Ultrasound contrast agent imaging: Real-time imaging of the superharmonics
- MSD lab, Department of Information Engineering, Univ of Florence, Via S.Marta, 3, 50139 Firenze (Italy)
- Acoustical Wavefield Imaging, ImPhys, Delft Univ Technology, van der Waalsweg 8, 2628 CH Delft (Netherlands)
Currently, in medical ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) imaging the second harmonic scattering of the microbubbles is regularly used. This scattering is in competition with the signal that is caused by nonlinear wave propagation in tissue. It was reported that UCA imaging based on the third or higher harmonics, i.e. “superharmonic” imaging, shows better contrast. However, the superharmonic scattering has a lower signal level compared to e.g. second harmonic signals. This study investigates the contrast-to-tissue ratio (CTR) and signal to noise ratio (SNR) of superharmonic UCA scattering in a tissue/vessel mimicking phantom using a real-time clinical scanner. Numerical simulations were performed to estimate the level of harmonics generated by the microbubbles. Data were acquired with a custom built dual-frequency cardiac phased array probe. Fundamental real-time images were produced while beam formed radiofrequency (RF) data was stored for further offline processing. The phantom consisted of a cavity filled with UCA surrounded by tissue mimicking material. The acoustic pressure in the cavity of the phantom was 110 kPa (MI = 0.11) ensuring non-destructivity of UCA. After processing of the acquired data from the phantom, the UCA-filled cavity could be clearly observed in the images, while tissue signals were suppressed at or below the noise floor. The measured CTR values were 36 dB, >38 dB, and >32 dB, for the second, third, and fourth harmonic respectively, which were in agreement with those reported earlier for preliminary contrast superharmonic imaging. The single frame SNR values (in which ‘signal’ denotes the signal level from the UCA area) were 23 dB, 18 dB, and 11 dB, respectively. This indicates that noise, and not the tissue signal, is the limiting factor for the UCA detection when using the superharmonics in nondestructive mode.
- OSTI ID:
- 22492635
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1685, Issue 1; Conference: 20. international symposium on nonlinear acoustics, Ecully (France), 29 Jun - 3 Jul 2015, 2. international sonic boom forum, Ecully (France), 29 Jun - 3 Jul 2015; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ANIMAL TISSUES
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
CAVITIES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONTRAST MEDIA
DETECTION
HARMONICS
IMAGES
NOISE
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PHANTOMS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
REAL TIME SYSTEMS
SCATTERING
SIGNALS
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
ULTRASONOGRAPHY
WAVE PROPAGATION