超声背散射骨质评价中的频散衰减测量与补偿

超声背散射法已逐渐应用于骨质的评价与诊断.相比于人体软组织,致密多孔的骨组织中超声衰减大,导致接收到的超声信号微弱,频散失真严重.骨组织的超声频散衰减通常由超声透射法测量.然而,透射法测量的超声衰减为传播路径上组织介质衰减的平均值,无法区分软组织、皮质骨及松质骨的衰减效应,无法测量感兴趣区域内松质骨组织的超声衰减.本文旨在研究松质骨超声频散衰减的背散射测量方法,分析补偿超声背散射信号频散失真的可行性.离体测量16块松质骨样本的超声背散射与透射信号(中心频率1 MHz).采用四种背散射方法 (谱移法、谱差法、谱对数差法和混合法)测量松质骨超声频散衰减系数,与超声透射法测量的频散衰减标准值进行对比.结果表明,骨样本超声频散衰减范围为2.3—6.2 dB/mm/MHz,透射法测量的超声频散衰减(均值±方差)为(4.14±1.14) dB/mm/MHz;谱移法、谱差法、谱对数差法和混合法测量的频散衰减(均值±方差)分别为(3.88±1.15) dB/mm/MHz,(4.00±0.98) dB/mm/MHz,(3.77±0.84)dB/mm/MHz,(4.05±0.85) dB/mm/MHz.背散射法测量的频散衰减系数与标准值有较高的相关性(R=0.78—0.92, p 0.01),其中,谱差法(R=0.91, p 0.01)和混合法(R=0.92, p 0.01)测量结果更准确(相对误差小于20%).以上结果说明背散射法测量松质骨超声频散衰减具有可行性,基于傅里叶变换-逆变换原理可以补偿背散射信号频散衰减失真,显著提高信号强度,有利于后续超声背散射骨质评价及成像研究.     

空间频率域超声背散射参量用于骨质状况的评价*

在超声背散射骨质评价中,不同测量感兴趣区域(ROI)的超声背散射信号会有波动,致使诊断准确度降低。该文目的是研究超声背散射信号随测量区域的变化规律。采用空间扫描方法离体测量了35块骨样本,将超声背散射参数从空间域变换到空间频率域。结果表明,超声背散射参数的主要空间频率成分集中于低频部分;空间频率域超声背散射参量最大值(MASF)与骨矿密度等参数具有中高度显著相关性(R2=0.45~0.83,p0.001);空间频率域超声背散射参量衰减系数(AC)也与松质骨密度及结构特征有显著相关性(R2=0.41~0.72,p0.001)。研究表明空间频率域变换方法有助于明确超声背散射信号随测量ROI的变化规律,空间频率域的超声背散射相关新参量评价松质骨状况具有可行性。     

基于RCA阵列三维超快超声血流成像方法仿真研究

三维超快成像是超声技术发展的重要方向.基于二维全采样阵列的传统三维成像方法需要较多成像阵元和采样通道,其紧密的阵元排列设计也客观上限制了阵列孔径大小和成像分辨率.行列寻址(row-column addressing, RCA)探头以行列检索的方式将通道数自N×N减少为N+N,从而极大地降低了阵列的硬件实现成本.本文仿真了中心频率为6MHz的128行+128列的RCA阵列,结合多角度平面波正交复合成像方法,通过延时叠加(delay and sum, DAS)波束合成、基于特征值分解(singular value decomposition, SVD)的杂波滤除和自相关多普勒速度求解算法,实现了血流仿体的多普勒成像,并分析了不同复合角度序列对成像效果的影响.定量分析表明,当角度数从5个增至33个时,–6 dB分辨率从0.986 mm提升至0.493 mm;当复合角度为17个时,功率多普勒图像的SNR可达30 dB,彩色多普勒沿直径方向的速度分布和真实值的平均误差约为26.0%.以上结果表明,基于RCA阵列的三维成像技术能够获得三维B-mode、功率多普勒和彩色多普勒图像,增大复合平面波角度...     

有监督学习的超声背散射方法在骨质评价中的应用

在超声背散射方法评价骨质的实际应用中,如何更为准确地判断测量对象是否为骨质疏松是一个重要问题。提出一种有监督学习的超声背散射评价方法,根据超声背散射离体实验的信号处理结果,对松质骨样本使用支撑向量机和自适应增强的有监督学习算法进行预测和分类。研究结果表明,有监督学习的超声背散射评价方法分类的准确率为80.00%~82.86%,并且对骨质疏松的样本具有较高的特异性(特异度>92.3%)。因此有监督学习的超声背散射评价方法具有有效性,评价效果优于现有的其它定量超声方法,对超声背散射方法的在体应用有一定帮助。      

Amplitude modulation excitation for cancellous bone evaluation using a portable ultrasonic backscatter instrumentation

The ultrasonic backscatter (UB) has the advantage of non-invasively obtaining bone density and structure, expected to be an assessment tool for early diagnosis osteoporosis. All former UB measurements were based on exciting a short single-pulse and analyzing the ultrasonic signals backscattered in bone. This study aims to examine amplitude modulation (AM) ultrasonic excitation with UB measurements for predicting bone characteristics. The AM multiple lengths excitation and backscatter measurement (AM-UB) functions were integrated into a portable ultrasonic instrument for bone characterization. The apparent integrated backscatter coefficient in the AM excitation (AIB_AM) was evaluated on the AM-UB instrumentation. The correlation coefficients of the AIB_AM estimating volume fraction (BV/TV), structure model index (SMI), and bone mineral density (BMD) were then analyzed. Significant correlations (|R| = 0.82-0.93, p < 0.05) were observed between the AIB_AM, BV/TV, SMI, and BMD. By growing the AM excitation length, the AIB_AM values exhibit more stability both in 1.0-MHz and 3.5-MHz measurements. The recommendations in AM-UB measurement were that the avoided length (T1) should be lower than AM excitation length, and the analysis length (T2) should be enough long but not more than AM excitation length. The authors conducted an AM-UB measurement for cancellous bone characterization. Increasing the AM excitation length could substantially enhance AIB_AM values stability with varying analyzed signals. The study suggests the portable AM-UB instrument with the integration of real-time analytics software that might provide a potential tool for osteoporosis early screening.