Pediatric volumetric ultrasound scanner

全世界每年进行数亿次超声（US）检查。典型局限性 常规的US成像包括操作者依赖性、有限的视场、有限的对比度和衍射。 有限的分辨率。容积成像具有创建操作员独立采集协议的潜力， 超快的美国收购为解决视场和对比度问题提供了新的机会。我们 这里应用的扩展孔径方法也解决了空间分辨率限制。由于分辨率高， 实时成像能力和缺乏电离辐射，美国有很大的潜力，为儿童成像 患者;特别是对于3岁以下的儿童，他们在没有麻醉的情况下无法进行MRI或CT成像， 高分辨率体积US扫描仪的开发将是变革性的。特别是，我们着手 在约0.1秒内对儿科肝脏和肾脏进行成像，这需要技术飞跃。新型ASIC交换机 矩阵将实现高速采集，基于GPU的部分波束形成实现了 3D数据。3D血管结构的重建促进解剖结构的基于图像的识别。 病变的位置。超快SVD多普勒成像允许可视化含有血液的非常小的血管 流速低至4 mm/s。腹痛在儿童中非常常见，超声经常用于 确定原因。 由于患者运动，肾脏的准确体积测量是有问题的 和依赖于操作员的扫描。化验肝脏和腹部，特别是在创伤的情况下， 同样重要。因此，我们寻求创建这种实时成像工具，其分辨率超过CT和MR 但不需要麻醉或放疗。使用集成GPU的1024个活动系统通道 波束形成器，我们将创建2个换能器，以满足儿童对这项技术的需求， 5 cm处的分辨率（约300（方位角）x 600（仰角）x 300（深度）µ m）应超过MRI提供的分辨率 或CT扫描。该阵列将实现使用平铺模块，可以在一个模式依赖切换 以实现B型成像、彩色多普勒和对比成像。过去四年，斯坦福大学 大学和南加州大学设计了一种成人扩大孔径腹部- 成像系统，并证明了改进的空间分辨率，视场和对比度，可以 办妥了一批我们利用这些工具在这里开发一个专用的儿科容积扫描仪。我们的目标是 实现这一点是：1）创建和集成声学/电子换能器以实现信号缓冲， 多路复用;以及2）开发体积软件并进行儿科成像研究作为概念验证。 我们将开发软件和系统，在成年志愿者和幻影上测试系统组件， 开发3D立体处理。我们将对一组儿科患者进行3D肾脏体积成像 映射、检测和映射先前检测到的肝脏病变。在每一种情况下，MRI将提供黄金 标准

Hundreds of millions of ultrasound (US) exams are performed each year worldwide. Typical limitations of conventional US imaging include operator dependence, limited field of view, limited contrast, and diffraction- limited resolution. Volumetric imaging has the potential to create an operator-independent acquisition protocol, and ultrafast US acquisition has opened new opportunities to address field-of-view and contrast issues. Our extended aperture approach applied here addresses spatial resolution limitations as well. With high resolution, real-time imaging capabilities and the lack of ionizing radiation, US has great promise for imaging pediatric patients; in particular, for children under 3 who cannot be imaged with MRI or CT without anesthesia, the development of a high-resolution volumetric US scanner would be transformative. In particular, we set out to image the pediatric liver and kidney within ~0.1 second, which requires a technological leap. New ASIC switch matrices will enable high speed acquisition and GPU-based partial beam formation enables the visualization of the 3D data. Reconstruction of the 3D vascular structure facilitates image-based recognition of the anatomical location of a lesion. Ultrafast SVD Doppler imaging allows the visualization of very small blood vessels with blood flow velocities as low as 4 mm/s. Abdominal pain is very common in children and US is frequently used to determine the cause. Accurate volumetric measurements of the kidney are problematic due to patient motion and operator-dependent scanning. Assaying the liver and abdomen, particularly in the context of trauma are similarly important. Thus, we seek to create this real-time imaging tool with resolution that exceeds CT and MR but without the need for anesthesia or radiation. Using 1024 active system channels with integrated GPU beamformers, we will create 2 transducers to span the needs of children for this technology, with spatial resolution at 5 cm (~300 (azimuth) x 600 (elevation) x 300 (depth) µm) that should exceed that offered by MRI or CT by several fold. The array will be realized using tiled modules that can be switched in a mode-dependent fashion to accomplish B-mode imaging, color Doppler and contrast imaging. Over the past four years, Stanford University and the University of Southern California have designed an adult extended-aperture abdominal- imaging system, and demonstrated the improved spatial resolution, field of view and contrast that can be achieved. We exploit these tools here to develop a dedicated pediatric volumetric scanner. Our aims to accomplish this are to 1) create and integrate acoustic/electronic transducers to implement signal buffering and multiplexing; and 2) develop volumetric software and conduct pediatric imaging studies as a proof of concept. We will develop the software and systems, test the system components on adult volunteers and phantoms, and develop 3D volumetric processing. We will image a cohort of pediatric patients spanning 3D kidney volumetric mapping, detection and mapping of previously detected liver lesions. In each case, MRI will provide the gold standard.