuously moving over the mouse brain, allowing us to create swept PDIs of similar sensitivity when compared with those obtained using a stationary 1-D-array while allowing a significantly higher 3-D Doppler volume rate and maintaining the benefits of having a low computational and monetary cost. We show that a vascular subvolume of 6 mm can be scanned in 2.5 s, with a PDI reconstructed every [Formula: see text], outperforming classical staged recording methods.
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Generowicz BS, Dijkhuizen S, Bosman LWJ, De Zeeuw CI, Koekkoek SKE, Kruizinga P. Swept-3-D Ultrasound Imaging of the Mouse Brain Using a Continuously Moving 1-D-Array-Part II: Functional Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2023; 70:1726-1738. [PMID: 37938952 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2023.3330343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Functional ultrasound (fUS) using a 1-D-array transducer normally is insufficient to capture volumetric functional activity due to being restricted to imaging a single brain slice at a time. Typically, for volumetric fUS, functional recordings are repeated many times as the transducer is moved to a new location after each recording, resulting in a nonunique average mapping of the brain response and long scan times. Our objective was to perform volumetric 3-D fUS in an efficient and cost-effective manner. This was achieved by mounting a 1-D-array transducer to a high-precision motorized linear stage and continuously translating over the mouse brain in a sweeping manner. We show how the speed at which the 1-D-array is translated over the brain affects the sampling of the hemodynamic response (HR) during visual stimulation as well as the quality of the resulting power Doppler image (PDI). Functional activation maps were compared between stationary recordings, where only one functional slice is obtained for every recording, and our swept-3-D method, where volumetric fUS was achieved in a single functional recording. The results show that the activation maps obtained with our method closely resemble those obtained during a stationary recording for that same location, while our method is not restricted to functional imaging of a single slice. Lastly, a mouse brain subvolume of ~6 mm is scanned at a volume rate of 1.5 s per volume, with a functional PDI reconstructed every [Formula: see text], highlighting swept-3-D's potential for volumetric fUS. Our method provides an affordable alternative to volumetric fUS using 2-D-matrix transducers, with a high SNR due to using a fully sampled 1-D-array transducer, and without the need to repeat functional measurements for every 2-D slice, as is most often the case when using a 1-D-array. This places our swept-3-D method as a potentially valuable addition to conventional 2-D fUS, especially when investigating whole-brain functional connectivity, or when shorter recording durations are desired.
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Dong Z, Li S, Duan X, Lowerison MR, Huang C, You Q, Chen S, Zou J, Song P. High-Volume-Rate 3-D Ultrasound Imaging Using Fast-Tilting and Redirecting Reflectors. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2023; 70:799-809. [PMID: 37276113 PMCID: PMC10440128 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2023.3282949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging has many advantages over 2-D imaging such as more comprehensive tissue evaluation and less operator dependence. However, developing a low-cost and accessible 3-D ultrasound solution with high volume rate and imaging quality remains a challenging task. Recently, we proposed a 3-D ultrasound imaging technique: fast acoustic steering via tilting electromechanical reflectors (FASTER), which uses a fast-tilting acoustic reflector to steer ultrafast plane waves elevationally to achieve high-volume-rate 3-D imaging with conventional 1-D transducers. However, the initial FASTER implementation requires a water tank for acoustic wave conduction and cannot be conveniently used for regular handheld scanning. To address these limitations, here, we developed a novel ultrasound probe clip-on device that encloses a fast-tilting reflector, a redirecting reflector, and an acoustic wave conduction medium. The new FASTER 3-D imaging device can be easily attached to or removed from clinical ultrasound transducers, allowing rapid transformation from 2-D to 3-D imaging. In vitro B-mode studies demonstrated that the proposed method provided comparable imaging quality to conventional, mechanical-translation-based 3-D imaging while offering a much faster volume rate (e.g., 300 versus ∼ 10 Hz). We also demonstrated 3-D power Doppler (PD) and 3-D super-resolution ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) with the FASTER device. An in vivo imaging study showed that the FASTER device could clearly visualize the 3-D anatomy of the basilic vein. These results suggest that the newly developed redirecting reflector and the clip-on device could overcome key hurdles for future clinical translation of the FASTER 3-D imaging technology.
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Bottenus N. Implementation of constrained swept synthetic aperture using a mechanical fixture. APPLIED SCIENCES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:4797. [PMID: 38711800 PMCID: PMC11072168 DOI: 10.3390/app13084797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Resolution and target detectability in ultrasound imaging are directly tied to the size of the imaging array. This is especially important for imaging at depth, such as in the detection and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and other lesions in the liver. Swept synthetic aperture (SSA) imaging has shown promise for building large effective apertures from small physical arrays using motion, but has required bulky fixtures and external motion tracking for precise positioning. In this study we present an approach that constrains the transducer motion with a simple linear sliding fixture and estimates motion from the ultrasound data itself using either speckle tracking or channel correlation. We demonstrate in simulation and phantom experiments the ability of both techniques to accurately estimate lateral transducer motion and form SSA images with improved resolution and target detectability. We observed errors under 83 μm across a 50 mm sweep in simulation and found improvements of up to 61% in resolution and up to 33% in lesion detectability experimentally even imaging through ex vivo tissue layers. This approach will increase the accessibility of SSA imaging and allow us to test its use in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Bottenus
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80516, USA
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9
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Dong Z, Li S, Duan X, Lowerison MR, Huang C, You Q, Chen S, Zou J, Song P. High Volume Rate 3-D Ultrasound Imaging Using Fast-Tilting and Redirecting Reflectors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.07.531439. [PMID: 36945643 PMCID: PMC10028918 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.07.531439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
3-D ultrasound imaging has many advantages over 2-D imaging such as more comprehensive tissue evaluation and less operator dependence. Although many 3-D ultrasound imaging techniques have been developed in the last several decades, a low-cost and accessible solution with high imaging volume rate and imaging quality remains elusive. Recently we proposed a new, high volume rate 3-D ultrasound imaging technique: Fast Acoustic Steering via Tilting Electromechanical Reflectors (FASTER), which uses a water-immersible and fast-tilting acoustic reflector to steer ultrafast plane waves in the elevational direction to achieve high volume rate 3-D ultrasound imaging with conventional 1-D array transducers. However, the initial implementation of FASTER imaging only involves a single fast-tilting acoustic reflector, which is inconvenient to use because the probe cannot be held in the regular upright position. Also, conventional FASTER imaging can only be performed inside a water tank because of the necessity of using water for acoustic conduction. To address these limitations of conventional FASTER, here we developed a novel ultrasound probe clip-on device that encloses a fast-tilting reflector, a redirecting reflector, and an acoustic wave conduction medium. The new FASTER 3-D imaging device can be easily attached to or removed from clinical ultrasound transducers, allowing rapid transformation from 2-D to 3-D ultrasound imaging. In vitro B-mode imaging studies demonstrated that the proposed method provided comparable imaging quality (e.g., spatial resolution and contrast-to-noise ratio) to conventional, mechanical-translation-based 3-D imaging while providing a much faster 3-D volume rate (e.g., 300 Hz vs ∼10 Hz). In addition to B-mode imaging, we also demonstrated 3-D power Doppler imaging and 3-D super-resolution ultrasound localization microscopy with the newly developed FASTER device. An in vivo imaging study showed that the FASTER device could clearly visualize the 3-D anatomy of the basilic vein of a healthy volunteer, and customized beamforming was implemented to accommodate the speed of sound difference between the acoustic medium and the imaging object (e.g., soft tissue). These results suggest that the newly developed redirecting reflector and the clip-on device could overcome key hurdles for future clinical translation of the FASTER 3-D imaging technology.
