Quantitative ultrasound analysis of vascular morphology for cancer assessment

描述（由申请人提供）：超声作为一种成像方式有几个特点，使其对临床医生和临床前研究人员具有吸引力，包括其相对较低的成本，实时成像能力，安全性和便携性。这些方面使其成为农村和低收入社区特别容易获得的成像技术，因此超声波诊断方法具有广泛影响的潜力。超声成像广泛应用于心脏和大血管的解剖成像和血流测量；然而，作为肿瘤学的诊断工具，这种无处不在的模式尚未得到充分利用。其中一个原因是，除了评估肿瘤大小外，超声对肿瘤形态或恶性程度的定量能力相对较差。新的对比增强超声技术现在可以实现组织血管结构的详细图像；并有机会询问血管形态作为恶性肿瘤的指标基于超声数据提出。PI Aylward和Kitware之前的工作已经开发了从磁共振成像数据中收集可量化血管形态指标的算法，这些算法随后被证明是肿瘤恶性程度和对人类治疗反应的可靠预测指标。在这个项目中，Kitware将把这种诊断能力扩展到造影剂增强超声的更广泛可用的方式。Co-PI Dayton最近展示了使用一种新型超声探头的超声微血管测绘，该探头能够快速获取血管结构的3D高对比度和高分辨率图像。本文建议这两位业界和学术界的领导者合作，结合他们的专业知识，创建一个使用非侵入性超声成像进行疾病评估的强大平台。如果成功，该项目将为临床超声系统制造商提供一种新颖有效的方法来评估肿瘤对治疗的反应。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There are several features of ultrasound as an imaging modality that make it attractive to clinicians and preclinical researchers today, including its relatively low cost, real-time imaging capability, safety, and portability. These facets make it a particularly accessible imaging technique for rural and lower-income communities, and thus ultrasonic diagnostic approaches have potential for broad reaching impact. Ultrasound imaging is widely used for anatomical imaging and blood flow measurements in the heart and large vessels; however this ubiquitous modality is underutilized as a diagnostic tool in oncology. One reason for this is that aside of assessment of tumor size, ultrasound has relatively poor quantitative capability with respect to tumor morphology or malignancy. New contrast enhanced ultrasound technologies are now enabling detailed images of tissue vascular structure; and the opportunity to interrogate vascular morphology as an indicator of malignancy based on ultrasound data is presented. Prior work by PI Aylward and Kitware has developed algorithms to glean quantifiable vascular morphology metrics from Magnetic Resonance Imaging data, which have then been shown to be reliable predictors of tumor malignancy and response to therapy in humans. In this project, Kitware will extend this diagnostic capability to the more widely available modality of contrast enhanced ultrasound. Co-PI Dayton has recently demonstrated ultrasonic microvascular mapping using a new type of ultrasound probe which enables the rapid acquisition of 3D high-contrast and high-resolution images of blood vessel structure. Proposed herein is a collaboration between these two leaders in industry and academia, combining their expertise to create a robust platform for disease assessment using non-invasive ultrasound imaging. If successful, this project will provide a novel and efficient method for clinical ultrasound system manufacturers to implement to assess tumor response to therapy. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Ultrasound is a relatively safe, low cost, portable, real-time imaging device; however its images are relatively poor for detecting and diagnosing tumors. New micro-bubble contrast agents have been developed that enhance the appearance of vessels within ultrasound images. We have developed a new ultrasound imaging probe that is tuned for capturing contrast-enhanced ultrasound images, and herein we propose to integrate it with a novel vascular image analysis algorithm we have also developed. Together they are able to visualize the vasculature within tumors, make measurements on those vessels, and analyze those measurements to assess the malignancy of tumors and monitor their response to treatment.