声成像技术及其在医学超声中的应用

由于声成像技术具有对材料内部力学特性进行成像检测的特点,它已成为医学超声中的重要研究领域。为了提高声成像的空间分辨力,近年来,又发展了光声成像,扫描电子声显微术和扫描探针声显微术等新的近场成像技术。结合同济大学声学研究所部分研究结果,对这些近场成像技术在医学超声中的应用作了简单介绍。     

超声激发振动声成像实验系统的设计

根据超声激发振动声成像的基本原理,设计并构建一个能获得振动声图像的实验系统.该系统由高频信号部分、超声发射及传播部分、低频信号处理和计算机处理与控制等四部分构成.实验表明,该系统能获得生物仿体或软组织内刚性物体的振动声图像,为进行生物组织的振动声成像研究提供了基础;通过采用更高灵敏度的低频水听器和改善共焦换能器的分辨力...     

基于振动声调制的微裂纹定位成像研究

为了准确识别金属构件中的微裂纹,提出将振动声调制技术和延时叠加算法相结合的定位成像方法。通过基本原理分析,利用有限元软件对含有矩形微裂纹铝板模型进行振动声调制仿真,提取非线性损伤信号将其作为像素特征,使用延时叠加算法进行定位成像,并分析了成像的影响因素。实验中搭建了振动声调制检测系统对铝板里的圆形微裂纹进行定位成像,验证了上述方法的可行性。结果表明,成像结果与铝板上的原裂纹位置基本吻合,说明该定位成像方法能够实现微裂纹的有效定位。     

基于阵列探测方式的时域光声成像系统

将阵列超声探头和超声相控技术与光声成像相结合的成像系统,与采用水听器的单探头旋转扫描光声成像系统相比,避免了机械旋转机构给光声信号采集所带来的不稳定性,提高了数据采集速度．时域光声信号由64阵元线阵超声探头以电子相控聚焦的方式进行线性扫描采集,然后通过时域后向投影算法进行光声图像的重建．采用波长532nm、重复频率10Hz的脉冲激光,系统可快速重建样品内部光学吸收分部的二维图像,单帧图像数据采集时间小于200s,成像横向分辨率小于2mm．实验结果表明,采用此方法可显著提高系统对光声信号的扫描稳定性和成像效率,该系统是一种有潜在临床应用价值的光声成像系统．     

低速目标宽带时延-尺度声成像的新方法

分析了宽带时延-时间伸缩声成像的基本理论,介绍了广义边缘CWD-Hough变换。根据目标回波的时频分布特点,提出了一种针对低速运动目标的基于广义边缘CWD-Hough变换的宽带时延一时间伸缩声成像方法。利用该方法能有效避免常用的WVD方法产生的交叉项影响,从而能对低速运动目标进行更好地检测及成像。计算机仿真结果表明了该声成像方法的有效性。     

生物声学成像中声速不均匀性解决方法的研究进展

对于以超声波为载体的生物医学声学成像(如超声、光声和磁声成像等)技术,为了简化问题,常在假设待测组织内声速恒定的前提下,重建组织内的声阻抗、光吸收分布、光学特性参数分布或者电导率分布等。但是,实际生物组织内部的声速是存在差异的(最大可达10%),因而在此假设前提下重建出的图像通常是不准确的。在介绍声速不均匀性对声学图像重建影响的基础上,对超声、光声和磁声成像中解决声速不均匀问题的主要方法,特别是光声层析成像中重建组织内声速分布的主要方法进行总结和归纳,讨论各自的优点和不足,并展望未来的可能发展方向。     

复合材料手动扫描超声特征成像检测

研究了复合材料手动扫描超声特征成像检测，通过对超声检测信号的全波列采集与处理，实现了A，B，C扫描成像；相位特征成像；当量特征成像；超声层析技术和超声频谱分析技术。该系统已经在复合材料的检测上得到了良好的应用。     

广义边缘CWD-Hough变换在宽带声成像中的应用

提出了一种基于广义边缘CWD—Hough（GMCWD—Hough）变换的宽带声成像方法。分析了基于时间伸缩-时延的宽带相关声成像的基本模型,介绍了广义边缘CWD—Hough变换。根据目标回波的时频分布特点,该方法基于时间一频率联合分析法,提取信号在时频域的分布特性参数进行时间伸缩时延的声成像。通过设计合理的广义边缘核函数,能有效避免常用的WVD方法产生的交叉项影响,检测性能优于常用的Wigner—ville分布方法。实验结果表明该声成像方法的有效性,不仅适合水声宽带成像,而且对于低信噪比条件下的其它成像方式也具有参考价值。     