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Optimization of Thyroid Volume Determination by Stitched 3D-Ultrasound Data Sets in Patients with Structural Thyroid Disease. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020381. [PMID: 36830918 PMCID: PMC9952922 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound (US) is the most important imaging method for the assessment of structural disorders of the thyroid. A precise volume determination is relevant for therapy planning and outcome monitoring. However, the accuracy of 2D-US is limited, especially in cases of organ enlargements and deformations. Software-based "stitching" of separately acquired 3D-US data revealed precise volume determination in thyroid phantoms. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility and accuracy of 3D-US stitching in patients with structural thyroid disease. A total of 31 patients from the clinical routine were involved, receiving conventional 2D-US (conUS), sensor-navigated 3D-US (3DsnUS), mechanically-swept 3D-US (3DmsUS), and I-124-PET/CT as reference standard. Regarding 3DsnUS and 3DmsUS, separately acquired 3D-US images (per thyroid lobe) were merged to one comprehensive data set. Subsequently, anatomical correctness of the stitching process was analysed via secondary image fusion with the I-124-PET images. Volumetric determinations were conducted by the ellipsoid model (EM) on conUS and CT, and manually drawn segmental contouring (MC) on 3DsnUS, 3DmsUS, CT, and I-124-PET/CT. Mean volume of the thyroid glands was 44.1 ± 25.8 mL (I-124-PET-MC = reference). Highly significant correlations (all p < 0.0001) were observed for conUS-EM (r = 0.892), 3DsnUS-MC (r = 0.988), 3DmsUS-MC (r = 0.978), CT-EM (0.956), and CT-MC (0.986), respectively. The mean volume differences (standard deviations, limits of agreement) in comparison with the reference were -10.50 mL (±11.56 mL, -33.62 to 12.24), -3.74 mL (±3.74 mL, -11.39 to 3.78), and 0.62 mL (±4.79 mL, -8.78 to 10.01) for conUS-EM, 3DsnUS-MC, and 3DmsUS-MC, respectively. Stitched 3D-US data sets of the thyroid enable accurate volumetric determination even in enlarged and deformed organs. The main limitation of high time expenditure may be overcome by artificial intelligence approaches.
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Rascevska E, Tessier DR, Doria AS, Fenster A. Proof-of-Concept Study of a 3-D Ultrasound Scanner Used for Ankle Joint Assessment. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2023; 49:278-288. [PMID: 36220709 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Joint arthropathies often require continuous monitoring of the joint condition, typically performed using magnetic resonance (MR) or ultrasound (US) imaging. US imaging is often the preferred screening or diagnostic tool as it is fast and inexpensive. However, conventional 2-D US has limited capability to compare imaging results between examinations because of its operator dependence and challenges related to repeat imaging in the same location and orientation. Comparison between several imaging sessions is crucial to assess the interval progression of joint conditions. We propose a novel 3-D US scanner for ankle joint assessment that can partially overcome these issues by enabling 3-D imaging. Here, we (i) present the design of the 3-D US ankle scanner system, (ii) validate the geometric reconstruction accuracy of the system, (iii) provide preliminary images of healthy volunteer ankles and (iv) compare 3-D US imaging results with MR imaging. The 3-D ankle scanner consists of a tub filled with water, a linear US probe attached to the wall of the tub and a motorized unit that rotates the US probe 360° around the center of the tub. As the probe rotates, a 3-D US image is formed of the ankle of the patient positioned in the middle of the tub. US probe height, angle and distance from the tub center can be adjusted. The reconstruction accuracy of the system was validated in each of the coordinate directions at different probe angles using two test phantoms. A phantom consisting of numerous Ø200-µm nylon threads with known spacing and a metal rod with machined grooves was used for validation in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. The volumetric reconstruction accuracy validation was performed by imaging an agar phantom with two embedded spheres of known volumes and comparing the segmented sphere volume and surface area with the expected. Three-dimensional US and MR images of both ankles of five healthy volunteers were acquired. Distal tibia and proximal talus were segmented in both imaging modalities and the surfaces of these segmentations were compared using the 95% Hausdorff and mean surface distances. The observed mean linear measurement error in all the coordinate directions and over several probe angles was 2.98%. The mean measured volumetric measurement error was 3.45%. The volunteer study revealed useful features for joint assessment present in the 3-D ankle scanner images, such as joint spacing, distal tibia and proximal talus. The mean 95% Hausdorff and mean surface distances between segmentations in 3-D US and MR images were 5.68 ± 0.83 and 2.01 ± 0.30 mm, respectively. In this proof-of-concept study, the 3-D US ankle scanner enabled visualization of the ankle joint features that are useful for joint assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Rascevska
- Imaging Program, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - David R Tessier
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea S Doria
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, and Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron Fenster
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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dos Santos DS, Fool F, Mozaffarzadeh M, Shabanimotlagh M, Noothout E, Kim T, Rozsa N, Vos HJ, Bosch JG, Pertijs MAP, Verweij MD, de Jong N. A Tiled Ultrasound Matrix Transducer for Volumetric Imaging of the Carotid Artery. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:9799. [PMID: 36560168 PMCID: PMC9784751 DOI: 10.3390/s22249799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
High frame rate three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging would offer excellent possibilities for the accurate assessment of carotid artery diseases. This calls for a matrix transducer with a large aperture and a vast number of elements. Such a matrix transducer should be interfaced with an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for channel reduction. However, the fabrication of such a transducer integrated with one very large ASIC is very challenging and expensive. In this study, we develop a prototype matrix transducer mounted on top of multiple identical ASICs in a tiled configuration. The matrix was designed to have 7680 piezoelectric elements with a pitch of 300 μm × 150 μm integrated with an array of 8 × 1 tiled ASICs. The performance of the prototype is characterized by a series of measurements. The transducer exhibits a uniform behavior with the majority of the elements working within the -6 dB sensitivity range. In transmit, the individual elements show a center frequency of 7.5 MHz, a -6 dB bandwidth of 45%, and a transmit efficiency of 30 Pa/V at 200 mm. In receive, the dynamic range is 81 dB, and the minimum detectable pressure is 60 Pa per element. To demonstrate the imaging capabilities, we acquired 3D images using a commercial wire phantom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Djalma Simões dos Santos
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Fabian Fool
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Moein Mozaffarzadeh
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Maysam Shabanimotlagh
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Emile Noothout
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Taehoon Kim
- Electronic Instrumentation Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Nuriel Rozsa
- Electronic Instrumentation Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Hendrik J. Vos
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
- Department Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johan G. Bosch
- Department Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel A. P. Pertijs
- Electronic Instrumentation Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Martin D. Verweij
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
- Department Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nico de Jong
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
- Department Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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13
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Peng C, Cai Q, Chen M, Jiang X. Recent Advances in Tracking Devices for Biomedical Ultrasound Imaging Applications. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13111855. [PMID: 36363876 PMCID: PMC9695235 DOI: 10.3390/mi13111855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
With the rapid advancement of tracking technologies, the applications of tracking systems in ultrasound imaging have expanded across a wide range of fields. In this review article, we discuss the basic tracking principles, system components, performance analyses, as well as the main sources of error for popular tracking technologies that are utilized in ultrasound imaging. In light of the growing demand for object tracking, this article explores both the potential and challenges associated with different tracking technologies applied to various ultrasound imaging applications, including freehand 3D ultrasound imaging, ultrasound image fusion, ultrasound-guided intervention and treatment. Recent development in tracking technology has led to increased accuracy and intuitiveness of ultrasound imaging and navigation with less reliance on operator skills, thereby benefiting the medical diagnosis and treatment. Although commercially available tracking systems are capable of achieving sub-millimeter resolution for positional tracking and sub-degree resolution for orientational tracking, such systems are subject to a number of disadvantages, including high costs and time-consuming calibration procedures. While some emerging tracking technologies are still in the research stage, their potentials have been demonstrated in terms of the compactness, light weight, and easy integration with existing standard or portable ultrasound machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Peng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qianqian Cai
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Mengyue Chen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Xiaoning Jiang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
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14
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Umehara J, Fukuda N, Konda S, Hirashima M. Validity of Freehand 3-D Ultrasound System in Measurement of the 3-D Surface Shape of Shoulder Muscles. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2022; 48:1966-1976. [PMID: 35831210 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.06.001] [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: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Freehand 3-D ultrasound (3DUS) system is a promising technique for accurately assessing muscle morphology. However, its accuracy has been validated mainly in terms of volume by examining lower limb muscles. This study was aimed at validating 3DUS in the measurements of 3-D surface shape and volume by comparing them with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements while ensuring the reproducibility of participant posture by focusing on the shoulder muscles. The supraspinatus, infraspinatus and posterior deltoid muscles of 10 healthy men were scanned using 3DUS and MRI while secured by an immobilization support customized for each participant. A 3-D surface model of each muscle was created from the 3DUS and MRI methods, and the agreement between them was assessed. For the muscle volume, the mean difference between the two models was within -0.51 cm3. For the 3-D surface shape, the distances between the closest points of the two models and the Dice similarity coefficient were calculated. The results indicated that the median surface distance was less than 1.12 mm and the Dice similarity coefficient was larger than 0.85. These results suggest that, given the aforementioned error is permitted, 3DUS can be used as an alternative to MRI in measuring volume and surface shape, even for the shoulder muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Umehara
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Suita, Osaka, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Norio Fukuda
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shoji Konda
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Suita, Osaka, Japan; Department of Health and Sport Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaya Hirashima
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Suita, Osaka, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
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15
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Zhao Y, Lu Y, Lu X, Jin J, Tao L, Chen X. Biopsy Needle Segmentation using Deep Networks on inhomogeneous Ultrasound Images. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022; 2022:553-556. [PMID: 36086307 DOI: 10.1109/embc48229.2022.9871059] [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
In minimally invasive interventional surgery, ultrasound imaging is usually used to provide real-time feedback in order to obtain the best diagnostic results or realize treatment plans, so how to accurately obtain the position of the medical biopsy needle is a problem worthy of study. 2D ultrasound simulation images containing the medical biopsy needle are generated, and our images background is from the real breast ultrasound image. Based on the deep learning network, the images containing the medical biopsy needle are used to analyze the effectiveness of different networks for needle localization for the purpose of returning needle positions in non-uniform ultrasound images. The results show that attention U-Net performed best and can accurately reflect the real position of the medical biopsy needle. The IoU and Precision can reach 90.19% and 96.25%, and the Angular Error is 0.40°. Clinical Relevance- Based on the deep network, for 2D ultrasound images containing medical biopsy needle, the localization precision can reach 96.25% and the Angular Error is 0.40°.
