KEYWORDS: Signal attenuation, Elastography, Tissues, Arteries, Visualization, Imaging arrays, Image processing, Acoustics, Magnetic resonance imaging, Chemical elements
Quantitative sparse array vascular elastography visualizes the shear modulus distribution within vascular tissues, information that clinicans could use to reduce the number of strokes each year. However, the low transmit power sparse array (SA) imaging could hamper the clinical usefulness of the resulting elastograms. In this study, we evaluated the performance of modulus elastograms recovered from simulated and physical vessel phantoms with varying attenuation coefficients (0.6, 1.5, and 3.5 cm−1) and modulus contrasts (−12.04, −6.02, and −2.5 dB) using SA imaging relative to those obtained with conventional linear array (CLA) and plane-wave (PW) imaging techniques. Plaques were visible in all modulus elastograms, but those produced using SA and PW contained less artifacts. The modulus contrast-to-noise ratio decreased rapidly with increasing modulus contrast and attenuation coefficient, but more quickly when SA imaging was performed than for CLA or PW. The errors incurred varied from 10.9% to 24% (CLA), 1.8% to 12% (SA), and ≈4% (PW). Modulus elastograms produced with SA and PW imagings were not significantly different (p>0.05). Despite the low transmit power, SA imaging can produce useful modulus elastograms in superficial organs, such as the carotid artery.
KEYWORDS: Ultrasonography, Computer simulations, Imaging systems, Tissues, Finite element methods, Arteries, Synthetic aperture radar, Magnetic resonance imaging, Chemical elements, Signal to noise ratio
In this paper, we explore the feasibility of reconstructing the mechanical properties of vascular tissues from axial and
lateral displacement measurements from Synthetic Aperture (SA) ultrasound images. Modulus values were reconstructed with a soft priors technique. Studies were performed on simulated and experimental vessel phantoms to
evaluate the quality of elastograms completed from axial displacements only, relative to those computed from axial and
lateral displacements. Results demonstrated that modulus elastograms computed using both components were more
accurate than those computed using one component of displacement.
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