Ultrasound Imaging Technology Research Articles

Ultrasound fusion imaging technologies for guidance in ablation therapy for liver cancer

Ultrasound fusion imaging technologies for guidance in ablation therapy for liver cancer

Blood flow imaging of high frame rate two‐dimensional vector in cardiovascular ultrasound detection

Traditional cardiovascular ultrasound detection using focused ultrasound can cause a decrease in frame rate, which affects the results of the diagnosis. In order to improve the effect of cardiovascular ultrasound detection, this study used ultrasound vector blood flow imaging technology to improve the image frame rate and introduce planar high frame rate imaging technology. Simultaneously, this work studies the parameters of the image through parameter analysis and combines the advantages of various methods to improve the analysis. In addition, this work proposes a high frame rate blood flow imaging method, and designs simulation experiments to analyse the effectiveness of the method. The results show that the proposed algorithm has a certain effect in two-dimensional vector blood flow imaging, which can be applied to clinical practice, and can provide theoretical reference for subsequent related research.

Ultrasound examination during delivery - is an additional tool for obstructive birth prediction

Complications during labor are one of the causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and, sometimes, mortality. That is why the search aimed at improving existing obstetric practices continues to be relevant.Obstructive labor is a clinical situation that the obstetrician-gynecologist encounters quite often, especially given the existing trend to increase the number of fetuses with high weight (over 95‰). The criteria used today are not effective enough and do not allow to detect complications in time, and therefore, always prevent intranatal injuries of the fetus and mother on the one hand. On the other hand, the subjectivity of part of the existing criteria in the diagnosis of obstructive labor in some cases is the cause of unreasonable surgical completion of labor by cesarean section. Therefore, the search for a better model for diagnosing this complication continues to be relevant. The purpose of this study is to improve existing methods for diagnosing the mismatch of the size of the fetal head to the size of the mother’s pelvis during childbirth.The objective: establish effective use of ultrasound (US) during childbirth to predict the method of delivery.Materials and methods. The article presents the data of a prospective cohort study of ultrasound examination during labor. The study included 112 mothers in the period 37–41 weeks, who underwent ultrasound: transabdominal in the first period of labor when opening the uterine cervix from 3 cm or more (determined fetal presentation, fetal position and type of position, additionally determined localization of the placenta, amount of amnio, fetal heart rate); in the second period of labor, transperineal ultrasound was performed to determine the angle of progression. Results. The possibility of using ultrasound during labor as a predictor of the development of complications during labor – obstructive labor. The use of the proposed method allows to identify in time the risk group of complications of delivery associated with the dissonanse size of the fetal head to the size of the pelvis of the mother. The use of ultrasound imaging technologies helps to accurately detect the difficulty of rocking the anterior head of the fetus through the birth canal. The expediency of measuring the angle of progression for predicting the onset of obstructive labor has been established. The efficiency of the proposed method is proved.Conclusions. It has been established that ultrasound during labor is an additional research method that can improve the quality of obstetric care for mothers. The proposed practices are objective, easy to implement in health care facilities that provide services related to pregnancy and childbirth, and effective for early detection of a group of mothers in whom the risk of obstructive labor is high.

Ultrasound examination during delivery – is an additional tool for obstructive birth prediction