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16
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Moser F, Huang R, Papież BW, Namburete AIL. BEAN: Brain Extraction and Alignment Network for 3D Fetal Neurosonography. Neuroimage 2022; 258:119341. [PMID: 35654376 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain extraction (masking of extra-cerebral tissues) and alignment are fundamental first steps of most neuroimage analysis pipelines. The lack of automated solutions for 3D ultrasound (US) has therefore limited its potential as a neuroimaging modality for studying fetal brain development using routinely acquired scans. In this work, we propose a convolutional neural network (CNN) that accurately and consistently aligns and extracts the fetal brain from minimally pre-processed 3D US scans. Our multi-task CNN, Brain Extraction and Alignment Network (BEAN), consists of two independent branches: 1) a fully-convolutional encoder-decoder branch for brain extraction of unaligned scans, and 2) a two-step regression-based branch for similarity alignment of the brain to a common coordinate space. BEAN was tested on 356 fetal head 3D scans spanning the gestational range of 14 to 30 weeks, significantly outperforming all current alternatives for fetal brain extraction and alignment. BEAN achieved state-of-the-art performance for both tasks, with a mean Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of 0.94 for the brain extraction masks, and a mean DSC of 0.93 for the alignment of the target brain masks. The presented experimental results show that brain structures such as the thalamus, choroid plexus, cavum septum pellucidum, and Sylvian fissure, are consistently aligned throughout the dataset and remain clearly visible when the scans are averaged together. The BEAN implementation and related code can be found under www.github.com/felipemoser/kelluwen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Moser
- Oxford Machine Learning in Neuroimaging laboratory, OMNI, Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Ruobing Huang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Bartłomiej W Papież
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ana I L Namburete
- Oxford Machine Learning in Neuroimaging laboratory, OMNI, Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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17
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Lu Y, Zhao H, Becker AT, Leclerc J. Steering Rotating Magnetic Swimmers in 2.5 Dimensions Using Only 2D Ultrasonography for Position Sensing. IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2022.3146560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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18
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Golemati S, Cokkinos DD. Recent advances in vascular ultrasound imaging technology and their clinical implications. ULTRASONICS 2022; 119:106599. [PMID: 34624584 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2021.106599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this paper recent advances in vascular ultrasound imaging technology are discussed, including three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS), contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and strain- (SE) and shear-wave-elastography (SWE). 3DUS imaging allows visualisation of the actual 3D anatomy and more recently of flow, and assessment of geometrical, morphological and mechanical features in the carotid artery and the aorta. CEUS involves the use of microbubble contrast agents to estimate sensitive blood flow and neovascularisation (formation of new microvessels). Recent developments include the implementation of computerised tools for automated analysis and quantification of CEUS images, and the possibility to measure blood flow velocity in the aorta. SE, which yields anatomical maps of tissue strain, is increasingly being used to investigate the vulnerability of the carotid plaque, but is also promising for the coronary artery and the aorta. SWE relies on the generation of a shear wave by remote acoustic palpation and its acquisition by ultrafast imaging, and is useful for measuring arterial stiffness. Such advances in vascular ultrasound technology, with appropriate validation in clinical trials, could positively change current management of patients with vascular disease, and improve stratification of cardiovascular risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyretta Golemati
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
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19
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Cohen R, Fingerhut N, Varray F, Liebgott H, Eldar YC. Sparse Convolutional Beamforming for 3-D Ultrafast Ultrasound Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2021; 68:2444-2459. [PMID: 33755562 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2021.3068078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Real-time 3-D ultrasound (US) provides a complete visualization of inner body organs and blood vasculature, crucial for diagnosis and treatment of diverse diseases. However, 3-D systems require massive hardware due to the huge number of transducer elements and consequent data size. This increases cost significantly and limit both frame rate and image quality, thus preventing the 3-D US from being common practice in clinics worldwide. A recent study presented a technique called sparse convolutional beamforming algorithm (SCOBA), which obtains improved image quality while allowing notable element reduction in the context of 2-D focused imaging. In this article, we build upon previous work and introduce a nonlinear beamformer for 3-D imaging, called COBA-3D, consisting of 2-D spatial convolution of the in-phase and quadrature received signals. The proposed technique considers diverging-wave transmission and achieves improved image resolution and contrast compared with standard delay-and-sum beamforming while enabling a high frame rate. Incorporating 2-D sparse arrays into our method creates SCOBA-3D: a sparse beamformer that offers significant element reduction and, thus, allows performing 3-D imaging with the resources typically available for 2-D setups. To create 2-D thinned arrays, we present a scalable and systematic way to design 2-D fractal sparse arrays. The proposed framework paves the way for affordable ultrafast US devices that perform high-quality 3-D imaging, as demonstrated using phantom and ex-vivo data.
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20
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Han Z, Peng H, Pan J. A two-steps implementation of 3D ultrasound imaging in frequency domain with 1D array transducer. ULTRASONICS 2021; 114:106423. [PMID: 33798833 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2021.106423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Compared with B-mode imaging, three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging is more helpful in research and clinical application. At present, the 3D ultrasound images can be acquired directly with two-dimensional (2D) array transducer or reconstructed from a series of B-mode images obtained with one-dimensional (1D) array transducer. Imaging with 2D array transducer can achieve a high frame rate, but suffering from the complexity of the imaging system, such as the large amount of channels, and high computational complexity. Reconstructing 3D images from a series of B-mode images can be implemented by recording the position and orientation of the slice images. This is a low-cost and flexible imaging method, but usually suffering from the low imaging quality and low frame rate. In our previous work, a novel 3D ultrasound imaging method in frequency domain with a moved 1D array transducer is presented. This method can reduce the computational complexity with FFT, and get improved imaging quality and frame rate to some extent. Besides, this method can be adopted to construct images with a row-column-addressed 2D array, which can reduce the amount of channels effectively. In this paper, a two-steps implementation of this imaging method is proposed, in which the combined implementation of the 3D imaging is decomposed to two steps of 2D imaging processes in Frequency domain. In the first step, the received echoes of the 1D array transducer at each position are processed with a 2D imaging processes in the lateral- axial planes. In the second step, a 2D imaging processes is preformed in the planes of orthogonal to the transducer. Simulation results show that the two-steps implementation can achieve almost the same imaging quality to the previous work. Compared with the implementation of 3D imaging in our previous work, the proposed two-steps implementation can be carried out with parallel process to improve the computational efficiency, or carried out with loop to reduce the hardware cost. Besides, the first step can be performed with a conventional DAS imaging method when a cylindrical wave is adopted for imaging. The influence of the spread angle of the field is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Han
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Hu Peng
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Jingwen Pan
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
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21
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Iommi D, Valladares A, Figl M, Grahovac M, Fichtinger G, Hummel J. 3D ultrasound guided navigation system with hybrid image fusion. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8838. [PMID: 33893323 PMCID: PMC8065055 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86848-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A prototype of a navigation system to fuse two image modalities is presented. The standard inter-modality registration is replaced with a tracker-based image registration of calibrated imaging devices. Intra-procedure transrectal US (TRUS) images were merged with pre-procedure magnetic resonance (MR) images for prostate biopsy. The registration between MR and TRUS images was performed by an additional abdominal 3D-US (ab-3D-US), which enables replacing the inter-modal MR/TRUS registration by an intra-modal ab-3D-US/3D-TRUS registration. Calibration procedures were carried out using an optical tracking system (OTS) for the pre-procedure image fusion of the ab-3D-US with the MR. Inter-modal ab-3D-US/MR image fusion was evaluated using a multi-cone phantom for the target registration error (TRE) and a prostate phantom for the Dice score and the Hausdorff distance of lesions . Finally, the pre-procedure ab- 3D-US was registered with the TRUS images and the errors for the transformation from the MR to the TRUS were determined. The TRE of the ab-3D-US/MR image registration was 1.81 mm. The Dice-score and the Hausdorff distance for ab-3D-US and MR were found to be 0.67 and 3.19 mm. The Dice score and the Hausdorff distance for TRUS and MR were 0.67 and 3.18 mm. The hybrid navigation system showed sufficient accuracy for fusion guided biopsy procedures with prostate phantoms. The system might provide intra-procedure fusion for most US-guided biopsy and ablation interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Iommi
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Alejandra Valladares
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Michael Figl
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Marko Grahovac
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Gabor Fichtinger
- Queen's University, School of Computing, 25 Union St, 557 Goodwin Hall, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Johann Hummel
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, 1090, Austria.
