Review of Quantitative Ultrasound : Envelope Statistics and Backscatter Coefficient Imaging and Contributions to Diagnostic Ultrasound

Conventional medical imaging technologies, including ultrasound, have continued to improve over the years. For example, in oncology, medical imaging is characterized by high sensitivity, i.e., the ability to detect anomalous tissue features, but the ability to classify these tissue features from ima...

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Détails bibliographiques
Publié dans:IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control. - 1986. - 63(2016), 2 vom: 01. Feb., Seite 336-51
Auteur principal: Oelze, Michael L (Auteur)
Autres auteurs: Mamou, Jonathan
Format: Article en ligne
Langue:English
Publié: 2016
Accès à la collection:IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control
Sujets:Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review
Description
Résumé:Conventional medical imaging technologies, including ultrasound, have continued to improve over the years. For example, in oncology, medical imaging is characterized by high sensitivity, i.e., the ability to detect anomalous tissue features, but the ability to classify these tissue features from images often lacks specificity. As a result, a large number of biopsies of tissues with suspicious image findings are performed each year with a vast majority of these biopsies resulting in a negative finding. To improve specificity of cancer imaging, quantitative imaging techniques can play an important role. Conventional ultrasound B-mode imaging is mainly qualitative in nature. However, quantitative ultrasound (QUS) imaging can provide specific numbers related to tissue features that can increase the specificity of image findings leading to improvements in diagnostic ultrasound. QUS imaging can encompass a wide variety of techniques including spectral-based parameterization, elastography, shear wave imaging, flow estimation, and envelope statistics. Currently, spectral-based parameterization and envelope statistics are not available on most conventional clinical ultrasound machines. However, in recent years, QUS techniques involving spectral-based parameterization and envelope statistics have demonstrated success in many applications, providing additional diagnostic capabilities. Spectral-based techniques include the estimation of the backscatter coefficient (BSC), estimation of attenuation, and estimation of scatterer properties such as the correlation length associated with an effective scatterer diameter (ESD) and the effective acoustic concentration (EAC) of scatterers. Envelope statistics include the estimation of the number density of scatterers and quantification of coherent to incoherent signals produced from the tissue. Challenges for clinical application include correctly accounting for attenuation effects and transmission losses and implementation of QUS on clinical devices. Successful clinical and preclinical applications demonstrating the ability of QUS to improve medical diagnostics include characterization of the myocardium during the cardiac cycle, cancer detection, classification of solid tumors and lymph nodes, detection and quantification of fatty liver disease, and monitoring and assessment of therapy
Description:Date Completed 02.11.2016
Date Revised 10.06.2024
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:1525-8955
DOI:10.1109/TUFFC.2015.2513958