Complications during labor are one of the causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and, sometimes, mortality. That is why the search aimed at improving existing obstetric practices continues to be relevant. Obstructive labor is a clinical situation that the obstetrician-gynecologist encounters quite often, especially given the existing trend to increase the number of fetuses with high weight (over 95‰). The criteria used today are not effective enough and do not allow to detect complications in time, and therefore, always prevent intranatal injuries of the fetus and mother on the one hand. On the other hand, the subjectivity of part of the existing criteria in the diagnosis of obstructive labor in some cases is the cause of unreasonable surgical completion of labor by cesarean section. Therefore, the search for a better model for diagnosing this complication continues to be relevant. The purpose of this study is to improve existing methods for diagnosing the mismatch of the size of the fetal head to the size of the mother’s pelvis during childbirth. The objective: establish effective use of ultrasound (US) during childbirth to predict the method of delivery.Materials and methods. The article presents the data of a prospective cohort study of ultrasound examination during labor. The study included 112 mothers in the period 37–41 weeks, who underwent ultrasound: transabdominal in the first period of labor when opening the uterine cervix from 3 cm or more (determined fetal presentation, fetal position and type of position, additionally determined localization of the placenta, amount of amnio, fetal heart rate); in the second period of labor, transperineal ultrasound was performed to determine the angle of progression. Results. The possibility of using ultrasound during labor as a predictor of the development of complications during labor – obstructive labor. The use of the proposed method allows to identify in time the risk group of complications of delivery associated with the dissonanse size of the fetal head to the size of the pelvis of the mother. The use of ultrasound imaging technologies helps to accurately detect the difficulty of rocking the anterior head of the fetus through the birth canal. The expediency of measuring the angle of progression for predicting the onset of obstructive labor has been established. The efficiency of the proposed method is proved.Conclusions. It has been established that ultrasound during labor is an additional research method that can improve the quality of obstetric care for mothers. The proposed practices are objective, easy to implement in health care facilities that provide services related to pregnancy and childbirth, and effective for early detection of a group of mothers in whom the risk of obstructive labor is high.

Diagnosis of Biliary Tract Disease Based on Ultrasound Tissue Harmonic Imaging

With the deepening of ultrasound imaging research, studying nonlinear phenomena in medical ultrasound will help people to further improve the existing diagnostic level. Harmonic imaging technology generated in recent years is an effective new technology for nonlinear acoustics in ultrasonic diagnosis. Patients with biliary tract lesions generally have few symptoms, which are often detected by chance during physical examination. Ultrasonography is currently the preferred diagnostic method for biliary tract disease. The application of tissue harmonic imaging (THI) can effectively eliminate many near-field misdiagnosed images, enhance the tissue echo of deep tissues or organs, and significantly improve signal-to-noise ratio and resolution. At the same time, it can better display the subtle features of biliary diseases, thereby reducing the rate of missed diagnosis and improving the accuracy of diagnosis. Therefore, this study aimed to observe the changes of ultrasound images in the lesions and surrounding tissues of several biliary lesions by ultrasound tissue harmonic imaging technology, and realized the diagnosis in the early stage of the disease by means of tissue harmonic imaging technology, then provided objective quantitative indicators for the diagnosis of biliary diseases. Also, this study confirmed that tissue harmonic imaging technology can significantly improve the ultrasound image resolution of biliary tract disease, clearly showing the sub-acute gallbladder wall, gallbladder wall, gallbladder cavity in the acute and chronic inflammation and the presence of subtle changes in the tumor. This can provide a rich diagnostic value for the clinic and has practical significance for clinical treatment.

Advances and trends in ultrasound imaging and therapeutic technology

Advances and trends in ultrasound imaging and therapeutic technology

Study on 3D ultrasound imaging technology for measuring bladder tumour health care and information sensing

Abstract This paper explores the value of three-dimensional ultrasound combined with surface three-dimensional imaging for measuring bladder tumours and their preoperative staging. Through the information sensing effect of three-dimensional ultrasound, it can help bladder cancer to perform preoperative and postoperative care. In the paper, 75 patients who were admitted to our hospital for bladder tumour treatment from January 2017 to December 2018 were selected for 3D ultrasound examination and compared with surgical pathological results and pre-CT staging results. The study found that in this study, 74 patients with correct three-dimensional ultrasound diagnosis had 132 tumours. The diagnostic accuracy of 3D ultrasound was 98.7%, and the diagnostic accuracy of CT for bladder tumours was 90.7%, which was statistically different (P

Imaging through highly scattering human skulls with ultrasound-modulated optical tomography.

Advances in human brain imaging technologies are critical to understanding how the brain works and the diagnosis of brain disorders. Existing technologies have different drawbacks, and the human skull poses a great challenge for pure optical and ultrasound imaging technologies. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of using ultrasound-modulated optical tomography, a hybrid technology that combines both light and sound, to image through human skulls. Single-shot off-axis holography was used to measure the field of the ultrasonically tagged light. This Letter paves the way for imaging the brain noninvasively through the skull, with optical contrast and a higher spatial resolution than that of diffuse optical tomography.