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22
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Dong Z, Li S, Lowerison MR, Pan J, Zou J, Song P. Fast Acoustic Steering Via Tilting Electromechanical Reflectors (FASTER): A Novel Method for High Volume Rate 3-D Ultrasound Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2021; 68:675-687. [PMID: 32870789 PMCID: PMC7987349 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2020.3020871] [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: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The 3-D ultrasound imaging is essential for a wide range of clinical applications in diagnostic and interventional cardiology, radiology, and obstetrics for prenatal imaging. 3-D ultrasound imaging is also pivotal for advancing technical developments of emerging imaging technologies, such as elastography, blood flow imaging, functional ultrasound (fUS), and super-resolution microvessel imaging. At present, however, existing 3-D ultrasound imaging methods suffer from low imaging volume rate, suboptimal imaging quality, and high costs associated with 2-D ultrasound transducers. Here, we report a novel 3-D ultrasound imaging technique, fast acoustic steering via tilting electromechanical reflectors (FASTER), which provides both high imaging quality and fast imaging speed while at low cost. Capitalizing upon unique water immersible and fast-tilting microfabricated mirror to scan ultrafast plane waves in the elevational direction, FASTER is capable of high volume rate, large field-of-view (FOV) 3-D imaging with conventional 1-D transducers. In this article, we introduce the fundamental concepts of FASTER and present a series of calibration and validation studies for FASTER 3-D imaging. In a wire phantom and tissue-mimicking phantom study, we demonstrated that FASTER was capable of providing spatially accurate 3-D images with a 500-Hz imaging volume rate and an imaging FOV with a range of 48° (20 mm at 25-mm depth) in the elevational direction. We also showed that FASTER had comparable imaging quality with conventional mechanical translation-based 3-D imaging. The principles and results presented in this study establish the technical foundation for the new paradigm of high volume rate 3-D ultrasound imaging based on ultrafast plane waves and fast-tilting, water-immersible microfabricated mirrors.
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23
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Sciallero C, Trucco A. Wideband 2-D sparse array optimization combined with multiline reception for real-time 3-D medical ultrasound. ULTRASONICS 2021; 111:106318. [PMID: 33333484 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2020.106318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound medical imaging provides advantages over a traditional 2-D visualization method. However, the use of a 2-D array to acquire 3-D images may result in a transducer composed of thousands of elements and a large amount of data in the front-end, making it impractical to implement high volume rate imaging and individually control all elements with the scanner. This paper proposes an original approach, valid for wideband operations centered on the design center frequency, to maintain a limited number of active elements and firing events, while preserving high resolution and volume rate. A 7 MHz 2-D array is composed of two circular concentric subparts. In the inner footprint the elements are distributed following a regular grid, while in the outer subpart a sparse non-grid solution is adopted. The inner circular dense array is composed of 256 elements with a pitch of 0.5λ. The overall footprint, delimited by the outer subpart, is equivalent to a 256-element array with a pitch of 1.5λ. All the elements of the inner subpart are activated in transmission. Following an optimization procedure, both subparts, including a subset of the elements placed in the inner footprint (i.e., sparse on-the-grid array) and the elements spread over the outer subpart (i.e., sparse off-the-grid array) are used to receive. A total number of 256 elements, defined by the sum of elements distributed in the inner and outer subparts, is fixed in reception. The proposed approach implies a multiline reception strategy, where for each transmission 3 × 3 firing events occur in reception. The sparse receive array is optimized by using a simulated annealing optimization. An original cost function is designed specifically to achieve successful results in wideband conditions. The receive array is optimized in order to obtain consistent results for different signal bandwidths of the excitation pulse. For all the desired bandwidths, the optimized array will provide the recovery of the lower lateral resolution of the transmission phase and, at the same time, a significant reduction of the undesired side lobe raised in the 3-D two-way beam pattern. The 3-D two-way beam pattern analysis reveals that the proposed solution is able to guarantee a lateral resolution of 1.35 mm at a focus depth of 25 mm for the three fractional signal bandwidths of interest (i.e., 30%, 50% and 70%) considered in the optimization process. The undesired side lobes are successfully suppressed especially when, as a consequence of the multiline strategy, non-coincident steering angles are used in transmission and reception. Moreover, thanks to the firing scheme adopted, a high-volume rate of 63 volumes per second may be achieved at the focus depth. The volume rate decreases to 32 volumes per second at twice the focal depth. Phantom image simulations show that the proposed method maintains a satisfactory and almost uniform image quality in terms of resolution and contrast for all the signal bandwidths of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Sciallero
- Dept. of Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications Engineering, and Naval Architecture (DITEN), University of Genoa, Via all'Opera Pia 11, Genova 16145, Italy.
| | - Andrea Trucco
- Dept. of Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications Engineering, and Naval Architecture (DITEN), University of Genoa, Via all'Opera Pia 11, Genova 16145, Italy.
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24
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Kim T, Kang DH, Shim S, Im M, Seo BK, Kim H, Lee BC. Versatile Low-Cost Volumetric 3D Ultrasound Imaging Using Gimbal-Assisted Distance Sensors and an Inertial Measurement Unit. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20226613. [PMID: 33227915 PMCID: PMC7699245 DOI: 10.3390/s20226613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This study aims at creating low-cost, three-dimensional (3D), freehand ultrasound image reconstructions from commercial two-dimensional (2D) probes. The low-cost system that can be attached to a commercial 2D ultrasound probe consists of commercial ultrasonic distance sensors, a gimbal, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). To calibrate irregular movements of the probe during scanning, relative position data were collected from the ultrasonic sensors that were attached to a gimbal. The directional information was provided from the IMU. All the data and 2D ultrasound images were combined using a personal computer to reconstruct 3D ultrasound image. The relative position error of the proposed system was less than 0.5%. The overall shape of the cystic mass in the breast phantom was similar to those from 2D and sections of 3D ultrasound images. Additionally, the pressure and deformations of lesions could be obtained and compensated by contacting the probe to the surface of the soft tissue using the acquired position data. The proposed method did not require any initial marks or receivers for the reconstruction of a 3D ultrasound image using a 2D ultrasound probe. Even though our system is less than $500, a valuable volumetric ultrasound image could be provided to the users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taehyung Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea; (T.K.); (S.S.); (M.I.)
| | - Dong-Hyun Kang
- Micro Nano Fab Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea;
| | - Shinyong Shim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea; (T.K.); (S.S.); (M.I.)
| | - Maesoon Im
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea; (T.K.); (S.S.); (M.I.)
