Brain Ultrasound Computed Tomography Through the Intact Skull

通过完整颅骨进行脑部超声计算机断层扫描

• 批准号: 8684685
• 负责人: GREGORY T CLEMENT
• 金额: $ 4.08万
• 依托单位: CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-07-01 至 2016-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8684685
• 关键词: Brain; Ultrasound; Computed; Tomography; Through

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The skull has long served as a barrier to producing ultrasound brain images, causing distortion and attenuation that have limited ultrasound's diagnostic role primarily to detecting blood flow by transcranial Doppler applied to a thin region of the bone. Over the past decade, we have been developing basic techniques to overcome these limits by maximizing energy transfer and minimizing distortion through the bone. This work has culminated in a new technique that holds the potential for producing clear and accurate images in the clinic. Implemented through a custom device, the technique will correct for skull distortion using feedback from an ultrasound applicator that encircles the skull. Optimized beams will be used to produce ultrasound computed tomography (UCT) images, which will display full cross-sections of both the skull and brain, providing user orientation similar to that of CT or MRI. We will use a novel reconstruction method, which has theoretical parallels with radio-frequency-based diffraction tomography, but which further utilizes ultrasound's superior ability to customize the imaging beamshape. Unlike traditional ultrasound, which relies on short pulses for resolution, the method will use one or more single ultrasound frequencies to create an image, permitting a multi-cycle (and subsequently much stronger) imaging signal. The overall goal of the work is produce a portable, non-ionizing diagnostic tool for brain injury and disorders that could be used in remote locations, patient bedside, or for patients whose condition precludes the use of MRI or CT. We plan to develop this technique into a device ready for clinical testing by the end of the grant period. MRI will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the device's success, with quantitative goals aiming at the detection and tracking of millimeter-resolution anatomical features and abnormalities. The project could provide extensive benefits toward early diagnosis of brain disorders and injury as well as offer a new tool for repeated monitoring of known existing conditions.

描述（由申请人提供）：颅骨长期以来一直是产生超声脑图像的障碍，导致失真和衰减，这限制了超声的诊断作用，主要是通过应用于骨薄区域的经颅多普勒检测血流。在过去的十年里，我们一直在开发基本技术，通过最大限度地提高能量转移和最小限度地减少骨骼变形来克服这些限制。这项工作最终产生了一种新技术，该技术具有在临床上产生清晰准确图像的潜力。通过定制设备实现，该技术将使用来自环绕头骨的超声施加器的反馈来校正头骨变形。优化的波束将用于生成超声计算机断层扫描（UCT）图像，该图像将显示颅骨和大脑的完整横截面，为用户提供类似于CT或MRI的方向。我们将使用一种新的重建方法，该方法在理论上与基于射频的衍射断层扫描相似，但它进一步利用超声的上级能力来定制成像波束形状。与依赖于短脉冲来进行分辨率的传统超声不同，该方法将使用一个或多个单个超声频率来创建图像，从而允许多周期（并且随后更强）成像信号。这项工作的总体目标是生产一种便携式，非电离诊断工具，用于脑损伤和疾病，可用于偏远地区，患者床边，或为患者的条件排除使用MRI或CT。我们计划在资助期结束前将这项技术开发成一种可供临床测试的设备。MRI将被用作评估该设备成功的基准，其定量目标旨在检测和跟踪毫米分辨率的解剖特征和异常。该项目可以为大脑疾病和损伤的早期诊断提供广泛的益处，并为重复监测已知的现有疾病提供新的工具。