Multifrequency ultrasound imaging for improved breast tissue characterization

项目摘要 利用无创超声进行定量组织定征是一个令人振奋的研究前景 几十年了这里的挑战是找到超声数据中隐藏的模式，以揭示更多 关于组织功能和病理的信息，这些信息在更常规的超声图像中看不到。 克服了传统组织定征方法的一些局限性， 已经出现了对像癌细胞这样的声散射体的超声分类。H扫描超声 （其中“H”代表Hermite或色调），这种创新的实时成像技术揭示了本地频率 在软组织中发现的不同尺寸的散射体聚集体的依赖性。我们的初步临床前研究结果， 体内H-扫描超声表明，这种新成像技术可用于检测凋亡活性 以及对化疗的早期反应这里显示H扫描超声图像强度的变化， 与局部癌细胞核大小有很强的相关性。以前人的知识为指导， 研究，目前的研究项目的目的是开发下一代体内H扫描超声 成像系统和肿瘤表征方法。我们的第一个目标是实现多频H扫描 配备有宽带电容性微机械的可编程扫描器上的超声成像功能 超声换能器（CMUT）。这项新的超声成像技术将使用 一系列嵌入有已知尺寸散射体的体模材料。接下来，我们将量化H扫描的成功率 使用乳腺癌临床前模型监测对化疗的早期反应的超声成像 重现了人类疾病然后，我们将比较H扫描超声结果与物理测量结果 癌细胞的大小和通过竞争成像技术获得的结果。最后，我们将进行第一次 乳腺癌的多频H扫描超声成像的人体研究，并评估其帮助的潜力 疾病管理。

PROJECT SUMMARY The use of noninvasive ultrasound for quantitative tissue characterization has been an exciting research prospect for several decades now. Herein the challenge is to find hidden patterns in the ultrasound data to reveal more information about tissue function and pathology that cannot be seen in the more conventional ultrasound images. Bypassing some of the limitations associated with traditional tissue characterization approaches, a new modality has emerged for the ultrasound classification of acoustic scatterers like cancer cells. Termed H-scan ultrasound (where the ‘H’ stands for Hermite or hue), this innovative real-time imaging technique reveals the local frequency dependence of different-sized scatterer aggregates found in soft tissue. Our preliminary preclinical findings using in vivo H-scan ultrasound have indicated that this new imaging technique is useful for detecting apoptotic activity and an early response to chemotherapy. Here changes in H-scan ultrasound image intensity were shown to have a strong correlation to local cancer cell nuclear size. Guided by knowledge gained from these previous studies, the purpose of the current research project is to develop a next-generation in vivo H-scan ultrasound imaging system and tumor characterization method. Our first goal is to implement a multifrequency H-scan ultrasound imaging functionality on programmable scanner equipped with a wideband capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT). This new ultrasound imaging technology will be tested and optimized using a series of phantom materials embedded with scatterers of known size. Next, we will quantify success of H-scan ultrasound imaging for monitoring an early response to chemotherapy using a preclinical model of breast cancer that recapitulates human disease. We will then compare H-scan ultrasound findings to physical measurements of cancer cell size and results obtained by competing imaging technologies. Lastly, we will conduct the first human study of multifrequency H-scan ultrasound imaging of breast cancer and evaluate the potential for helping with disease management.