Computed ultrasound tomography in echo mode for imaging speed of sound using pulse-echo sonography: proof of principle.

The limitations of diagnostic echo ultrasound have motivated research into novel modalities that complement ultrasound in a multimodal device. One promising candidate is speed of sound imaging, which has been found to reveal structural changes in diseased tissue. Transmission ultrasound tomography shows speed of sound spatially resolved, but is limited to the acoustically transparent breast. We present a novel method by which speed-of-sound imaging is possible using classic pulse-echo equipment, facilitating new clinical applications and the combination with state-of-the art diagnostic ultrasound. Pulse-echo images are reconstructed while scanning the tissue under various angles using transmit beam steering. Differences in average sound speed along different transmit directions are reflected in the local echo phase, which allows a 2-D reconstruction of the sound speed. In the present proof-of-principle study, we describe a contrast resolution of 0.6% of average sound speed and a spatial resolution of 1 mm (laterally) × 3 mm (axially), suitable for diagnostic applications.

[1]  Robert Nuster,et al.  Hybrid photoacoustic and ultrasound section imaging with optical ultrasound detection , 2013, Journal of biophotonics.

[2]  O H Gilja,et al.  EFSUMB Guidelines and Recommendations on the Clinical Use of Ultrasound Elastography.Part 2: Clinical Applications , 2013, Ultraschall in der Medizin.

[3]  I Céspedes,et al.  On the feasibility of pulse-echo speed of sound estimation in small regions: simulation studies. , 1992, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[4]  M. O’Donnell,et al.  Internal displacement and strain imaging using ultrasonic speckle tracking , 1994, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[5]  Dae C. Shin,et al.  Differentiation of Cancerous Lesions in Excised Human Breast Specimens Using Multiband Attenuation Profiles From Ultrasonic Transmission Tomography , 2008, Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

[6]  Hiroyuki Sugimoto,et al.  Intra‐operative application of real‐time tissue elastography for the diagnosis of liver tumours , 2008, Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver.

[7]  C R Hill,et al.  Ultrasonic attenuation and propagation speed in mammalian tissues as a function of temperature. , 1979, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[8]  Richard G Barr,et al.  Real-Time Ultrasound Elasticity of the Breast: Initial Clinical Results , 2010, Ultrasound quarterly.

[9]  R. Entrekin,et al.  Real Time Spatial Compound Imaging in breast ultrasound: Technology and early clinical experience , 2000 .

[10]  Xu Xiao.  Photoacoustic imaging in biomedicine , 2008 .

[11]  V. Jackson.  The role of US in breast imaging. , 1990, Radiology.

[12]  A. N. Tikhonov,et al.  Solutions of ill-posed problems , 1977 .

[13]  Jeffrey C. Bamber,et al.  Physical principles of medical ultrasonics , 2004 .

[14]  M. Fink,et al.  Supersonic shear imaging: a new technique for soft tissue elasticity mapping , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[15]  Y. Endo.  Quantitative Endoscopic Ultrasound Elastography: An Accurate Method for the Differentiation of Solid Pancreatic Masses , 2011 .

[16]  Wiendelt Steenbergen,et al.  Multimodal Photoacoustic and Ultrasound Imaging , 2012 .

[17]  J. E. Domínguez-Muñoz,et al.  Quantitative endoscopic ultrasound elastography: an accurate method for the differentiation of solid pancreatic masses. , 2010, Gastroenterology.

[18]  Alexander A. Oraevsky,et al.  Clinical feasibility study of combined opto-acoustic and ultrasonic imaging modality providing coregistered functional and anatomical maps of breast tumors , 2012, Photonics West - Biomedical Optics.

[19]  Colin P West,et al.  Ultrasound-based transient elastography for the detection of hepatic fibrosis: systematic review and meta-analysis. , 2007, Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

[20]  Wiendelt Steenbergen,et al.  Real-time in vivo photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging. , 2008, Journal of biomedical optics.

[21]  Roy G. M. Kolkman,et al.  Combined in vivo photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging , 2008 .

[22]  L. Wilson,et al.  Measurement of velocity of propagation from ultrasonic pulse-echo data. , 1982, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[23]  M. Fink,et al.  Breast lesions: quantitative elastography with supersonic shear imaging--preliminary results. , 2010, Radiology.

[24]  C. R. Hill,et al.  Acoustic properties of normal and cancerous human liver-II. Dependence of tissue structure. , 1981, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[25]  Pai-Chi Li,et al.  Strain compounding: a new approach for speckle reduction. , 2002, IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control.

[26]  Jeffrey C. Bamber,et al.  Physical Principles of Medical Ultrasonics (2nd ed.) , 2004 .

