Enhancing Lateral Contrast Using Multi-perspective Ultrasound Imaging of Abdominal Aortas

Petterson, Niels J.; Sambeek, Marc R.H.M. van; Vosse, Frans N. van de; Lopata, R.G.P.

doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2020.09.023

Cited by 19 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The current registration algorithm was based on the detection of the probe surfaces and enabled an accurate reconstruction of trans-probe data, despite a small mismatch between detected probe positions. Since the visibility of the probe surface of the other transducer may be limited in vivo, the current registration algorithm may be adapted in future research to include other well visible in vivo structures, such as the spine as shown in [14].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, noninvasive aortic US imaging is challenging considering the typical imaging depth [5] and poor lateral resolution [13]. Furthermore, tissue interfaces perpendicular to the propagation direction of the US wave reflect well, whereas the interfaces parallel to the wave may not reflect the wave at all [14]. As a result, the images lack anatomical information for the reconstruction of the geometry of AAAs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To improve US image quality and strain estimations, the image area can be insonified from multiple beam-steering angles after which images or displacement fields are averaged by means of spatial compounding [15], [16]. Despite the improvements in both image quality, and motion and strain estimation, this technique cannot be applied to the abdominal aorta or deeperlying structures in general, considering the limited overlapping region in compounding at large depths [14]. To overcome this insufficient overlap, multiple probes can be used to achieve accurate motion and strain estimation over larger circumferential segments of the aortic wall.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multiperspective Bistatic Ultrasound Imaging and Elastography of the Ex Vivo Abdominal Aorta

Hal

Hoop

Muller

et al. 2022

IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelect., Freq. Contr.

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Knowledge of aneurysm geometry and local mechanical wall parameters using ultrasound (US) can contribute to a better prediction of rupture risk in abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). However, aortic strain imaging using conventional US is limited by the lateral lumen-wall contrast and resolution. In this study, ultrafast multiperspective bistatic (MP BS) imaging is used to improve aortic US, in which two curved array transducers receive simultaneously on each transmit event. The advantage of such bistatic US imaging on both image quality and strain estimations was investigated by comparing it to single-perspective monostatic (SP MS) and MP monostatic (MP MS) imaging, i.e., alternately transmitting and receiving with either transducer. Experimental strain imaging was performed in US simulations and in an experimental study on porcine aortas. Different compounding strategies were tested to retrieve the most useful information from each received US signal. Finally, apart from the conventional sector grid in curved array US imaging, a polar grid with respect to the vessel's local coordinate system is introduced. This new reconstruction method demonstrated improved displacement estimations in aortic US. The US simulations showed increased strain estimation accuracy using MP BS imaging bistatic imaging compared to MP MS imaging, with a decrease in the average relative error between 41% and 84% in vessel wall regions between transducers. In the experimental results, the mean image contrast-to-noise ratio was improved by up to 8 dB in the vessel wall regions between transducers. This resulted in an increased mean elastographic signalto-noise ratio by about 15 dB in radial strain and 6 dB in circumferential strain.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multiperspective Bistatic Ultrasound Imaging and Elastography of the Ex Vivo Abdominal Aorta

Hal

Hoop

Muller

et al. 2022

IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelect., Freq. Contr.

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“…Hence, as expected, structures in these regions are less clearly visible in US images. Multi-perspective US imaging can help improve the lateral resolution, which can help improve segmentation quality in these regions ( 32 ). Registration was performed by iteratively minimizing the distances between the 3D point clouds of the CT and US geometries.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local and global distensibility assessment of abdominal aortic aneurysms in vivo from probe tracked 2D ultrasound images

Jansen

Schwab²,

Vosse³

et al. 2023

Front. Med. Technol.

