DEVELOPING OF ULTRASONIC TISSUE CHARACTERIZATION METHODS

该计划项目旨在提高超声成像的能力， 检测和表征肿瘤。 之所以选择这一地区，是因为 超声成像在几乎所有专业中的广泛使用， 医疗环境。 我们所寻求的改进， 超声成像甚至更有用，因此将对 医疗实践。 他们将通过改善肿瘤学， 检测、诊断和治疗监测。 该计划包括三个项目，采取不同的方法， 收集和处理数据以形成图像的问题。 这些 项目是基于新的方法，以及对 在工业无损检测中取得成功的方法 在光学上。 我们的计划也是基于实验室和临床核心 确保项目之间的互动和协调， 成像模式（US、CT和MRI）与病理学之间的差异。 这种结构 应该消除许多遇到的问题， 试图通过以下方式改善超声组织表征 个人研究项目。 此外，临床合作者将 受益于具有可用的各种图像形成方法， 评估不同的目的。 与其他比较 因此可以有效地处理模态。 其中一个项目将收集动物和人类体内的超声波数据， 组织和肿瘤的性质。 这些数据将用于评估 为临床使用而开发的定量方法的准确性。 另一个项目将评估经常被忽视的影响， 组织特性的各向异性对当前和未来成像方法的影响， 我们将寻求使用这种效应来表征组织。 为了确保该程序仍然是最新的超声方法 在补助金期限内，我们已将相关工作包括在内。 地区 某些类型的造影剂将最有可能被广泛用于 近期 因此，我们已经包括了一个项目， 一种很有前途的新型造影剂 这个项目将使我们获得 这些材料的特性，并提供指导 使用对比度增强与肿瘤相关的图像特征。 患者安全问题不容忽视。 一个探头和 测量系统项目已经包括在内，以便我们能够 改进我们的超声波剂量测定方法 该项目还将开发 用于宽带数据采集的传感器， 建模，对于开发新方法必不可少， 用于皮肤和管腔内新区域的换能器

This program project seeks to enhance the ability of ultrasonic imaging to detect and characterize tumors. This area was chosen because of the widespread use of ultrasonic imaging in practically all specialties and medical environments. The improvements that we seek, selected to make ultrasonic imaging even more useful, would thus have a large impact on medical practice. They would contribute to oncology through improved detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring. The program consists of three projects that take different approaches to the problem of collecting and processing data to form images. These projects are based on new approaches as well as on adaptations of approaches that have been successful in industrial non-destructive testing and in optics. Our program is also based on laboratory and clinical cores for assuring interaction and co-ordination between the projects and between imaging modalities (US, CT and MRI) and pathology. This structure should remove many of the problems that have been encountered when attempting to improve the ultrasonic tissue characterization through individual research projects. Also, the clinical collaborators will benefit from having available a variety of image formation methods to evaluate for different purposes. The inter-comparison with other modalities can thus be efficiently handled. One project will gather animal and human in-vivo data on the ultrasonic properties of tissues and tumors. These data will be used to assess the accuracy of the quantitative methods being developed for clinical use. Another project will be assessing the often neglected effects of anisotropy in tissue properties on present and future imaging methods, as well seek to use such effects to characterize tissues. To assure that this program remains current as ultrasonic methodology advances during the term of the grant we have included work in related areas. Some type of contrast agent will most likely be widely used in the near future. Therefore we have included a project that will be developing a promising new contrast agent. This project will allow us to gain experience with characterizing these materials and offer guidance on the use of contrast in enhancing image features associated with tumors. Questions of patient safety must not be ignored. A transducer and measurement system project has been included so that we will be able to refine our ultrasonic dosimetry methods. This project also will develop transducers for wideband data collection that is needed for accurate modeling, essential for developing new methods, and high frequency transducers for the new areas of skin and intraluminal