奥氏体厚壁焊缝超声扫描检测成像

采用自行研制的超声换能器和透声楔块,对99mm厚奥氏体焊缝进行了超声扫描成像检测。为消除透声楔块中超声的散射噪声,将检测信号与楔块中的信号进行了相消处理。利用基于匹配追踪和小波分析的信号处理方法,有效消除了焊缝中粗大晶粒造成的材料噪声信号,提高了厚壁焊缝超声检测的信噪比。基于经过信号预处理的超声扫描信号,生成了焊缝的超声扫描图像,并对图像分辨率、缺陷定位精度进行了分析。结果表明:该方法可检测到焊缝试块中2人工横孔,实现了奥氏体厚壁焊缝缺陷的超声检测成像。     

合成孔径声成像

本文介绍合成孔径声呐的发展概况,比较多种合成孔径声成像算法。用多阵元方案解决降空间采样率问题,提高测绘速率,建立时域多阵元成像算法,并进行计算机仿真。     

Implementation of vibro-acoustography on a clinical ultrasound system

Vibro-acoustography is an ultrasound-based imaging modality that uses two ultrasound beams of slightly different frequencies to produce images based on the acoustic response caused by harmonic ultrasound radiation force excitation at the difference frequency between the two ultrasound frequencies. Vibro-acoustography has demonstrated feasibility and usefulness in imaging of breast and prostate tissue. However, previous studies have been performed either in controlled water tank settings or a prototype breast scanner equipped with a water tank. To make vibro-acoustography more accessible and relevant to clinical use, we report here on the implementation of vibro-acoustography on a General Electric Vivid 7 ultrasound scanner. In this paper, we will describe software and hardware modifications that were performed to make vibro- acoustography functional on this system. We will discuss aperture definition for the two ultrasound beams and beamforming using a linear-array transducer. Experimental results from beam measurements and phantom imaging studies will be shown. The implementation of vibro-acoustography provides a step toward clinical translation of this imaging modality for applications in various organs including breast, prostate, thyroid, kidney, and liver.     

Harmonic vibro-acoustography

Vibro-acoustography is an imaging method that uses the radiation force of two interfering ultrasound beams of slightly different frequency to probe an object. An image is made using the acoustic emission resulted from the object vibration at the difference frequency. In this paper, the feasibility of imaging objects at twice the difference frequency (harmonic acoustic emission) is studied. Several possible origins of harmonic acoustic emission are explored. As an example, it is shown that microbubbles close to resonance can produce significant harmonic acoustic emission due to its high nonlinearity. Experiments demonstrate that, compared to the fundamental acoustic emission, harmonic acoustic emission greatly improves the contrast between microbubbles and other objects in vibro-acoustography (an improvement of 17-23 dB in these experiments). Applications of this technique include imaging the nonlinearity of the object and selective detection of microbubbles for perfusion imaging. The impact of microbubble destruction during the imaging process also is discussed.     

Comparison of stress field forming methods for vibro-acoustography

Vibro-acoustography is a method that produces images of the acoustic response of a material to a localized harmonic motion generated by ultrasound radiation force. The low-frequency, oscillatory radiation force (e.g., 10 kHz) is produced by amplitude modulating a single ultrasound beam, or by interfering two beams of slightly different frequencies. Proper beam forming for the stress field of the probing ultrasound is very important because it determines the resolution of the imaging system. Three beam-forming geometries are studied: amplitude modulation, confocal, and x-focal. The amplitude of radiation force on a unit point target is calculated from the ultrasound energy density averaged over a short period of time. The profiles of radiation stress amplitude on the focal plane and on the beam axis are derived. The theory is validated by experiments using a small sphere as a point target. A laser vibrometer is used to measure the velocity of the sphere, which is proportional to the radiation stress exerted on the target as the transducer is scanned over the focal plane or along the beam axis. The measured velocity profiles match the theory. The theory and experimental technique may be useful in future transducer design for vibro-acoustography.     

Stress field forming of sector array transducers for vibro-acoustography

This paper presents a study of the stress field forming of sector array transducers for vibro-acoustography applications. The system point-spread function (PSF) is given in terms of the dynamic radiation stress exerted on a point target by a dual ultrasound beam with slightly different frequencies. The radiation stress is calculated by assuming that the resulting ultrasound beam is a plane wave. The stress is proportional to the product of the velocity potential of each incident ultrasound beam. The beamforming and stress field forming of sector array transducers are analyzed through linear acoustics. An expression for the velocity potential produced by sector array transducers is derived. The vibro-acoustography PSF is evaluated numerically. A comparison between the PSF of a sector array and a confocal transducers is presented. The compared characteristics of the PSF are sidelobe levels, transverse, and in-depth spatial resolution. Indeed, one motivation to study sector transducers is the fact the depth-of-field of these transducers should be smaller than that of same size confocal transducers. An experimental setup was used to validate the theoretical PSF of sector array transducers. Results show that the measured PSF is in good agreement with the theoretical predications. Vibro-acoustography images of a breast-phantom by both transducers are presented and discussed.     

