Quantative Imaging of Microbubble Ultrasound Contrast Agent with Correction of Attenuation

衰减校正微泡超声造影剂的定量成像

• 批准号: EP/C536150/2
• 负责人: Mengxing Tang
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Imperial College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2006 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FC536150%2F2
• 关键词: Quantative; Imaging; Microbubble; Ultrasound; Contrast

The proposed research is in the general area of medical imaging. The aim is to develop novel image formation techniques for ultrasound (US) imaging using contract agents. This will improve the accuracy of US for imaging tissue containing very small blood vessels (microcirculation).In US imaging a probe, which is in contact with the patient's skin, emits an US pulse and then detects the echo signal from tissue structures within the patient. Based on these echoes images are formed. US contract agents are tiny bubbles consisting of a gas core. When injected into the vein, they allow within the blood and pass through all the blood vessels in the body. The bubbles can strongly increase the echoes and brighten up the image of tissue containing them. This enables the imaging of the microcirculation. Accurate measurement of the number of bubbles (quantification) and how this changes over time can provide useful information on tissue function . In Particular this can be invaluable in clinical investigations of patients with heartdiseases and cancer.One major cause of error in these measurements results from the decrease in loudness (attenuation) of the sound ac it travels though the tissue containing bubbles. Bubbles attenuate US in a complex way. Due to a lack of in-depth understanding of this attenuation process there is consequently no efficient way of correcting for this attenuation during image formation. This causes errors in images and consequently the estimation of the number of bubbles. The errors become even larger at deeper depth in tissue where attenuation is greater.I propose to develop novel image formation techniques with correction of attenuation, which takes into account the unique behaviour of the bubbles. Both computer simulation studies and controlled laboratory experimental measurements of the bubbles will be made to help develop and validate the proposed novel image formation techniques. Specially I propose to1) thoroughly investigate how bubbles attenuate US through computer modelling and simulation of these bubbles.2) develop a comprehensive mathematical description of the complicated process of US attenuation due to bubbles and validate it with controlled experiments.3) develop based on 1)&2) novel image formation techniques to form images of tissue containing microbubble with correction of attenuation. This results of this study is expected to make the clinical analysis of US contrast agent images more reliable.

拟议的研究属于医学成像的一般领域。其目的是使用合同代理开发用于超声（US）成像的新型图像形成技术。这将提高超声对含有非常小的血管（微循环）的组织进行成像的准确性。在超声成像中，与患者皮肤接触的探头发出超声脉冲，然后检测来自患者体内组织结构的回波信号。基于这些回波形成图像。美国合同代理是由气体核心组成的微小气泡。当注射到静脉中时，它们可以进入血液并穿过体内的所有血管。气泡可以强烈增加回声并使包含它们的组织的图像变亮。这使得微循环成像成为可能。准确测量气泡数量（量化）及其随时间的变化可以提供有关组织功能的有用信息。特别是，这对于心脏病和癌症患者的临床研究非常有价值。这些测量误差的一个主要原因是声音穿过含有气泡的组织时响度的降低（衰减）。泡沫以复杂的方式削弱美国的实力。由于缺乏对这种衰减过程的深入理解，因此没有有效的方法来校正图像形成期间的这种衰减。这会导致图像中的错误，从而导致气泡数量的估计错误。在衰减更大的组织深处，误差变得更大。我建议开发具有衰减校正的新型图像形成技术，该技术考虑了气泡的独特行为。将对气泡进行计算机模拟研究和受控实验室实验测量，以帮助开发和验证所提出的新颖图像形成技术。我特别建议1）通过对气泡进行计算机建模和模拟，彻底研究气泡如何衰减US。2）对气泡引起的US衰减的复杂过程进行全面的数学描述，并通过受控实验对其进行验证。3）基于1）和2）开发新颖的图像形成技术，以形成含有微气泡的组织图像并进行衰减校正。这项研究的结果有望使美国造影剂图像的临床分析更加可靠。