Coherence-Based Fetal Ultrasonic Imaging

摘要 超声成像被广泛用于监测胎儿在第一和第二阶段的生长发育。 三个月，多项研究记录了由此产生的对胎儿和产妇结局的积极影响。 然而，目前的方法未能在许多患者中提供足够的关键结构的可视化，并且 对于这些患者来说，替代的成像模式很少。我们研制出了新型超声波 波束形成方法，而不是成像回波亮度，显示后向散射的空间相干性 回声。这些方法在模拟、体模和临床研究中显示出明显改善的图像质量。 超过传统的超声图像，特别是在难以成像的患者。 我们建议在一种先进的、商业上可用的 诊断扫描仪。我们将把我们的相干成像理论扩展到1.5D和2D阵列，并结合 这些阵列进入我们的实时成像系统。 建议进行临床研究，以评估相干成像在关键胎儿诊断任务中的作用 三个月和第二个月的扫描。建议使用定量图像质量指标和观察者研究来 比较B超和相干图像，重点放在目前难以成像的患者身上 成像方法失败了。相关研究将衡量图像退化的各种来源在 胎儿扫描并比较在常规超声图像和基于相干的超声图像中观察到的图像伪影。如果 如果成功，拟议的研究可能会导致一类新的超声波波束形成方法 在当前方法失败的成像环境中。

Abstract Ultrasonic imaging is widely used to monitor fetal growth and development during the first and second trimester, and multiple studies document the resultant positive impacts on fetal and maternal outcomes. However, current methods fail to provide adequate visualization of key structures in many patients, and alternative imaging modes are rarely available to these patients. We have developed novel ultrasonic beamforming methods that, instead of imaging echo brightness, display the spatial coherence of backscattered echoes. These methods, in simulation, phantom, and clinical studies, show markedly improved image quality over conventional ultrasonic images, especially in difficult-to-image patients. We propose to construct a real-time coherence imaging system on an advanced, commercially available diagnostic scanner. We will extend our theory of coherence imaging to 1.5D and 2D arrays and incorporate these arrays into our real-time imaging system. Clinical studies are proposed to assess the role of coherence imaging in key fetal diagnostic tasks in first trimester and second trimester scans. Quantitative image quality metrics and observer studies are proposed to compare B-mode and coherence images with an emphasis on difficult-to-image patients for whom current imaging methods fail. Related studies will measure the contribution of various sources of image degradation in fetal scans and compare image artifacts observed in conventional and coherence-based ultrasonic images. If successful, the proposed research could lead to a new class of ultrasonic beamforming methods that operate in imaging environments in which current methods fail.