Publications by authors named "B S Garra"
Purpose: We evaluate texture quantified from ultrasound Nakagami parametric images for non-invasive characterization of breast tumors, as Nakagami images can more faithfully represent intrinsic tumor characteristics than standard B-mode images.
Approach: Parametric images were formed using sliding windows applied to ultrasound envelope data. To analyze the trade-off between spatial resolution and stability of estimated Nakagami parameters for texture quantification, two different window sizes were used for image formation: (i) the standard square window with sides equal to three times the pulse length of incident ultrasound, and (ii) a smaller square window with sides equal to exactly the pulse length.
In this study we investigate the potential of parametric images formed from ultrasound B-mode scans using the Nakagami distribution for non-invasive classification of breast lesions and characterization of breast tissue. Through a sliding window technique, we generated seven types of Nakagami images for each patient scan in our dataset using basic and as well as derived parameters of the Nakagami distribution. To determine the suitable window size for image generation, we conducted an empirical analysis using 4 windows, which includes 3 column windows of lengths 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Respiratory illness is a leading cause of morbidity in adults and the number one cause of mortality in children, yet billions of people lack access to medical imaging to assist in its diagnosis. Although ultrasound is highly sensitive and specific for respiratory illness such as pneumonia, its deployment is limited by a lack of sonographers. As a solution, we tested a standardised lung ultrasound volume sweep imaging (VSI) protocol based solely on external body landmarks performed by individuals without prior ultrasound experience after brief training.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Hepatic and biliary diseases are common globally, but many lack access to diagnostic imaging; this study explored using asynchronous telediagnostic ultrasound in rural areas by untrained individuals to increase accessibility.
- The teleultrasound system used a tablet app and volume sweep imaging to allow non-experts to perform ultrasound scans, which were later interpreted remotely by experienced radiologists in the U.S.
- Results showed that while 36.8% of scans had poor quality, 95% agreement was found between remote and standard radiologist assessments in identifying whether scans were normal or abnormal for those deemed acceptable or excellent quality.
Purpose: Thyroid ultrasound is a key tool in the evaluation of the thyroid, but billions of people around the world lack access to ultrasound imaging. In this study, we tested an asynchronous telediagnostic ultrasound system operated by individuals without prior ultrasound training which may be used to effectively evaluate the thyroid and improve access to imaging worldwide.
Methods: The telediagnostic system in this study utilizes volume sweep imaging (VSI), an imaging technique in which the operator scans the target region with simple sweeps of the ultrasound probe based on external body landmarks.