Clinical Application of High Frequency Ultrasound in Diagnosis and Treatment of Lumbar Muscle Injury After Strenuous Exercise

The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical application of high-frequency ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of lumbar muscle injury after strenuous exercise. In this study, high-frequency ultrasound imaging technology was used to examine the patients' lumbar and dorsal position, and ultrasound examination was performed on the affected side and the healthy side of lumbar dorsal muscle before and after treatment. According to the thickness of abdomen transverse muscle, psoas muscle, lumbar muscle, gluteus medius revealed by ultrasound, as well as the visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score and J0A low back pain score, the rehabilitation of patients was analyzed. Through the observation of ultrasound images, it was found that the thickness of the transverse abdominis, lumbar maximus, quadratus lumborum muscle and gluteus medius on the affected side was significantly improved after treatment, the average VAS pain score was significantly decreased, and the average JOA lower back pain score was significantly increased, indicating that the patient's condition was significantly improved after treatment. The use of high-frequency ultrasound to detect the disease status before and after treatment can accurately understand the course of the disease and the curative effect after treatment. In a word, high-frequency ultrasound has a great clinical effect on patients with lumbar dorsal muscle injury.

Combining Statistical Shape Model and Principal Component Analysis to Estimate Left Ventricular Volume and Ejection Fraction.

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessment is instrumental for cardiac health diagnosis, patient management, and patient eligibility for participation in clinical studies. Due to its non-invasiveness and low operational cost, ultrasound (US) imaging is the most commonly used imaging modality to image the heart and assess LVEF. Even though 3D US imaging technology is becoming more available, cardiologists dominantly use 2D US imaging to visualize the LV blood pool and interpret its area changes between end-systole and end-diastole. Our previous work showed that LVEF estimates based on area changes are significantly lower than the true volume-based estimates by as much as 13%,1 which could lead to unnecessary and costly therapeutic decisions. Acquiring volumetric information about the LV blood pool necessitates either time-consuming 3D reconstruction or 3D US image acquisition. Here, we propose a method that leverages on a statistical shape model (SSM) constructed from 13 landmarks depicting the LV endocardial border to estimate a new patient's LV volume and LVEF. Two methods to estimate the 3D LV geometry with and without size normalization were employed. The SSM was built using the 13 landmarks from 50 training patient image datasets. Subsequently, the Mahalanobis distance (with size normalization) or the vector distance (without size normalization) between an incoming patient's LV landmarks and each shape in the SSM were used to determine the weights each training patient contributed to describing the new, incoming patient's LV geometry and associated blood pool volume. We tested the proposed method to estimate the LV volumes and LVEF for 16 new test patients. The estimated LVEFs based on Mahalanobis distance and vector distance were within 2.9% and 1.1%, respectively, of the ground truth LVEFs calculated from the 3D reconstructed LV volumes. Furthermore, the viability of using fewer principal components (PCs) to estimate the LV volume was explored by reducing the number of PCs retained when projecting landmarks onto PCA space. LVEF estimated based on 3 PCs, 5 PCs, and 10 PCs are within 6.6%, 5.4%, and 3.3%, respectively, of LVEF estimates using the full set of 39 PCs.

Ultrasound Evaluation for Varicocele and its Relationship with Sperm Characteristics through Semen Analysis

The safety of the reproductive organs has a great positive impact on the human psyche, so early and accurate diagnosis of scrotal disorders by ultrasound was one of the necessities that puts the individual in the correct path of treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the significance of ultrasound imaging technology in the diagnosis of varicocele and its relationship with sperm characteristics through semen analysis. We retrospectively reviewed a total of 281 male patients who underwent scrotum ultrasound at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital-Radiology Department between 2017 and 2019 with age range of (11-76) years. Ultrasound result showed 119 (42.3%) had varicocele. Semen analysis was performed for 143 patients and the results showed a significant correlation between sperm characteristics and varicocele disorder (p < 0.001). Imaging of the scrotum by ultrasound is of great importance in diagnosing various andrology diseases, including varicocele, which have clear effects on sperm count and motility.