Four-dimensional ultrasound current source density imaging of a dipole field

Ultrasound current source density imaging (UCSDI) potentially transforms conventional electrical mapping of excitable organs, such as the brain and heart. For this study, we demonstrate volume imaging of a time-varying current field by scanning a focused ultrasound beam and detecting the acoustoelectric (AE) interaction signal. A pair of electrodes produced an alternating current distribution in a special imaging chamber filled with a 0.9% NaCl solution. A pulsed 1 MHz ultrasound beam was scanned near the source and sink, while the AE signal was detected on remote recording electrodes, resulting in time-lapsed volume movies of the alternating current distribution.     

Characterization of digital waveforms using thermodynamic analogs: detection of contrast-targeted tissue in vivo

We describe characterization of backscatter from tumor tissue targeted with a nanoparticle-based ultrasound contrast agent in vivo using analogs of thermodynamic quantities. We apply these waveform characteristics to detection of tumor neovasculature in tumors implanted in athymic nude mice, which were imaged using a research ultrasound scanner over a 2-hour period after injection of alpha upsilon beta3-targeted perfluorocarbon nanoparticles. Images were constructed from backscattered ultrasound using two different approaches: fundamental B-mode imaging and a signal receiver based on a thermodynamic analog (H(C)). The study shows that the thermodynamic analog is capable of detecting differences in backscattered signals that are not apparent with the B-mode approach.     

Strain imaging using conventional and ultrafast ultrasound imaging: numerical analysis

In elasticity imaging, the ultrasound frames acquired during tissue deformation are analyzed to estimate the internal displacements and strains. If the deformation rate is high, high-frame-rate imaging techniques are required to avoid the severe decorrelation between the neighboring ultrasound images. In these high-frame-rate techniques, however, the broader and less focused ultrasound beam is transmitted and, hence, the image quality is degraded. We quantitatively compared strain images obtained using conventional and ultrafast ultrasound imaging methods. The performance of the elasticity imaging was evaluated using custom-designed, numerical simulations. Our results demonstrate that signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and spatial resolutions in displacement and strain images acquired using conventional and ultrafast ultrasound imaging are comparable. This study suggests that the high-frame-rate ultrasound imaging can be reliably used in elasticity imaging if frame rate is critical     

Nanosized Phase‐Changeable “Sonocyte” for Promoting Ultrasound Assessment

Despite the ability of microbubble contrast agents to improve ultrasound diagnostic performance, their application potential is limited due to low stability, fast clearance, and poor tissue permeation. This study presents a promising nanosized phase‐changeable erythrocyte (Sonocyte), composed of liposomal dodecafluoropentane coated with multilayered red blood cell membranes (RBCm), for improving ultrasound assessments. Sonocyte is the first RBCm‐functionalized ultrasound contrast agent with uniform nanosized morphology, and exhibits good stability, systemic circulation, target‐tissue accumulation, and even ultrasound‐responsive phase transition, thereby satisfying the inherent requirement of ultrasound imaging. It is identified that Sonocyte displays similar sensitivity as microbubble SonoVue, a clinical ultrasound contrast agent, for effectively detecting normal parenchyma and hepatic necrosis. Importantly, compared with SonoVue lacking of ability to detect tumors, Sonocyte can identify tumors with high sensitivity and specificity due to superior tumor accumulation and penetration. Therefore, Sonocyte exhibits superior capabilities over SonoVue, endowing with a great clinical application potential.     

编码发射技术在医学高频超声成像中的研究进展

高频超声成像以其高分辨和实时性好等优势成为近年来医学超声成像领域研究的热点。但由于超声的衰减随频率增加呈指数级升高,导致高频超声信号幅值小,图像信噪比低。为了增强高频超声成像的信噪比,近年来编码发射（又称编码激励）技术得到了越来越多的研究和应用。文章对近几年国内外编码发射技术在医学高频超声成像方面的应用和研究进展进行了综述,重点分析了Chirp码、巴克（Barker）码和格雷（Golay）码3种主要编码发射技术在高频超声成像方面应用的优缺点,并综合对比了各种编码发射技术在高频成像方面的应用前景。