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Rupture risk estimation of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients is currently based on the maximum diameter of the AAA. Mechanical properties that characterize the mechanical state of the vessel may serve as a better rupture risk predictor. Non-electrocardiogram-gated (non-ECG-gated) freehand 2D ultrasound imaging is a fast approach from which a reconstructed volumetric image of the aorta can be obtained. From this 3D image, the geometry, volume, and maximum diameter can be obtained. The distortion caused by the pulsatility of the vessel during the acquisition is usually neglected, while it could provide additional quantitative parameters of the vessel wall. In this study, a framework was established to semi-automatically segment probe tracked images of healthy aortas (N = 10) and AAAs (N = 16), after which patient-specific geometries of the vessel at end diastole (ED), end systole (ES), and at the mean arterial pressure (MAP) state were automatically assessed using heart frequency detection and envelope detection. After registration AAA geometries were compared to the gold standard computed tomography (CT). Local mechanical properties, i.e., compliance, distensibility and circumferential strain, were computed from the assessed ED and ES geometries for healthy aortas and AAAs, and by using measured brachial pulse pressure values. Globally, volume, compliance, and distensibility were computed. Geometries were in good agreement with CT geometries, with a median similarity index and interquartile range of 0.91 [0.90–0.92] and mean Hausdorff distance and interquartile range of 4.7 [3.9–5.6] mm. As expected, distensibility (Healthy aortas: 80 ± 15·10−3 kPa−1; AAAs: 29 ± 9.6·10−3 kPa−1) and circumferential strain (Healthy aortas: 0.25 ± 0.03; AAAs: 0.15 ± 0.03) were larger in healthy vessels compared to AAAs. Circumferential strain values were in accordance with literature. Global healthy aorta distensibility was significantly different from AAAs, as was demonstrated with a Wilcoxon test (p-value = 2·10−5). Improved image contrast and lateral resolution could help to further improve segmentation to improve mechanical characterization. The presented work has demonstrated how besides accurate geometrical assessment freehand 2D ultrasound imaging is a promising tool for additional mechanical property characterization of AAAs.

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“…To enlarge the FOV, multiple images can be acquired either by the same probe [4] [5] or by different probes [6] and incoherently compounded using image registration. These image fusion techniques based on the exploitation of multiple points of view can reduce view-dependent artefacts [7] and improve contrast [5]. Recent studies have demonstrated that the contrast improvements also enhance motion and strain estimations from US image data [8] [9].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of 3-D Coherent Multi-Transducer Ultrasound Imaging with Two Sparse Arrays

Peralta

Ramalli

Christensen-Jeffries

et al. 2021

2021 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS)

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Coherent multi-transducer ultrasound (CoMTUS) creates an extended effective aperture through the coherent combination of multiple arrays, which results in images with enhanced resolution, extended field-of-view, and higher sensitivity. The subwavelength localization accuracy of the multiple transducers required to coherently beamform the data is achieved by using the echoes backscattered from targeted points. In this study, CoMTUS is implemented and demonstrated for the first time in 3-D imaging using a pair of 256-element 2-D sparse spiral arrays, which keep the channel-count low and limit the amount of data to be processed. The imaging performance of the method was investigated using both simulations and phantom tests. The feasibility of free-hand operation is also experimentally demonstrated. Results show that, in comparison to a single dense array system using the same total number of active elements, the proposed CoMTUS system improves spatial resolution (up to 10 times) in the direction where both arrays are aligned, contrast-tonoise-ratio (CNR, up to 30%), and generalized CNR (up to 11%). Overall, CoMTUS shows narrower main lobe and higher contrastto-noise-ratio, which results in an increased dynamic range and better target detectability.

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Enhancing Lateral Contrast Using Multi-perspective Ultrasound Imaging of Abdominal Aortas

Cited by 19 publications

References 26 publications

Multiperspective Bistatic Ultrasound Imaging and Elastography of the Ex Vivo Abdominal Aorta

Multiperspective Bistatic Ultrasound Imaging and Elastography of the Ex Vivo Abdominal Aorta

Local and global distensibility assessment of abdominal aortic aneurysms in vivo from probe tracked 2D ultrasound images

Feasibility of 3-D Coherent Multi-Transducer Ultrasound Imaging with Two Sparse Arrays

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