Ultrasound fusion imaging technologies for guidance in ablation therapy for liver cancer.

With advances in imaging technology, images from ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be displayed simultaneously and in real time, according to the angle of the transducer. CT/MR-US fusion imaging improves the visualization of inconspicuous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and helps us to understand the three-dimensional relationship between the liver vasculature and HCC. US fusion imaging guidance facilitates improvement in the treatment response for HCC with poor conspicuity, and the rates of technical success of ablation and local tumor progression for inconspicuous HCC range from 94.4 to 100% and 0 to 8.3%, respectively. Moreover, the development of image fusion has made it possible to compare and overlay pre- and post-ablation US images. This US-US fusion imaging allows side-by-side comparison of the ablative margin, while US-US overlay fusion can visualize the ablative margin because the tumor image is projected onto the ablative hyperechoic zone. Thus, US-US overlay fusion guidance is highly effective for safety margin achievement in local ablation therapy for HCC, providing a lower risk of local tumor progression. This manuscript reviews the current status of ultrasound fusion imaging for percutaneous ablation therapy of HCC.

Ultrasound Image Segmentation Method for Thyroid Nodules Using ASPP Fusion Features

Ultrasound imaging technology plays an important role to assist doctors in diagnosing thyroid nodules. The tissue structure around the thyroid is very complex, which makes it difficult to segment and extract the ultrasound image of thyroid nodules accurately. For address this problem, this paper proposes a model algorithm for thyroid nodule ultrasound image segmentation using ASPP fusion features. First, spatial pyramid pooling and depthwise separable convolution are combined in order to solve the problem that the size of the mapping feature will change in the process of better capturing the context information. Besides, Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (ASPP) is proposed to achieve the purpose of processing input image channel and spatial information separately. In order to appropriately reduce the dimension and size of feature images, a $1\times 1$ convolution operation is performed before each convolution calculation, and the model size is optimized. In the decoding stage, decoder module appropriately adjusts the feature map with a relatively low resolution previously from decoder module, and sets the output channel number of two convolutions to the same value. All features have the same dimension by adjustment, and features can be fused by element-wise summation. Finally, Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), Prevent Match (PM) and Correspondence Patio (CR) are used as evaluation criteria to compare with other model algorithms. The experimental results show that the proposed model can significantly improve the segmentation effect of ultrasound images for thyroid nodules compared with traditional models.

Ultrasound Imaging and Tracking of Micro/Nanorobots: From Individual to Collectives

The rapid development of untethered micro/nanorobots enables them to be applied in biomedical tasks, such as targeted delivery, localized diagnostics, and minimally invasive surgery. However, many challenges remain before applying these tiny machines to perform therapeutics and intervention in a living body. Among them, one critical issue is the integration of medical imaging systems with micro/nanorobotics to acquire precise feedback in vivo . Ultrasound imaging, as one of the widely used mature imaging technologies, shows great potential for providing real-time feedback of micro/nanorobots in 2-D and 3-D space. In this mini-review, the recent progress and challenges on the imaging and tracking of micro/nanorobots using established medical ultrasound imaging technologies are surveyed and summarized. The limitations together with future research opportunities in the real-time navigation of micro/nanorobots in vivo and their collectives are discussed.

Study of Xplane imaging in quantifying the maximal volume of the left and right atria and evaluating atrial function in fetuses with abnormal heart morphology

