Breast vibroacoustography with array probe

项目简介：触诊是检测乳腺恶性病变最简单但最有效的方法之一，因为乳腺肿瘤的硬度通常与周围组织有很大差异。多年来，乳房x线摄影一直是乳房成像的主要工具，主要用于检测与乳腺恶性肿瘤相关的微钙化（MCs）。然而，这种方法的灵敏度有限，特别是在致密的乳房中。传统的b超（US）成像越来越多地用于乳房成像。然而，该方法对组织刚度不敏感。此外，美国成像存在掩盖小结构的斑点伪影；因此，这种方法很难检测到mc，在某些情况下，质量也很难检测到。已经投入了大量的精力来开发改进的乳房成像技术，特别是那些提供触诊样信息的技术。振声成像（VA）是一种新型的无创成像方法。由于VA使用了一种新的、独特的组织内在特征，因此需要对其进行充分的研究，以将其能力与更传统的乳房成像技术进行比较。通过实验VA系统，我们已经证明了这种方法在活体乳房成像、检测恶性和良性病变以及识别MCs方面的能力。鉴于这些结果，下一个合乎逻辑的步骤是评估实施临床乳腺VA成像系统的可行性。现有的实验系统使用一个装在水箱中的换能器和机电扫描技术。阵列换能器的使用是将手持式探针现代电子扫描从实验阶段转化为临床应用的重要一步。本研究的目的是研究一种基于阵列换能器的乳腺成像系统。在此，我们研究线性阵列乳房成像，并评估其在人类乳房病变检测中的性能。我们还将研究使用具有全2D聚焦和转向能力的尖端2D可重构阵列用于乳腺VA的可行性，该系统将具有临床3D VA所需的更高分辨率和扫描速度。(2)在人体上测试新VA系统的性能；(3)评估乳房VA的二维可重构阵列。本研究的成功完成将为一类新的乳房成像工具开辟道路。VA图像与组织硬度有关，这是恶性肿瘤的重要标志。VA提供的特征组合，如对硬度的敏感性，图像中缺乏斑点，对MCs的敏感性，将对乳腺癌的检测产生重大影响。相关性：本研究旨在开发一种新的乳腺成像工具。我们检查了这种新方法的有效性，作为一种诊断工具，在检测乳房病变和乳腺癌。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Project summary: Palpation remains one of the simplest yet effective methods for detecting malignant breast lesions because the stiffness of breast tumors usually differs significantly from surrounding tissues. Mammography has been the main tool of breast imaging for many years, mostly to detect microcalcifications (MCs) which can be associated with breast malignancies. However, this method has limited sensitivity, especially in dense breasts. Conventional B-mode ultrasound (US) imaging has been increasingly used for breast imaging. However, this method is not sensitive to tissue stiffness. Besides, US imaging suffers from speckle artifact that masks small structures; thus, it is difficult to detect MCs, and in some cases, masses are hard to detect in this method. Significant effort has been invested to develop improved breast imaging techniques, especially those that provide palpation-like information. Vibro-acoustography (VA) is a novel non-invasive imaging method that produces such information. Since VA uses a new and unique intrinsic characteristic of tissue, it needs to be fully investigated to compare its capabilities to the more traditional breast imaging techniques. Using an experimental VA system, we have demonstrated the capability of this method to image breast in vivo, detect malignant and benign lesions, and identify MCs. In light of these results, the next logical step is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a clinical breast VA imaging system. The existing experimental system uses a transducer housed in a water tank and electromechanical scanning technique. Using an array transducer is an important step in translating VA from experimental stage to clinical applications employing modern electronic scanning with hand-held probe. The purpose of this research is to investigate a VA system based on an array transducer for breast imaging. Here, we study breast imaging with linear array and evaluate its performance in detection of lesions in human breast. We will also investigate the feasibility of using a cutting-edge-technology 2D reconfigurable array with full 2D focusing and steering capability for breast VA. Such a system would have superior resolution and scanning speed desired for clinical 3D VA. The goals of this research will be achieved in 3 specific Aims: (1) Develop a VA system with a linear-array transducer for breast imaging; (2) Test the performance of the new VA system in humans; (3) Evaluate the 2D reconfigurable arrays for breast VA. Successful completion of this research will open the way for a new class of breast imaging tools. VA images are related to tissue stiffness, which is an important marker of malignancies. The combination of features offered by VA, such as sensitivity to stiffness, lack of speckle in image, and sensitivity to MCs, would have a significant impact in breast cancer detection. Relevance: This research aims at developing a new breast imaging tool. We examine the effectiveness of this new method as a diagnostic tool in detection of breast lesions and breast cancer.