| | - Bo Kyoung Seo
- Department of Radiology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan 15355, Korea;
| | - Hyungmin Kim
- Bionics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea;
| | - Byung Chul Lee
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Korea; (T.K.); (S.S.); (M.I.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-29-585-748
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25
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Gillies DJ, Rodgers JR, Gyacskov I, Roy P, Kakani N, Cool DW, Fenster A. Deep learning segmentation of general interventional tools in two‐dimensional ultrasound images. Med Phys 2020; 47:4956-4970. [DOI: 10.1002/mp.14427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Derek J. Gillies
- Department of Medical Biophysics Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
- Robarts Research Institute Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
| | - Jessica R. Rodgers
- Robarts Research Institute Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
| | - Igor Gyacskov
- Robarts Research Institute Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
| | - Priyanka Roy
- Department of Medical Biophysics Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
- Robarts Research Institute Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
| | - Nirmal Kakani
- Department of Radiology Manchester Royal Infirmary ManchesterM13 9WL UK
| | - Derek W. Cool
- Department of Medical Imaging Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
| | - Aaron Fenster
- Department of Medical Biophysics Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
- Robarts Research Institute Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
- Department of Medical Imaging Western University London OntarioN6A 3K7 Canada
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Iommi D, Hummel J, Figl ML. Evaluation of 3D ultrasound for image guidance. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229441. [PMID: 32214326 PMCID: PMC7098612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE In this paper we compared two different 3D ultrasound (US) modes (3D free-hand mode and 3D wobbler mode) to see which is more suitable to perform the 3D-US/3D-US registration for clinical guidance applications. The typical errors with respect to their impact on the final localization error were evaluated step by step. METHODS Multi-point target and Hand-eye calibration methods were used for 3D US calibration together with a newly designed multi-cone phantom. Pointer based and image based methods were used for 2D US calibration. The calibration target error was computed by using a different multi-cone phantom. An egg-shaped phantom was used as ground truth to compare distortions for both 3D modes along with the measurements of the volume. Finally, we compared 3D ultrasound images acquired by 3D wobbler mode and 3D free-hand mode with respect to their 3D-US/3D-US registration accuracy using both, phantom and patient data. A theoretical step by step error analysis was performed and compared to empirical data. RESULTS Target registration errors based on the calibration with the 3D Multi-point and 2D pointer/image method have been found to be comparable (∼1mm). They both outperformed the 3D Hand-eye method (error >2mm). Volume measurements with the 3D free-hand mode were closest to the ground truth (around 6% error compared to 9% with the 3D wobbler mode). Additional scans on phantoms showed a 3D-US/3D-US registration error below 1 mm for both, the 3D free-hand mode and the 3D wobbler mode, respectively. Results with patient data showed greater error with the 3D free-hand mode (6.50mm - 13.37mm) than with the 3D wobbler mode (2.99 ± 1.54 mm). All the measured errors were found to be in accordance to their theoretical upper bounds. CONCLUSION While both 3D volume methods showed comparable results with respect to 3D-US/3D-US registration for phantom images, for patient data registrations the 3D wobbler mode is superior to the 3D free-hand mode. The effect of all error sources could be estimated by theoretical derivations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Iommi
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johann Hummel
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael Lutz Figl
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Ruan SM, Zheng Q, Wang Z, Hu HT, Chen LD, Guo HL, Xie XY, Lu MD, Li W, Wang W. Comparison of Real-Time Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound to Quantify Flow in an In Vitro Model: A Feasibility Study. Med Sci Monit 2019; 25:10029-10035. [PMID: 31879414 PMCID: PMC6946046 DOI: 10.12659/msm.919160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This feasibility study aimed to compare real-time two-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound (2D-CEUS) and three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound (3D-CEUS) to quantify flow in an in vitro model. MATERIAL AND METHODS Five polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes were used for the perfusion models and used SonoVue ultrasound contrast agent with a perfusion volume ratio of 1: 2: 4: 8: 16. The contrast was injected at a constant speed to compare the raw quantitative data of 2D-CEUS and 3D-CEUS at angles of 0°, 45°, and 90°. The coefficient of variation (CV) of the peak intensity (PI) in the model were compared and the correlations between weighted PI and perfusion volume were analyzed. RESULTS In the three angles used, real-time 3D-CEUS resulted in a more comprehensive view of the spatial relationships in the perfusion model. Using real-time 2D-CEUS, the mean CV was 0.92±0.36, and the mean CV in the real-time 3D-CEUS model was significantly less at 0.48±0.32 (p<0.001). Quantitative 3D-CEUS parameters showed a good correlation with those of 2D-CEUS with an r-value of 0.93 (p=0.02). The r-value of weighted PI and the perfusion ratio using 2D-CEUS was 0.66 (p=0.23) compared with values in 3D-CEUS of 0.84 (p=0.08). CONCLUSIONS The combination of real-time 3D-CEUS and quantitative analysis identified the spatial distribution of the changes in angle in the model, which was less influenced by sectional planes, and was more representative of the perfusion volume when compared with 2D-CEUS. Quantitative real-time 3D-CEUS requires in vivo studies to evaluate the potential role in the clinical evaluation of vascular perfusion of malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Min Ruan
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Ultrasonics Artificial Intelligence X-Lab, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Qiao Zheng
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Fetal Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Zhu Wang
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Ultrasonics Artificial Intelligence X-Lab, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Hang-Tong Hu
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Ultrasonics Artificial Intelligence X-Lab, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Li-Da Chen
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Ultrasonics Artificial Intelligence X-Lab, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Huan-Ling Guo
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Ultrasonics Artificial Intelligence X-Lab, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Xiao-Yan Xie
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Ultrasonics Artificial Intelligence X-Lab, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Ming-De Lu
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Ultrasonics Artificial Intelligence X-Lab, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland).,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Ultrasonics Artificial Intelligence X-Lab, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Ultrasonics Artificial Intelligence X-Lab, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
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Using game controller as position tracking sensor for 3D freehand ultrasound imaging. Med Biol Eng Comput 2019; 58:889-902. [DOI: 10.1007/s11517-019-02044-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Zhou W, Long Z, Tradup DJ, Stekel SF, Browne JE, Brown DL, Hangiandreou NJ. Ultrasound grayscale image quality comparison between a 2D intracavitary transducer and a 3D intracavitary transducer used in 2D mode: A phantom study. J Appl Clin Med Phys 2019; 20:134-140. [PMID: 31002482 PMCID: PMC6560229 DOI: 10.1002/acm2.12590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose It is unclear if a 3D transducer with the special design of mechanical swing or 2D array could provide acceptable 2D grayscale image quality for the general diagnosis purpose. The aim of this study is to compare the 2D image quality of a 3D intracavitary transducer with a conventional 2D intracavitary transducer using clinically relevant phantom experiments. Methods All measurements were performed on a GE Logiq E9 scanner with both a 2D (IC5‐9‐D) and a 3D (RIC5‐9‐D) transducer used in 2D mode. Selection of phantom targets and acquisition parameters were determined from analysis of 33 clinical pelvic exams. Depth of penetration (DOP), contrast response, contrast of anechoic cylinders (diameter: 6.7 mm) at 1.5 and 4.5 cm depths in transverse planes, and in‐plane resolution represented by full‐width half‐maximum of pin targets at multiple depths were measured with transmit frequencies of 7 and 8 MHz. Spherical signal‐noise‐ratio (SNR) (diameter: 4 and 2 mm) at multiple depths were measured at 8 MHz. Results RIC5‐9‐D demonstrated <8% decrease in DOP for both transmit frequencies (7 MHz: 69.7 ± 8.2 mm; 8 MHz: 64.3 ± 7.8 mm) compared with those from IC5‐9‐D (7 MHz: 73.9 ± 4.4 mm; 8 MHz: 69.4 ± 7.8 mm). A decreased anechoic contrast was observed with a 4.5 cm depth for RIC5‐9‐D (7 MHz: 23.2 ± 1.8 dB, P > 0.05; 8 MHz: 17.7 ± 0.9 dB, P < 0.01) compared with IC5‐9‐D (7 MHz: 25.9 ± 1.2 dB; 8 MHz: 21.5 ± 0.8 dB). The contrast response and spatial resolution performance were comparable between the two transducers. RIC5‐9‐D showed comparable SNR of anechoic spheres compared to IC5‐9‐D. Conclusions 2D images from a 3D probe exhibited comparable overall image quality for routine clinical pelvic imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Zaiyang Long
