Thermoacoustic and Inverse Scattering Breast Cancer Scanner

描述(申请人提供)：热声和反向散射乳腺癌扫描仪摘要：我们提出了一种新的、混合的、利用电导率升高的乳腺癌诊断成像系统。该系统将三种先进的超声成像方法与热声成像相结合。新的超声成像方法是：(1)反射式超声层析成像模式(成像声阻抗梯度)；(2)超声逆散射模式(成像绝对声速)；(3)超声逆散射模式(成像绝对声吸收)。第四种模式是：(4)一种新的、先进的热声成像模式，它以比迄今可能的更高的空间分辨率成像电导率，并允许区分癌症和纤维腺瘤(目前的乳房X光检查和临床超声区分很差)。第一种方式提供了比标准临床超声更好的成像，因为它：统一的高空间分辨率(B超分辨率与距离成反比)，独立于操作员，真实的3-D图像，改善的对比度分辨率和折射和吸收的校正。第二和第三种模式提供了第一种模式的高级功能，另外还有：完美的空间配准；组织声速和吸收系数的绝对定量呈现；消除多重散射伪影和斑点；以及提高分辨率到一半波长的潜力。四种模式的结合协同提高了诊断和筛查水平。通过对来自第二和第三模式的幅度和相位进行校正来改进第四模式。每7名女性中就有一人会在一生中患上乳腺癌。然而，目前诊断癌症的特异性很差(使用乳房X光摄影)，四分之三的活检产生良性组织。这一提议结合了两种新的乳腺癌检测技术--即热声发射和超声反向散射--在提高乳腺癌检测方面具有巨大的潜力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Thermoacoustic and Inverse Scattering Breast Cancer Scanner ABSTRACT: We propose a novel, hybrid, imaging system for breast cancer diagnosis that exploits the elevated electrical conductivity. This system combines three advanced ultrasound- imaging methods with thermoacoustic imaging. The new ultrasound imaging methods are: (1) a reflection ultrasound tomography modality (images acoustic impedance gradients); (2,) an ultrasound inverse scattering modality that image absolute speed of sound); (3) an ultrasound inverse scattering modality that images absolute acoustic absorption). The fourth modality is: (4) a new, advanced, thermoacoustic imaging modality, which images electrical conductivity at higher spatial resolution than heretofore possible and allows the discrimination of cancer vs. fibroadenoma (which mammography and present clinical ultrasound distinguish poorly). The first modality provides improved imaging over standard clinical ultrasound because of its: uniform high spatial resolution (B-scan resolving power falls of inversely with range), operator independence, true 3-D images, improved contrast resolution and correction for refraction and absorption. The second and third modalities provide the advanced features given by the first, plus: perfect spatial registration; absolution quantitative rendering of tissue sound speed and absorption coefficient; elimination of multiple scattering artifacts and speckle; and potential for improved resolution to one half wavelength. The combination of four modes synergistically improves diagnosis and screening. The fourth modality is improved by making amplitude and phase corrections derived from the second and third modalities. One in every 7 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. However, present diagnostic specificity for cancer detection (using mammography) is poor, with 3 in 4 biopsies yielding benign tissue. This proposal, which combines two novel techniques for breast cancer detection?namely Thermoacoustic Emission and Ultrasound Inverse Scattering?has a tremendous potential for improving breast cancer detection.