Multi-frequency axial transmission bone ultrasonometer

Abstract

The last decade has seen a surge in the development of axial transmission QUS (Quantitative UltraSound) technologies for the assessment of long bones using various modes of acoustic waves. The condition of cortical bones and the development of osteoporosis are determined by numerous mechanical, micro-structural, and geometrical or macro-structural bone properties like hardness, porosity and cortical thickness. Such complex manifestations of osteoporosis require the evaluation of multiple parameters with different sensitivities to the various properties of bone that are affected by the disease. This objective may be achieved by using a multi-frequency ultrasonic examination The ratio of the acoustic wavelength to the cortical thickness can be changed by varying the frequency of the ultrasonic pulse propagating through the long bone that results in the change in composition of the induced wave comprised of a set of numerous modes of guided, longitudinal, and surface acoustic waves. The multi-frequency axial transmission QUS method developed at Artann Laboratories (Trenton, NJ) is implemented in the Bone Ultrasonic Scanner (BUSS). In the current version of the BUSS, a train of ultrasonic pulses with 60, 100, 400, 800, and 1200 kHz frequencies is used. The developed technology was tested on a variety of bone phantoms simulating normal, osteopenic, and osteoporotic bones. The results of this study confirm the feasibility of the multi-frequency approach for the assessment of the processes leading to osteoporosis.

Ultrasound Speed of Sound Measurements in Trabecular Bone Using the Echographic Response of a Metallic Pin

“…Most measurement methods using QUS techniques to assess bone quality consider either transverse (Mathieu et al 2013) or axial (Tatarinov et al 2014) transmission configurations. The use of one single transducer in echographic configurations remains difficult due to accuracy and reproducibility issues.…”

“…Moreover, as ultrasound is composed of mechanical waves, it can be used to retrieve useful information on bone biomechanical properties and therefore provide information additional to that provided by bone mineral density (BMD) estimation alone (Ha€ ıat et al 2008a). QUS is now widely used in the clinic in the context of osteoporosis to estimate bone quality at such sites as the calcaneum (Chin and Ima-Nirwana 2013), phalanx (Olszynski et al 2013), tibia (Maatta et al 2014), femur (Barkmann et al 2008) and radius (Sasso et al 2009) using transverse (Mathieu et al 2013) and axial (Tatarinov et al 2014) transmission devices. Speed of sound (SOS) is a QUS parameter (Haiat et al 2005b) that has been found to be related to bone strength (Haiat et al 2009b).…”

Measuring the wavenumber of guided modes in waveguides with linearly varying thickness

“…Guided mode propagation in cortical bone is investigated using the so-called axial transmission technique in which the signal propagating along the bone axis is recorded at multiple positions aligned along a same side of a skeletal site, by moving a receiver, [5][6][7][8] or moving both the transmitter and the receiver in parallel, 9 or using a multiple element array, [10][11][12] , or using photo-acoustic excitation and optical detection. 13 The first version of the axial transmission approach consisted in recording the time-of-flight of the earliest component of the signal recorded at the receivers, the so-called first arriving signal (FAS).…”

Osteoporosis detection in postmenopausal women using axial transmission multi-frequency bone ultrasonometer: Clinical findings

“…Detailed description of the device has been previously reported [20]. Examination is conducted with the subject in the sitting or lying position.…”

“…The technology implemented in the initial design of BUSS has been significantly improved and modified enabling the device to radiate and receive a train of multiple impulses that generate various modes of acoustic waves. The details of the multi-frequency approach and a new version of the broadband BUSS device are described in our companion paper in this issue of Ultrasonics [20]. In this article, the results of a multi-parametric analysis of axial profiles in broadband frequency range obtained by BUSS in a multisite clinical study are presented and clinical significance of these results is discussed.…”