Bubble‐echo based deconvolution of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound imaging: Simulation and experimental validations
Bubble‐echo based deconvolution of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound imaging: Simulation and experimental validations
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DOI：
10.1002/mp.13097
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发表时间：
2018-08
期刊：
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Diya Wang;Hong Hu;Xinyu Zhang;Qiang Su;Runna Liu;Hui Zhong;Shukuan Lu;Supin Wang;M. Wan
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Diya Wang;Hong Hu;Xinyu Zhang;Qiang Su;Runna Liu;Hui Zhong;Shukuan Lu;Supin Wang;M. Wan
目的提高超声造影剂对组织的对比度（CTR）和成像分辨率是当前超声造影剂在微血管灌注成像中的研究重点。基于造影剂的强非线性特性，各种先进的CEUS方法已经显著增强了CTRs。然而，这些方法的成像分辨率受到成像过程的有限带宽的限制。本研究旨在提出一种基于气泡回波的CEUS反卷积（BED）方法，同时提高分辨率和CTR。方法该方法建立在一种改进的卷积模型上，采用基于气泡回波的点扩散函数，通过正则化逆维纳滤波重建图像。通过模拟和体内灌注实验，研究了三种CEUS模式的拟议BED的性能。结果基波成像的BED对成像分辨率的提高最大，分辨率增益达2.0 ± 0.2倍，与已被认可的基于倒谱的反卷积（CED）相当。二次谐波成像的BED对CTR的增强效果最好，为9.8 ± 2.3dB，明显高于CED。脉冲反转BED具有更好的分辨率和更高的CTR。结论BED可获得高分辨率、高CTR的CEUS图像，对深部组织微血管灌注评价具有重要意义。
PURPOSE Improvement of both the imaging resolution and the contrast-to-tissue ratio (CTR) is a current emphasis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for microvascular perfusion imaging. Based on the strong nonlinear characteristics of contrast agents, the CTRs have been significantly enhanced using various advanced CEUS methods. However, the imaging resolution of these methods is limited by the finite bandwidth of the imaging process. This study aimed to propose a bubble-echo based deconvolution (BED) method for CEUS with both improved resolution and CTR. METHOD The method is built on a modified convolution model and uses novel bubble-echo based point-spread-functions to reconstruct the images by regularized inverse Wiener filtering. Performances of the proposed BED for three CEUS modes are investigated through simulations and in vivo perfusion experiments. RESULTS BED of fundamental imaging was found to have the highest improvement in imaging resolution with the resolution gain up to 2.0 ± 0.2 times, which was comparable to the approved cepstrum-based deconvolution (CED). BED of second-harmonic imaging had the best performance in CTR with an enhancement of 9.8 ± 2.3 dB, which was much higher than CED. Pulse inversion BED had both a better resolution and a higher CTR. CONCLUSION All results indicate that BED could obtain CEUS image with both an improved resolution and a high CTR, which has important significance to microvascular perfusion evaluation in deep tissue.