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Scott F Stekel
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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Barber L, Alexander C, Shipman P, Boyd R, Reid S, Elliott C. Validity and reliability of a freehand 3D ultrasound system for the determination of triceps surae muscle volume in children with cerebral palsy. J Anat 2018; 234:384-391. [PMID: 30525186 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This study assessed the validity, intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of segmentation of in vivo medial gastrocnemius (MG), lateral gastrocnemius (LG) and soleus (SOL) muscle volume measurement using a single sweep freehand 3D ultrasound (3DUS) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The MG, LG and SOL of both limbs of 18 children with CP (age 8 years 4 months ± 1 year 10 months, 11 males, unilateral CP = 9, bilateral CP = 9, Gross Motor Functional Classification System I = 11, II = 7) were scanned using freehand 3DUS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All freehand 3DUS and MRI images were segmented and volumes rendered by two raters. Validity was assessed using limits of agreement method. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation (ICC), coefficient of variance (CV) and minimal detectable change (MDC). Freehand 3DUS overestimated muscle volume of the MG and LG by < 0.3 mL (1%) and underestimated SOL by < 1.3 mL (1.5%) compared with MRI. ICCs for intra-rater reliability of the segmentation process for the freehand 3DUS system and MRI for muscle volume were > 0.98 and 0.99, respectively, for all muscles. ICCs for inter-rater reliability of the segmentation process for freehand 3DUS and MRI volumes were > 0.96 and 0.98, respectively, for all muscles. MDCs for single rater freehand 3DUS and MRI were < 4.0 mL (14%) and 3.2 mL (11%), respectively, in all muscles. Freehand 3DUS is a valid and reliable method for the measurement of lower leg muscle volume that can be measured with a single sweep in children with CP in vivo. It can be used as an alternative to MRI for the detection of clinically relevant changes in calf muscle volume as the result of growth and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Barber
- School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Bundaberg, QLD, Australia.,Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - C Alexander
- School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - P Shipman
- Diagnostic Imaging, Princess Margaret Hospital, Subiaco, WA, Australia
| | - R Boyd
- Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - S Reid
- School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - C Elliott
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
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Tariq M, Siddiqi AA, Narejo GB, Andleeb S. A Cross Sectional Study of Tumors Using Bio-Medical Imaging Modalities. Curr Med Imaging 2018; 15:66-73. [DOI: 10.2174/1573405613666170614081434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Digital Signal Processing (D.S.P) is an evolutionary field. It has a vast variety
of applications in all fields. Bio medical engineering has various applications of digital signal
processing. Digital Image Processing is one of the branches of signal processing. Medical image
modalities proved to be helpful for disease diagnosis. Higher expertise is required in image analysis
by medical professional, either doctors or radiologists.
Methods:
Extensive research is being done and has produced remarkable results. The study is divided
into three main parts. The first deals with introduction of mostly used imaging modalities
such as, magnetic resonance imaging, x-rays, ultrasound, positron emission tomography and computed
tomography. The next section includes explanation of the basic steps of digital image processing
are also explained in the paper. Magnetic Resonance imaging modalities is selected for this
research paper. Different methods are tested on MRI images.
Discussion:
Brain images are selected with and without tumor. Solid cum Cystic tumor is opted for
the r esearch. Results are discussed and shown. The software used for digital image processing is
MATLAB. It has in built functions which are used throughout the study. The study represents the
importance of DIP for tumor segmentation and detection.
Conclusion:
This study provides an initial guideline for researchers from both fields, that is, medicine
and engineering. The analyses are shown and discussed in detail through images. This paper
shows the significance of image processing platform for tumor detection automation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mashal Tariq
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Usman Institute of Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha A. Siddiqi
- Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Dawood University of Engineeirng and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Shehla Andleeb
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Usman Institute of Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
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Morgan MR, Broder JS, Dahl JJ, Herickhoff CD. Versatile Low-Cost Volumetric 3-D Ultrasound Platform for Existing Clinical 2-D Systems. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2018; 37:2248-2256. [PMID: 29993653 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2018.2821901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound imaging has indications across many areas of medicine, but the need for training and the variability in skill and acquired image quality among 2-D ultrasound users have limited its wider adoption and utilization. Low-cost volumetric ultrasound with a known frame of reference has the potential to lower these operator-dependent barriers and enhance the clinical utility of ultrasound imaging. In this paper, we improve upon our previous research-scanner-based prototype to implement a versatile volumetric imaging platform for existing clinical 2-D ultrasound systems. We present improved data acquisition and image reconstruction schemes to increase quality, streamline workflow, and provide real-time visual feedback. We present initial results using the platform on a Vimedix simulator, as well as on phantom and in vivo targets using a variety of clinical ultrasound systems and probes.
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Experimental 3-D Ultrasound Imaging with 2-D Sparse Arrays using Focused and Diverging Waves. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9108. [PMID: 29904182 PMCID: PMC6002520 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27490-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Three dimensional ultrasound (3-D US) imaging methods based on 2-D array probes are increasingly investigated. However, the experimental test of new 3-D US approaches is contrasted by the need of controlling very large numbers of probe elements. Although this problem may be overcome by the use of 2-D sparse arrays, just a few experimental results have so far corroborated the validity of this approach. In this paper, we experimentally compare the performance of a fully wired 1024-element (32 × 32) array, assumed as reference, to that of a 256-element random and of an “optimized” 2-D sparse array, in both focused and compounded diverging wave (DW) transmission modes. The experimental results in 3-D focused mode show that the resolution and contrast produced by the optimized sparse array are close to those of the full array while using 25% of elements. Furthermore, the experimental results in 3-D DW mode and 3-D focused mode are also compared for the first time and they show that both the contrast and the resolution performance are higher when using the 3-D DW at volume rates up to 90/second which represent a 36x speed up factor compared to the focused mode.
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Huang Q, Wu B, Lan J, Li X. Fully Automatic Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Imaging Based on Conventional B-Scan. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS 2018; 12:426-436. [PMID: 29570068 DOI: 10.1109/tbcas.2017.2782815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Robotic ultrasound systems have turned into clinical use over the past few decades, increasing precision and quality of medical operations. In this paper, we propose a fully automatic scanning system for three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound imaging. A depth camera was first used to obtain the depth data and color data of the tissue surface. Based on the depth image, the 3-D contour of the tissue was rendered and the scan path of ultrasound probe was automatically planned. Following the scan path, a 3-D translating device drove the probe to move on the tissue surface. Simultaneously, the B-scans and their positional information were recorded for subsequent volume reconstruction. In order to stop the scanning process when the pressure on the skin exceeded a preset threshold, two force sensors were attached to the front side of the probe for force measurement. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted for assessing the performance of the proposed system. Quantitative results show that the error of volume measurement was less than 1%, indicating that the system is capable of automatic ultrasound scanning and 3-D imaging. It is expected that the proposed system can be well used in clinical practices.
