Elevational spatial compounding for enhancing image quality in echocardiography

Perperidis, Antonios; McDicken, Norman; MacGillivray, Tom; Anderson, Thomas

doi:10.1177/1742271x16632283

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Modern matrix array probes enable improved 2D image quality through elevation spatial compounding of returning signals. The process of spatial compounding combines partially decorrelated images in which the speckle pattern has been altered by imaging a structure from different angles ( 15 ). Image resolution is improved as the structures that are present in all decorrelated images are enhanced while the artefactual signals that aren’t present in all views are filtered out, thus improving the signal-noise ratio.…”

Section: Focusmentioning

confidence: 99%

A practical guideline for performing a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiogram in adults: the British Society of Echocardiography minimum dataset

Robinson¹,

et al. 2020

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Since cardiac ultrasound was introduced into medical practice around the middle twentieth century, transthoracic echocardiography has developed to become a highly sophisticated and widely performed cardiac imaging modality in the diagnosis of heart disease1. This evolution from an emerging technique with limited application, into a complex modality capable of detailed cardiac assessment has been driven by technological innovations that have both refined ‘standard’ two dimensional and Doppler imaging and led to the development of new diagnostic techniques. Accordingly, the adult transthoracic echocardiogram has evolved to become a comprehensive assessment of complex cardiac anatomy, function and haemodynamics. This guideline protocol from the British Society of Echocardiography aims to outline the minimum dataset required to confirm normal cardiac structure and function when performing a comprehensive standard adult echocardiogram and is structured according to the recommended sequence of acquisition. It is recommended that this structured approach to image acquisition and measurement protocol forms the basis of every standard adult transthoracic echocardiogram. However, when pathology is detected and further analysis becomes necessary, views and measurements in addition to the minimum dataset are required and should be taken with reference to the appropriate British Society of Echocardiography imaging protocol. It is anticipated that the recommendations made within this guideline will help standardise the local, regional and national practice of echocardiography, in addition to minimising the inter and intra-observer variation associated with echocardiographic measurement and interpretation.

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Section: Focusmentioning

confidence: 99%

A practical guideline for performing a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiogram in adults: the British Society of Echocardiography minimum dataset

Robinson¹,

et al. 2020

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“…Elevational angular compounding (EAC) is a type of spatial compounding that can simultaneously offer high speckle noise reduction and good temporal resolution, making it desirable for medical applications 19 . EAC obtains partially correlated images by steering the elevational imaging plane with small angular steps 19 , 20 . EAC methods typically employ either one-dimensional (1D) arrays that can only control the US beam in the azimuthal direction (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…US systems with 1D arrays are simple and inexpensive. However, implementing EAC in such systems necessitates bulky mechanical stages to physically move or rotate the 1D array in order to steer the beam in the elevational direction 19 , which is impractical in clinical applications. In contrast, US systems integrating 2D arrays can electronically steer the beam along the elevational direction without changing the detector’s position 21 – 23 .However, EAC has only been preliminarily validated in systems integrating 2D detector arrays on simulated data and, although this implementation was reported in patents 24 , 25 , it has not thus far been experimentally validated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving ultrasound images with elevational angular compounding based on acoustic refraction

Afshari

Zakian

Ntziachristos

2020

Sci Rep

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Ultrasound imaging is affected by coherent noise or speckle, which reduces contrast and overall image quality and degrades the diagnostic precision of the collected images. Elevational angular compounding (EAC) is an attractive means of addressing this limitation, since it reduces speckle noise while operating in real-time. However, current EAC implementations rely on mechanically rotating a one-dimensional (1D) transducer array or electronically beam steering of two-dimensional (2D) arrays to provide different elevational imaging angles, which increases the size and cost of the systems. Here we present a novel EAC implementation based on a 1D array, which does not necessitate mechanically rotating the transducer. The proposed refraction-based elevational angular compounding technique (REACT) instead utilizes a translating cylindrical acoustic lens that steers the ultrasound beam along the elevational direction. Applying REACT to investigate phantoms and excised tissue samples demonstrated superior suppression of ultrasound speckle noise compared to previous EAC methods, with up to a two-fold improvement in signal- and contrast-to-noise ratios. The effects of elevational angular width on speckle reduction was further investigated to determine the appropriate conditions for applying EAC. This study introduces acoustic refractive elements as potential low cost solutions to noise reduction, which could be integrated into current medical ultrasound devices.

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“…However, no EAC implementations for EUS have yet been introduced, likely due to spatial and cost constraints. Previous implementations of EAC for traditional ultrasound imaging used either a two dimensional (2D) array 16 or a mechanical rotating one dimensional (1D) array 17 to provide the elevational angular imaging; however, 2D arrays are costly and images from mechanically rotating 1D arrays are susceptible to motion artefacts. Moreover, the need for multiple piezoelectric elements in 2D arrays and mechanical stage in rotating 1D arrays make these implementations of EAC bulky and cumbersome, which increases the risk of damage to the GI tract during examination.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Speckle reduction in ultrasound endoscopy using refraction based elevational angular compounding

Afshari

Zakian

Bachmann

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a safe, real-time diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Speckle noise, inherent to ultrasonography, degrades the diagnostic precision of EUS. Elevational angular compounding (EAC) can provide real-time speckle noise reduction; however, EAC has never been applied to EUS because current implementations require costly and bulky arrays and are incompatible with the tight spatial constraints of hollow organs. Here we develop a radial implementation of a refraction-based elevational angular compounding technique (REACT) for EUS and demonstrate for the first time spatial compounding in a radial endoscopy. The proposed implementation was investigated in cylindrical phantoms and demonstrated superior suppression of ultrasound speckle noise and up to a two-fold improvement in signal- and contrast- ratios, compared to standard image processing techniques and averaging. The effect of elevational angular deflection on image fidelity was further investigated in a phantom with lymph node-like structures to determine the optimum elevational angular width for high speckle reduction efficiency while maintaining image fidelity. This study introduces REACT as a potential compact and low-cost solution to impart current radial echo-endoscopes with spatial compounding, which could enable accurate identification and precise sizing of lymph nodes in staging of gastrointestinal tract cancers.

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Elevational spatial compounding for enhancing image quality in echocardiography

Cited by 7 publications

References 37 publications

A practical guideline for performing a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiogram in adults: the British Society of Echocardiography minimum dataset

A practical guideline for performing a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiogram in adults: the British Society of Echocardiography minimum dataset

Improving ultrasound images with elevational angular compounding based on acoustic refraction

Speckle reduction in ultrasound endoscopy using refraction based elevational angular compounding

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