An analysis of the segmentation threshold used in axial-shear strain elastography.

Axial-shear strain elastography was introduced recently to image the tumor-host tissue boundary bonding characteristics. The image depicting the axial-shear strain distribution in a tissue under axial compression was termed as an axial-shear strain elastogram (ASSE). It has been demonstrated through simulation, tissue-mimicking phantom experiments, and retrospective analysis of in vivo breast lesion data that metrics quantifying the pattern of axial-shear strain distribution on ASSE can be used as features for identifying the lesion boundary condition as loosely-bonded or firmly-bonded.

Method to estimate the deviation from ideal uniaxial compression during freehand elastography.

Quasi-static ultrasound elastography was introduced in the early 1990s to provide a way to visualize the mechanical properties of target tissue. Most commonly, only the axial strain is imaged and referred to as an Axial Strain Elastogram (ASE) or elastogram for simplicity. It has been shown that one can image the axial-shear strain distributions as well in addition to ASE.

Dynamic frame pairing in real-time freehand elastography.

Quasi-static ultrasound (US) elastography is now a well-established technique that involves acquiring US (RF/envelope) signals from an imaging plane before and after a small quasi-static compression to form axial strain elastograms (ASE). The image quality of the ASEs is a function of the applied axial strain. This relationship was extensively investigated and formalized in terms of strain filter in the literature.

Real-time monitoring of high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment using axial strain and axial-shear strain elastograms.

Axial strain elastograms (ASEs) have been found to help visualize sonographically invisible thermal lesions. However, in most studies involving high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)-induced thermal lesions, elastography imaging was performed separately later, after the lesion was formed. In this article, the feasibility of monitoring, in real time, tissue elasticity variation during HIFU treatment and immediately thereafter is explored using quasi-static elastography.

SonoKnife for ablation of neck tissue: in vivo verification of a computer layered medium model.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine which treatment parameters of the SonoKnife device can be used to safely and effectively perform non-invasive thermal ablation of subcutaneous tissue.

Methods: A three-dimensional computational layered medium model was constructed to simulate thermal ablation treatment of the SonoKnife device. The acoustic and thermal fields were calculated with the Fast Object-Oriented C++ Ultrasound-Simulator software and a finite difference code, respectively.

SonoKnife: feasibility of a line-focused ultrasound device for thermal ablation therapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of line-focused ultrasound for thermal ablation of superficially located tumors.

Methods: A SonoKnife is a cylindrical-section ultrasound transducer designed to radiate from its concave surface. This geometry generates a line-focus or acoustic edge.

Partially polymerized liposomes: stable against leakage yet capable of instantaneous release for remote controlled drug delivery.

A critical issue for current liposomal carriers in clinical applications is their leakage of the encapsulated drugs that are cytotoxic to non-target tissues. We have developed partially polymerized liposomes composed of polydiacetylene lipids and saturated lipids. Cross-linking of the diacetylene lipids prevents the drug leakage even at 40 °C for days.

Comparison study of three different image reconstruction algorithms for MAT-MI.

In this paper, we report a theoretical study on magnetoacoustic tomography with magnetic induction (MAT-MI). According to the description of signal generation mechanism using Green's function, the acoustic dipole model was proposed to describe acoustic source excited by the Lorentz force. Using Green's function, three kinds of reconstruction algorithms based on different models of acoustic source (potential energy, vectored acoustic pressure, and divergence of Lorenz force) are deduced and compared, and corresponding numerical simulations were conducted to compare these three kinds of reconstruction algorithms.

Reconstruction of vectorial acoustic sources in time-domain tomography.

A new theory is proposed for the reconstruction of curl-free vector field, whose divergence serves as acoustic source. The theory is applied to reconstruct vector acoustic sources from the scalar acoustic signals measured on a surface enclosing the source area. It is shown that, under certain conditions, the scalar acoustic measurements can be vectorized according to the known measurement geometry and subsequently be used to reconstruct the original vector field.

Acoustic vector tomography and its application to magnetoacoustic tomography with magnetic induction (MAT-MI).

A new tomographic algorithm for reconstructing a curl-free vector field, whose divergence serves as acoustic source is proposed. It is shown that under certain conditions, the scalar acoustic measurements obtained from a surface enclosing the source area can be vectorized according to the known measurement geometry and then be used to reconstruct the vector field. The proposed method is validated by numerical experiments.

Confocal dual-frequency enhances the damaging effect of high-intensity focused ultrasound in tissue-mimicking phantom.

The volume of the lesions created by conventional single-frequency high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is small, which leads to long treatment duration in patients who are undergoing tumor ablation. In this study, the lesions induced by confocal dual-frequency HIFU in an optically transparent tissue-mimicking phantom were investigated and compared with the lesions created by conventional single-frequency HIFU. The results show that using different exposure times resulted in lesions of different sizes in both dual-frequency and single-frequency HIFU modes at the same spatially averaged intensity level (ISAL = 4900 W cm(-2)), but the lesion dimensions made in dual-frequency mode were significantly larger than those made in single-frequency mode.

Magnetoacoustic tomographic imaging of electrical impedance with magnetic induction.

Magnetoacoustic tomography with magnetic induction (MAT-MI) is a recently introduced method for imaging tissue electrical impedance properties by integrating magnetic induction and ultrasound measurements. In the present study, we have developed a focused cylindrical scanning mode MAT-MI system and the corresponding reconstruction algorithms. Using this system, we demonstrated 3-dimensional MAT-MI imaging in a physical phantom, with cylindrical scanning combined with ultrasound focusing, and the ability of MAT-MI in imaging electrical conductivity properties of biological tissue.

Acoustic power measurement of high intensity focused ultrasound in medicine based on radiation force.

How to measure the acoustic power of HIFU is one of the most important tasks in its medical application. In the paper a whole series of formula for calculating the radiation force related to the acoustic power radiated by a single element focusing transducer and by the focusing transducer array were given. Various system of radiation force balance (RFB) to measure the acoustic power of HIFU in medicine were designed and applied in China.

Calibration of a focusing transducer and miniature hydrophone as well as acoustic power measurement based on free-field reciprocity in a spherically focused wave field.

The free-field transmitting voltage response at the pressure focus of a spherically focusing transducer was defined and calibrated based on the reciprocity theorem of a free-field spherically focused acoustic wave. The acoustic power, the radiation conductance, and the pressure at the pressure focus were derived and measured accordingly from the transmitting current response on the imaginary mirror symmetric spherical surface of the radiating surface. A miniature hydrophone was calibrated by the self-reciprocity of the spherically focusing source.