Objective To explore the feasibility of real-time three-dimensional ultrasound imaging in quantifying left and right atrial diastolic maximal volume (LAVmax, RAVmax) and evaluating cardiac diastolic function in fetuses with cardiac disease in second and later trimesters. Methods One hundred and forty-four fetuses with abnormal heart morphology at 16-34 weeks of gestational age were included and divided into 3 groups according to the influence of pathological changes on atrial volume: group A with symmetrical left and right atrial volume, group B with decreased left atrial volume and increased right atrial volume and group C with increased left atrial volume and decreased right atrial volume, and the fetus were also divided into 2 groups according to the law of fetal development: the middle pregnancy group (16-27+ 6 weeks) and the late pregnancy group (28-34+ 6 weeks). Using the Xplane mode of volume probe, the maximal atrial volume was calculated automatically by tracing method and three-path line method. The correlation between the two methods in quantitative LAVmax was validated by paired sample t test and Pearson correlation analysis. The correlation between LAVmax, RAVmax and gestational age were analyzed by curve fitting. The volumes of bilateral chambers and the average weekly growth rates of E peak, A peak and E/A value of mitral and tricuspid orifices were calculated and compared. Results There was no significant statistical difference between the maximal volume of the left atrium obtained by the tracing method and the three-diameter line method (P>0.05), and there was high correlation between the two methods in the comparison of the maximal volume of the left atrium (r=0.90, 0.88, 0.85; all P<0.01). The data of group A, B and C showed that LAVmax and RAVmax could increase with the increase of gestational weeks in a certain period of abnormal state, and had a good correlation with them(LAVmax: r=0.78, 0.74, 0.78, all P<0.005; RAVmax: r=0.79, 0.77, 0.78, all P<0.005). The average weekly growth rate of RAVmax showed an advantage in group A, B and C. Especially in group C with reduced right atrium, the growth rate of right atrium was 8.15%, which was higher than that of group B with decreased left atrium by 5.06%. The weekly growth rates of E peak and E/A in tricuspid orifice were also higher than those in mitral orifice. The E peak and E/A values of tricuspid orifice in group C were 4.05% and 0.60%, respectively, higher than those in group B, which were 2.58% and 0.02%. Peak A showed an increase in growth rate in group B and group C with decreased atria, peak A values in group B and group C increased by 4.01% and 2.19%, respectively. Conclusions The right ventricular dominance of fetal heart can still be reflected in certain stages of disease, and the atrial active systolic may play a regulatory role in the filling of cardiac blood flow. Real-time three-dimensional ultrasound imaging could be used to quantify the atrial volume of fetuses with abnormal heart morphology in second and later trimesters and to preliminary assess atrial function combined with the changes of atrioventricular valve orifice hemodynamics. Real-time three-dimensional ultrasound imaging technology has obvious advantages of simple, safe, non-invasive, simultaneous and high repeatability in measuring fetal atrial volume. Key words: Ultrasonography, real-time, three-dimensional; Xplane imaging technology; Fetal heart; Atrial volume; E peak; A peak

Technical Factors Affecting Ultrasound Breast Tumor Size as Correlated with Pathological Type.

Background and Objectives: Accurate breast tumor sizing is very important in treatment planning; as a result, ultrasound (US) plays an important role in diagnosing breast masses, due to its non-magnified image and its availability. The continuous change in the disease pathogenesis of breast cancer and tremendous advances in US imaging technology require the continuous evaluation of this imaging modality. In this study, our aim was to determine the accuracy of US in measuring the size of breast mass, and if there is an influence of the different pathological types on this accuracy. Materials and Methods: This study contained 66 specimens of breast masses that underwent surgical excision and pathological examination of the resected masses; the mean difference between the size taken by US and the size taken by pathology was calculated to the patients as a whole and for each tumor type in this study. Results: The result was that US underestimates the size of the tumor by 0.5 cm for all pathological types, and the US size is in agreement with the pathology size. Conclusions: US is an accurate method in measuring breast lesions with a degree of underestimation that may be related to many factors such as the tumor type, size, and margins. Complementary MRI is recommended in case of ILC and architectural distortion.

3-D Super-Resolution Ultrasound Imaging With a 2-D Sparse Array.

High-frame-rate 3-D ultrasound imaging technology combined with super-resolution processing method can visualize 3-D microvascular structures by overcoming the diffraction-limited resolution in every spatial direction. However, 3-D super-resolution ultrasound imaging using a full 2-D array requires a system with a large number of independent channels, the design of which might be impractical due to the high cost, complexity, and volume of data produced. In this study, a 2-D sparse array was designed and fabricated with 512 elements chosen from a density-tapered 2-D spiral layout. High-frame-rate volumetric imaging was performed using two synchronized ULA-OP 256 research scanners. Volumetric images were constructed by coherently compounding nine-angle plane waves acquired at a pulse repetition frequency of 4500 Hz. Localization-based 3-D super-resolution images of two touching subwavelength tubes were generated from 6000 volumes acquired in 12 s. Finally, this work demonstrates the feasibility of 3-D super-resolution imaging and super-resolved velocity mapping using a customized 2-D sparse array transducer.