[27]  G. Trahey,et al.  In Vivo Measurements of Ultrasonic Beam Distortion in the Breast , 1991 .

[28]  James F. Greenleaf,et al.  CLINICAL IMAGING WITH TRANSMISSIVE ULTRASONIC COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY , 1981 .

[29]  K. Winzer,et al.  Real‐time elastography — an advanced method of ultrasound: first results in 108 patients with breast lesions , 2006, Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

[30]  Lihong V. Wang,et al.  Photoacoustic imaging and characterization of the microvasculature. , 2010, Journal of biomedical optics.

[31]  Martin Frenz,et al.  Reduction of background in optoacoustic image sequences obtained under tissue deformation , 2009, BiOS.

[32]  H. Naganuma,et al.  Liver tumors in fatty liver: difficulty in ultrasonographic interpretation , 2001, Abdominal Imaging.

[33]  N. Duric,et al.  Detection of breast cancer with ultrasound tomography: first results with the Computed Ultrasound Risk Evaluation (CURE) prototype. , 2007, Medical physics.

[34]  Ioan Sporea,et al.  EFSUMB Guidelines and Recommendations on the Clinical , 2017 .

[35]  Yu-rong Hong,et al.  Real‐time Ultrasound Elastography in the Differential Diagnosis of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules , 2009, Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

[36]  P. Wells,et al.  Ultrasonic imaging of the human body , 1999 .

[37]  T A Whittingham,et al.  Experimental studies in transmission ultrasound computed tomography. , 1991, Physics in medicine and biology.

[38]  Jacqueline A Shipley,et al.  Transient elastography using impulsive ultrasound radiation force: a preliminary comparison with surface palpation elastography. , 2007, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[39]  S. Emelianov,et al.  Tissue-mimicking phantoms for photoacoustic and ultrasonic imaging , 2011, Biomedical optics express.

[40]  Martin Frenz,et al.  Comparision of laser-induced and classical ultasound , 2003, SPIE BiOS.

[41]  W. Plies,et al.  Basic Principles and Technology , 2001 .

[42]  Gregg Trahey,et al.  Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging: in vivo demonstration of clinical feasibility. , 2002, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[43]  Martin Frenz,et al.  Combined ultrasound and optoacoustic system for real-time high-contrast vascular imaging in vivo , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

[44]  Richard Su,et al.  Clinical feasibility study of combined optoacoustic and ultrasonic imaging modality providing coregistered functional and anatomical maps of breast tumors , 2012, Photonics West - Biomedical Optics.

[45]  M Hirama,et al.  An evaluation of an in vivo local sound speed estimation technique by the crossed beam method. , 1990, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[46]  B. Hamm,et al.  Differential diagnosis of scrotal masses by ultrasound , 2007, European Radiology.

[47]  Abd-elrahma Hassan,et al.  Benign Versus Malignant Solid Breast Masses: US Differentiation , 2015 .

[48]  Mark A. Anastasio,et al.  Emerging Imaging Technologies in Medicine , 2012 .

[49]  J.F. Krucker,et al.  Sound speed estimation using automatic ultrasound image registration , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[50]  F. Lizzi.  Ultrasound Imaging , 1991, Proceedings Technology Requirements for Biomedical Imaging.

[51]  J. Ophir.  Estimation of the Speed of Ultrasound Propagation in Biological Tissues: A Beam-Tracking Method , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[52]  C. R. Hill,et al.  Acoustic properties of normal and cancerous human liver-I. Dependence on pathological condition. , 1981, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[53]  Michael Jaeger,et al.  Deformation-compensated averaging for clutter reduction in epiphotoacoustic imaging in vivo. , 2012, Journal of biomedical optics.

[54]  G E Trahey,et al.  Speckle coherence and implications for adaptive imaging. , 1997, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[55]  Olsi Rama,et al.  COMPUTERIZED ULTRASOUND RISK EVALUATION (CURE): FIRST CLINICAL RESULTS , 2007 .

[56]  Graham M. Treece,et al.  Estimation of average speed of sound using deconvolution of medical ultrasound data. , 2010, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[57]  M S Soo,et al.  Sonography of solid breast lesions: observer variability of lesion description and assessment. , 1999, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[58]  Jacqueline A Shipley,et al.  Elastography for breast cancer diagnosis using radiation force: system development and performance evaluation. , 2006, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[59]  J M Rubin,et al.  Registration of three-dimensional compound ultrasound scans of the breast for refraction and motion correction. , 1995, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[60]  K Torizuka,et al.  A new method of measuring in vivo sound speed in the reflection mode , 1988, Journal of clinical ultrasound : JCU.