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Han Z, Peng H, Zhao X, Chen X. 3D ultrasound imaging in frequency domain based on concepts of array beam and synthetic aperture. ULTRASONICS 2018; 84:254-263. [PMID: 29175565 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The high frame rate (HFR) imaging method has the ability to achieve a high frame rate. In this method, only one transmission is required to construct a frame of image. In our previous work, using a moved one-dimensional (1D) array transducer, a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging method in frequency domain was developed. This imaging method was designed based on the concepts of array beam and synthetic aperture, which can simplify the two-dimensional (2D) array transducer. In this paper, based on array beam and synthetic aperture, the HFR imaging method is demonstrated from a novel view. From this view, the relationship between the HFR imaging method and synthetic aperture is established with the weighting function of array beam. Besides, the HFR imaging method, the imaging method with a moved 1D array transducer, and the synthetic aperture imaging method with a moved single element transducer are unified in the same analytical method with different weighting functions. The same frequency domain signal processing flow can be applied to these imaging methods. Comparisons to these imaging methods are implemented with simulations. Simulation results show that, in the imaging depth of 45 mm, the resolutions calculated as the total width of the -6 dB main lobe in x-direction are 1.099 mm, 1.056 mm and 0.596 mm for the methods with 1D transducer, 2D transducer and the single element transducer, respectively. The resolution in y-direction is 1.054 mm for the methods with 2D transducer, and 0.565 mm, 0.593 mm for the 1D and single element transducers, respectively. The resolutions in z-direction are 0.493 mm, 0.451 mm and 0.452 mm for the 2D, 1D and single element transducers, respectively. The resolution in the moved-direction is improved with a moved transducer, but the contrast of the image is decreased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Hu Peng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Xun Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
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Han Z, Peng H, Zhao X, Chen X, Lu P. Sector-scanning 3D ultrasound imaging in frequency domain with 1D array transducer. ULTRASONICS 2018; 84:1-8. [PMID: 29065346 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2017.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sector-scanning is a conventional scanning mode in ultrasound imaging, which can increase the area to observe. In three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound, freehand imaging system is usually used. This method uses a moving elevation focused one-dimensional (1D) transducer to construct a series of B-mode slice images, and then these B-mode slice images are combined to form a 3D volume image. When sector-scanning is used to acquire the B-mode slices, the elevation resolution is poor because of the elevation resolution of the probe and the interpolations between the slices. In this paper, based on the linear scanning method in our previous work, a sector-scanning 3D imaging method is proposed. In this imaging method, a linear array transducer without elevation focusing is also used, and the 1D transducer transmits limited diffraction beams and receives echo signals repeatedly when rotated around an axis parallel to the transducer. After finishing the scanning, all the received signals are combined to construct the 3D image in frequency domain with Fourier transform. Simulation results show that the new method can construct the 3D image effectively. Compared with the imaging method based on B-mode slices, the new method can improve the elevation resolution significantly. The elevation resolution can be promoted to less than 2 mm with the imaging depth 100 mm by one transmission at each position. Besides, because only one transmission is needed at each position, the frame rate can be increased to some extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Han
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Hu Peng
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Zhao
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Xun Chen
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Putian Lu
- School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
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Cenni F, Schless SH, Bar-On L, Aertbeliën E, Bruyninckx H, Hanssen B, Desloovere K. Reliability of a clinical 3D freehand ultrasound technique: Analyses on healthy and pathological muscles. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2018; 156:97-103. [PMID: 29428080 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2017.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE 3D freehand Ultrasonography is a medical imaging technique that can be used to measure muscle and tendon morphological and structural properties, including volume, lengths and echo-intensity. These properties are clinically relevant in neurological disorders such as spastic cerebral palsy to monitor disease progression and evaluate the effect of treatment. This study presents a methodology for extracting these parameters along with a clinical reliability analysis for the data acquisition and processing. METHODS The medial gastrocnemius muscles and Achilles tendon of 10 typically developing children and 10 children with spastic cerebral palsy were assessed. An open-source in-house software library developed in Python (Py3DFreeHandUS) was used to reconstruct, into one 3D data set, the data simultaneously acquired from an US machine and a motion tracking system. US images were manually segmented and linearly interpolated by means of a new simplified approach which involved sequentially decreasing the total number of images used for muscle border segmentation from 100% to 5%. Acquisition and processing reliability was defined based on repeated measures from different data processers and from different data acquirers, respectively. RESULTS When only 10% of the US images were outlined, there was an average underestimation of muscle volume of 1.1% and 1.6% with respect the computation of all the available images, for the typically developing and spastic cerebral palsy groups, respectively. For both groups, the reliability was higher for data processing than for data acquisition. High inter-class correlation coefficient values were found for processing and acquisition reliability, with worst case values of 0.89 and 0.61, respectively. The standard error of measurement, expressed as a percentage of the average volumes, was smaller than 2.6 ml (4.8%) in all cases. CONCLUSIONS The present analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of applying 3D freehand ultrasonography in a clinical setting for analysing healthy and pathological paediatric muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cenni
- KU Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 300b, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Clinical Motion Analysis Laboratory, University Hospital, Pellenberg, Weligerveld 1, 3212 Pellenberg, Belgium.
| | - Simon-Henri Schless
- Clinical Motion Analysis Laboratory, University Hospital, Pellenberg, Weligerveld 1, 3212 Pellenberg, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tervuursevest 101, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lynn Bar-On
- Clinical Motion Analysis Laboratory, University Hospital, Pellenberg, Weligerveld 1, 3212 Pellenberg, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tervuursevest 101, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Erwin Aertbeliën
- KU Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 300b, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Herman Bruyninckx
- KU Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 300b, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Britta Hanssen
- Clinical Motion Analysis Laboratory, University Hospital, Pellenberg, Weligerveld 1, 3212 Pellenberg, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tervuursevest 101, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat Desloovere
- Clinical Motion Analysis Laboratory, University Hospital, Pellenberg, Weligerveld 1, 3212 Pellenberg, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tervuursevest 101, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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Chen Z, Huang Q. Real-time freehand 3D ultrasound imaging. COMPUTER METHODS IN BIOMECHANICS AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING: IMAGING & VISUALIZATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/21681163.2016.1167623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenping Chen
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qinghua Huang
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Intelligent Vision Based Monitoring for Hydroelectric Engineering, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
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Wen T, Yang F, Gu J, Chen S, Wang L, Xie Y. An adaptive kernel regression method for 3D ultrasound reconstruction using speckle prior and parallel GPU implementation. Neurocomputing 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucom.2017.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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40
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Toews M, Wells WM. Phantomless Auto-Calibration and Online Calibration Assessment for a Tracked Freehand 2-D Ultrasound Probe. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2018; 37:262-272. [PMID: 28910761 PMCID: PMC5808952 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2017.2750978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a method for automatically calibrating and assessing the calibration quality of an externally tracked 2-D ultrasound (US) probe by scanning arbitrary, natural tissues, as opposed a specialized calibration phantom as is the typical practice. A generative topic model quantifies the posterior probability of calibration parameters conditioned on local 2-D image features arising from a generic underlying substrate. Auto-calibration is achieved by identifying the maximum a-posteriori image-to-probe transform, and calibration quality is assessed online in terms of the posterior probability of the current image-to-probe transform. Both are closely linked to the 3-D point reconstruction error (PRE) in aligning feature observations arising from the same underlying physical structure in different US images. The method is of practical importance in that it operates simply by scanning arbitrary textured echogenic structures, e.g., in-vivo tissues in the context of the US-guided procedures, without requiring specialized calibration procedures or equipment. Observed data take the form of local scale-invariant features that can be extracted and fit to the model in near real-time. Experiments demonstrate the method on a public data set of in vivo human brain scans of 14 unique subjects acquired in the context of neurosurgery. Online calibration assessment can be performed at approximately 3 Hz for the US images of pixels. Auto-calibration achieves an internal mean PRE of 1.2 mm and a discrepancy of [2 mm, 6 mm] in comparison to the calibration via a standard phantom-based method.