Current status and recent advances on the use of ultrasonography in pediatric rheumatic diseases.

Ultrasonography has become a useful tool in the clinical rheumatology settings in the last two decades, but its use has only recently been explored by pediatric rheumatologists. The aim of this article is to review the literature on the current status and recent advances on the use of ultrasound in pediatric rheumatic diseases. We have retrieved and reviewed the relevant articles from MEDLINE/PubMed databases published so far, on the applications of ultrasound in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, enthesitis, Sjogren's syndrome, and other rheumatic diseases. In addition, articles on novel ultrasound imaging technology of potential use in pediatric rheumatology are also reviewed. In JIA, ultrasound can be used to detect subclinical synovitis, to improve the classification of patients in JIA subtypes, to capture early articular damage, to monitor treatment response, and to guide intraarticular injections. Ultrasound is also considered useful in other rheumatic disorders for the evaluation of musculoskeletal symptoms, assessment of parotid gland pathology, and measurement of skin thickness and pathology. Novel ultrasound techniques developed to augment the functionality of ultrasonography may also be applicable in pediatric rheumatic disorders. Ultrasound shows great promise in the assessment and management of children with rheumatologic disorders. However, standardization and validation of ultrasound in healthy children and in patients with rheumatic diseases are still needed.

Characterization of Hand Tendons Through High-Frequency Ultrasound Elastography.

Tendon stiffness plays an important role in the tendon healing process, and many studies have indicated that measuring the shear wave velocity (SWV) on tendons relates to their stiffness. Because the thickness of hand tendons is a few millimeters, high-resolution imaging is required for visualizing hand tissues. However, the resolution of current ultrasound elastography systems is insufficient. In this study, a high-frequency (HF) ultrasound elastography system is proposed for measuring the SWVs of hand tendons. The HF ultrasound elastography system uses an external vibrator to create shear waves on hand tendons. Then, it uses a 40-MHz HF ultrasound array transducer with ultrafast ultrasound imaging technology to measure the SWV for characterizing hand tendons. A handheld device that combines a transducer and a vibrator allows the user to scan hand tissues. The biases of HF ultrasound elastography were measured in gelatin phantom experiments and were less than 6% compared to standard mechanical testing approach. Human experiments showed the ability to use HF ultrasound elastography to distinguish different SWVs of hand tendons. The SWVs were 0.73 ± 0.65 m/s and 1 ± 0.54 m/s for flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and flexor digitorum profundus (FDP), respectively, and 0.52 ± 0.14 m/s and 4.02 ± 0.77 m/s for extensor tendon under stretch and contraction conditions, respectively. The simplicity and convenience of the HF ultrasound elastography system for measuring hand tendon stiffness make it a promising tool for evaluating the severity of hand injuries and the performance of rehabilitation after hand injuries.

Ultrasound Systems for Biometric Recognition.

Biometric recognition systems are finding applications in more and more civilian fields because they proved to be reliable and accurate. Among the other technologies, ultrasound has the main merit of acquiring 3D images, which allows it to provide more distinctive features and gives it a high resistance to spoof attacks. This work reviews main research activities devoted to the study and development of ultrasound sensors and systems for biometric recognition purposes. Several transducer technologies and different ultrasound techniques have been experimented on for imaging biometric characteristics like fingerprints, hand vein pattern, palmprint, and hand geometry. In the paper, basic concepts on ultrasound imaging techniques and technologies are briefly recalled and, subsequently, research studies are classified according to the kind of technique used for collecting the ultrasound image. Overall, the overview demonstrates that ultrasound may compete with other technologies in the expanding market of biometrics, as the different commercial fingerprint sensors integrated in portable electronic devices like smartphones or tablets demonstrate.