Pediatric volumetric ultrasound scanner

全球每年进行数亿次超声波(美国)检查。的典型限制 传统的超声成像包括对操作员的依赖、有限的视场、有限的对比度和衍射。 有限的决议。体积成像具有创建独立于操作员的采集协议的潜力， 而超快的美国收购为解决视野和对比问题提供了新的机会。我们的 这里采用的扩展孔径方法也解决了空间分辨率的限制。在高分辨率下， 实时成像能力和缺乏电离辐射，美国在儿科成像方面大有希望 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， 开发一种高分辨率的体积超声扫描仪将是一项革命性的工作。特别是，我们着手于 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可视化 3D数据。3D血管结构的重建有助于基于图像的解剖学识别 病变的位置。超快的SVD多普勒成像可以显示有血液的非常微小的血管 流速低至4毫米/S。腹痛在儿童中很常见，美国人经常习惯于 确定原因。 由于患者的运动，肾脏的准确体积测量是有问题的。 以及依赖于操作员的扫描。分析肝脏和腹部，特别是在创伤的情况下，是 同样重要。因此，我们寻求创建这种分辨率超过CT和MR的实时成像工具 但不需要麻醉或放射治疗。通过集成的GPU使用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，具有空间 分辨率为5厘米(~300(方位角)x 600(仰角)x 300(深度)微米)，应超过MRI提供的分辨率 或CT数倍。该阵列将使用可根据模式切换的平铺模块来实现 时尚完成B超、彩色多普勒、对比成像。在过去的四年里，斯坦福 美国南加州大学和美国南加州大学设计了一种成人大孔腹部- 成像系统，并展示了改进的空间分辨率、视场和对比度 已实现。我们在这里利用这些工具来开发一种专用的儿科体积扫描仪。我们的目标是 1)创建和集成声学/电子换能器以实现信号缓冲和 多路传输；以及2)开发体积测量软件，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，以及 发展三维体加工。我们将对一组儿童患者进行3D肾脏体积成像 测绘、检测和测绘先前检测到的肝脏病变。在每一种情况下，核磁共振都将提供黄金 标准的。

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.