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Herickhoff CD, Morgan MR, Broder JS, Dahl JJ. Low-cost Volumetric Ultrasound by Augmentation of 2D Systems: Design and Prototype. ULTRASONIC IMAGING 2018; 40:35-48. [PMID: 28691586 DOI: 10.1177/0161734617718528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Conventional two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound imaging is a powerful diagnostic tool in the hands of an experienced user, yet 2D ultrasound remains clinically underutilized and inherently incomplete, with output being very operator dependent. Volumetric ultrasound systems can more fully capture a three-dimensional (3D) region of interest, but current 3D systems require specialized transducers, are prohibitively expensive for many clinical departments, and do not register image orientation with respect to the patient; these systems are designed to provide improved workflow rather than operator independence. This work investigates whether it is possible to add volumetric 3D imaging capability to existing 2D ultrasound systems at minimal cost, providing a practical means of reducing operator dependence in ultrasound. In this paper, we present a low-cost method to make 2D ultrasound systems capable of quality volumetric image acquisition: we present the general system design and image acquisition method, including the use of a probe-mounted orientation sensor, a simple probe fixture prototype, and an offline volume reconstruction technique. We demonstrate initial results of the method, implemented using a Verasonics Vantage research scanner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jeremy J Dahl
- 1 Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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Darr A, Schierz JH, Schleußner E, Wiegand S, Opfermann T, Freesmeyer M. 3D ultrasound DICOM data of the thyroid gland. Nuklearmedizin 2017; 51:73-8. [DOI: 10.3413/nukmed-0471-12-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2012] [Accepted: 03/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SummaryPurpose: It has recently become possible to generate and archive three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) volume data with the DICOM standard Enhanced Ultrasound Volume Storage (EUVS). The objective of this study was to examine the application of the EUVS standard based on the example of thyroid ultrasound. Patients, methods: 32 patients, who were referred for thyroid diagnosis, were given a 3D-US examination of the thyroid gland (GE Voluson E8, convex 3D probe RAB4–8-D). The 3D data sets were exported to EUVS. Necessary additions to DICOM entries and transformation into an established DICOM standard were carried out. The visual assessment and volume measurements were performed by two experts on nuclear medicine using standard software in our hospital. Results: In 24/32 (75%) of the patients, the whole organ was successfully recorded in a single 3D scan; in 8/32 (25%), only part of organ could be covered. In all cases, 3D-US data could be exported and archived. After supplementing the DICOM entry Patient Orientation and transformation into the DICOM PET format, 3D-US data could be displayed in the correct orientation and size at any viewing workstation and any web browser-based PACS viewer. Afterwards, 3D processing such as multiplanar reformation, volumetric measurements and image fusion with data of other cross sectional modalities could be performed. The intraclass correlation of the volume measurements was 0,94 and the interobserver variability was 5.7%. Conclusion: EUVS allows the generation, distribution and archiving of 3D-US data of the thyroid, facilitates a second reading by another physician and creates conditions for advanced 3D processing using routine software
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Testicular volumetry and prediction of daily sperm output in stallions by orchidometry and two- and three-dimensional sonography. Theriogenology 2017; 104:149-155. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Cong W, Yang J, Ai D, Song H, Chen G, Liang X, Liang P, Wang Y. Global Patch Matching (GPM) for freehand 3D ultrasound reconstruction. Biomed Eng Online 2017; 16:124. [PMID: 29084564 PMCID: PMC5661982 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-017-0411-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND 3D ultrasound volume reconstruction from B-model ultrasound slices can provide more clearly and intuitive structure of tissue and lesion for the clinician. METHODS This paper proposes a novel Global Path Matching method for the 3D reconstruction of freehand ultrasound images. The proposed method composes of two main steps: bin-filling scheme and hole-filling strategy. For the bin-filling scheme, this study introduces two operators, including the median absolute deviation and the inter-quartile range absolute deviation, to calculate the invariant features of each voxel in the 3D ultrasound volume. And the best contribution range for each voxel is obtained by calculating the Euclidian distance between current voxel and the voxel with the minimum invariant features. Hence, the intensity of the filling vacant voxel can be obtained by weighted combination of the intensity distribution of pixels in the best contribution range. For the hole-filling strategy, three conditions, including the confidence term, the data term and the gradient term, are designed to calculate the weighting coefficient of the matching patch of the vacant voxel. While the matching patch is obtained by finding patches with the best similarity measure that defined by the three conditions in the whole 3D volume data. RESULTS Compared with VNN, PNN, DW, FMM, BI and KR methods, the proposed Global Path Matching method can restore the 3D ultrasound volume with minimum difference. CONCLUSIONS Experimental results on phantom and clinical data sets demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method for the reconstruction of ultrasound volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijian Cong
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Mixed Reality and Advanced Display, School of Optics and Electronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081 China
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191 China
| | - Jian Yang
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Mixed Reality and Advanced Display, School of Optics and Electronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Danni Ai
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Mixed Reality and Advanced Display, School of Optics and Electronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Hong Song
- School of Software, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Gang Chen
- Interventional Ultrasound Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853 China
| | - Xiaohui Liang
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191 China
| | - Ping Liang
- Interventional Ultrasound Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853 China
| | - Yongtian Wang
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Mixed Reality and Advanced Display, School of Optics and Electronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081 China
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Mozaffari MH, Lee WS. Freehand 3-D Ultrasound Imaging: A Systematic Review. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2017; 43:2099-2124. [PMID: 28716431 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional ultrasound (US) imaging has been successfully used in clinical applications as a low-cost, portable and non-invasive image modality for more than three decades. Recent advances in computer science and technology illustrate the promise of the 3-D US modality as a medical imaging technique that is comparable to other prevalent modalities and that overcomes certain drawbacks of 2-D US. This systematic review covers freehand 3-D US imaging between 1970 and 2017, highlighting the current trends in research fields, the research methods, the main limitations, the leading researchers, standard assessment criteria and clinical applications. Freehand 3-D US systems are more prevalent in the academic environment, whereas in clinical applications and industrial research, most studies have focused on 3-D US transducers and improvement of hardware performance. This topic is still an interesting active area for researchers, and there remain many unsolved problems to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hamed Mozaffari
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Won-Sook Lee
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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A Review on Real-Time 3D Ultrasound Imaging Technology. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:6027029. [PMID: 28459067 PMCID: PMC5385255 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6027029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Real-time three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US) has attracted much more attention in medical researches because it provides interactive feedback to help clinicians acquire high-quality images as well as timely spatial information of the scanned area and hence is necessary in intraoperative ultrasound examinations. Plenty of publications have been declared to complete the real-time or near real-time visualization of 3D ultrasound using volumetric probes or the routinely used two-dimensional (2D) probes. So far, a review on how to design an interactive system with appropriate processing algorithms remains missing, resulting in the lack of systematic understanding of the relevant technology. In this article, previous and the latest work on designing a real-time or near real-time 3D ultrasound imaging system are reviewed. Specifically, the data acquisition techniques, reconstruction algorithms, volume rendering methods, and clinical applications are presented. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of state-of-the-art approaches are discussed in detail.
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Roux E, Ramalli A, Liebgott H, Cachard C, Robini MC, Tortoli P. Wideband 2-D Array Design Optimization With Fabrication Constraints for 3-D US Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2017; 64:108-125. [PMID: 28092506 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2016.2614776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound (US) 2-D arrays are of increasing interest due to their electronic steering capability to investigate 3-D regions without requiring any probe movement. These arrays are typically populated by thousands of elements that, ideally, should be individually driven by the companion scanner. Since this is not convenient, the so-called microbeamforming methods, yielding a prebeamforming stage performed in the probe handle by suitable custom integrated circuits, have so far been implemented in a few commercial high-end scanners. A possible approach to implement relatively cheap and efficient 3-D US imaging systems is using 2-D sparse arrays in which a limited number of elements can be coupled to an equal number of independent transmit/receive channels. In order to obtain US beams with adequate characteristics all over the investigated volume, the layout of such arrays must be carefully designed. This paper provides guidelines to design, by using simulated annealing optimization, 2-D sparse arrays capable of fitting specific applications or fabrication/implementation constraints. In particular, an original energy function based on multidepth 3-D analysis of the beam pattern is also exploited. A tutorial example is given, addressed to find the N e elements that should be activated in a 2-D fully populated array to yield efficient acoustic radiating performance over the entire volume. The proposed method is applied to a 32 ×32 array centered at 3 MHz to select the 128, 192, and 256 elements that provide the best acoustic performance. It is shown that the 256-element optimized array yields sidelobe levels even lower (by 5.7 dB) than that of the reference 716-element circular and (by 10.3 dB) than that of the reference 1024-element array.
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Three-dimensional Ultrasound in the Management of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A Topical Review. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2016; 52:466-474. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2016.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Burshtein A, Birk M, Chernyakova T, Eilam A, Kempinski A, Eldar YC. Sub-Nyquist Sampling and Fourier Domain Beamforming in Volumetric Ultrasound Imaging. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2016; 63:703-716. [PMID: 26930678 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2016.2535280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A key step in ultrasound image formation is digital beamforming of signals sampled by several transducer elements placed upon an array. High-resolution digital beamforming introduces the demand for sampling rates significantly higher than the signals' Nyquist rate, which greatly increases the volume of data that must be transmitted from the system's front end. In 3-D ultrasound imaging, 2-D transducer arrays rather than 1-D arrays are used, and more scan lines are needed. This implies that the amount of sampled data is vastly increased with respect to 2-D imaging. In this work, we show that a considerable reduction in data rate can be achieved by applying the ideas of Xampling and frequency domain beamforming (FDBF), leading to a sub-Nyquist sampling rate, which uses only a portion of the bandwidth of the ultrasound signals to reconstruct the image. We extend previous work on FDBF for 2-D ultrasound imaging to accommodate the geometry imposed by volumetric scanning and a 2-D grid of transducer elements. High image quality from low-rate samples is demonstrated by simulation of a phantom image composed of several small reflectors. Our technique is then applied to raw data of a heart ventricle phantom obtained by a commercial 3-D ultrasound system. We show that by performing 3-D beamforming in the frequency domain, sub-Nyquist sampling and low processing rate are achievable, while maintaining adequate image quality.
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