动态监测骨质疏松性微结构退化的超声全波反演方法

研究了基于全波反演(FWI)的骨骼超声层析成像方法,用于动态监测骨质疏松性微结构退化的进程。采用雌性小鼠注射药物建立骨质疏松症模型,在第0, 2, 4, 6周通过Micro-CT扫描活体小鼠,重建获得小鼠股骨骨骼结构。以第0周骨骼结构为基准输入模型,通过不同的超声收发模式(透射、反射及透射-反射双模式),仿真分析了FWI监测不同骨质疏松进程的骨微结构退化的效果。结果表明,初始模型为均匀介质(纯水)时, FWI反演失效,不能准确重建骨骼结构。初始模型中考虑了基准骨骼结构(第0周)时, FWI能准确反演骨骼组织声速(均方根误差(RMSE)<17 m/s,平均相对误差(MRE)<7.2%),精确重建骨骼结构(结构相关系数(CC)> 0.85)),因此可以准确监测不同骨质疏松进程(第2, 4, 6周)的骨微结构退化情况。对比不同超声收发模式,透射-反射双模式FWI监测骨微结构退化的性能优于单一透射或反射FWI监测方法。考虑了基准骨骼模型的FWI可用于动态监测骨微结构退化,对评估骨质疏松进展具有一定意义。     

High-resolution bone microstructure imaging based on ultrasonic frequency-domain full-waveform inversion

The main challenge in bone ultrasound imaging is the large acoustic impedance contrast and sound velocity differences between the bone and surrounding soft tissue. It is difficult for conventional pulse-echo modalities to give accurate ultrasound images for irregular bone boundaries and microstructures using uniform sound velocity assumption rather than getting a prior knowledge of sound speed. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposed a frequency-domain fullwaveform inversion(FDFWI) algorithm for bone quantitative imaging utilizing ultrasonic computed tomography(USCT).The forward model was calculated in the frequency domain by solving the full-wave equation. The inverse problem was solved iteratively from low to high discrete frequency components via minimizing a cost function between the modeled and measured data. A quasi-Newton method called the limited-memory Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno algorithm(L-BFGS) was utilized in the optimization process. Then, bone images were obtained based on the estimation of the velocity and density. The performance of the proposed method was verified by numerical examples, from tubular bone phantom to single distal fibula model, and finally with a distal tibia-fibula pair model. Compared with the high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography(HR-p QCT), the proposed FDFWI can also clearly and accurately presented the wavelength scaled pores and trabeculae in bone images. The results proved that the FDFWI is capable of reconstructing high-resolution ultrasound bone images with sub-millimeter resolution. The parametric bone images may have the potential for the diagnosis of bone disease.     

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。     

骨小梁材料特性对超声背散射信号的影响

基于时域有限差分法(FDTD)建立了松质骨的超声背散射仿真系统,研究了骨小梁材料特性对超声背散射信号的影响。首次得到松质骨中的超声背散射系数(BSC)和积分背散射系数(IBC)随骨小梁材料参数(密度、拉梅常数、黏度系数及声阻抗系数)的变化关系。研究结果表明,IBC随骨小梁密度的增加而增加;BSC和IBC随拉梅常数的增加而增加、随第一黏度系数的增加而近似线性地减小,第二黏度的变化对背散射信号的影响很小;背散射参数随阻抗系数的增加而减小。说明松质骨中的超声背散射特性不仅受骨矿密度(BMD)和骨微结构的影响,还与骨小梁的材料参数密切相关。研究结果有利于理解松质骨中超声的背散射特性,对松质骨骨质状况的评价有一定帮助。      

松质骨超声背散射信号的谱信息熵判断方法

在松质骨超声背散射评价的实际应用中,如何快速准确地判断接收到的信号中是否包含有效背散射信号是一个重要问题。提出一种基于谱信息熵的背散射信号判断方法。对在体采集的984例成人跟骨处临床数据,采用该方法判断背散射信号的有效性,将判断结果与经验判断结果进行对照分析,并分析该方法中的信号区间长度和谱信息熵分段数对判断结果的影响。结果表明,当信号区间长度为13μs,谱信息熵分段数为15~20时,该方法可以获得最佳的判断结果(准确度〉95%,灵敏度〉99%,特异度〉87%),并且计算时间极短(1.5 ms)。因此采用谱信息熵方法判断背散射信号的有效性,可以满足超声骨质评价中对准确性和实时性的要求。      

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。      

二次变换法估计骨小梁的间距

平均骨小梁间距作为松质骨微结构的重要表征参数,其值可作为诊断骨质疏松的重要参考信息。提出将二次变换法运用于骨小梁间距的估算,探究其运用于骨小梁间距估算的可行性。通过散射元仿真、时域有限差分法仿真和离体松质骨实验所得到松质骨背散射信号进行分析,同时以自回归倒谱法(AR倒谱法)、反向滤波-自回归倒谱法(反向滤波-AR倒谱法)、自适应滤波-自回归倒谱法(自适应滤波-AR倒谱法)和简易反向滤波跟踪(SIFT)算法作为对比方法进行分析,通过对比证明了其可行性和相比于其他方法的优越性。结果表明,不管是利用仿真实验还是牛胫骨的离体实验所得信号估算骨小梁间距,二次变换法比其他算法具有更强的测量稳定性和准确性。      

基于侧面热对流的LD泵浦Yb:KGd(WO4)2热透镜效应研究

基于对LD端面泵浦Yb∶KGW激光晶体工作特点的分析,建立了符合条件的激光晶体热模型.考虑晶体侧面的热对流,运用MATLAB和FORTRAN软件,通过有限差分法求解各向异性介质热传导方程,得到了该晶体的温度场分布、端面热形变分布和不同泵浦功率下的热焦距.结果表明:在泵浦功率为14 W时,泵浦面最高温度达272.8℃、最...     

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.