Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc.

Yassin Labyed

Liexiang Fan

David P Duncan

Seungsoo Kim

Stephen J Rosenzweig

Andrzej Milkowski

Stephen J Hsu

Kutay F Ustuner

John Benson

Manoj G Menon

For parametric ultrasound imaging with an ultrasound scanner, the values for multiple parameters are determined for tissue of a patient using ultrasound. The determination may be in response to a single activation, avoiding the user having to reconfigure and activate separately for each parameter. To assist in diagnosis, one or more indicators of quality of the measurements of the parameters are calculated and displayed to the user. To further assist in diagnosis, the measurement values for the patient are displayed relative to published or population values.

Additional diagnostic data in parametric ultrasound medical imaging

For ultrasound imaging with an ultrasound scanner, fat fraction of the tissue is measured. The fat fraction may be measured without access to channel data, such as from beamformed data. The speed of sound varies with the fat fraction of tissue, so the fat fraction is used to set the speed of sound in beamforming. Imaging the tissue using the fat fraction-based optimization for speed of sound may provide better images than imaging with an assumed speed.

Ultrasound medical imaging with optimized speed of sound based on fat fraction

Ultrasound-based estimation of disease activity, such as for NAS or other activity index for NAFLD for liver disease, is provided. Ultrasound measures acoustic scatter and shear wave propagation parameters, such as measuring acoustic backscatter coefficient, shear wave velocity, and shear wave damping ratio. A score for the disease activity is determined from these scatter and shear wave propagation parameters. The physician may be assisted by relatively inexpensive and rapid ultrasound as compared to biopsy or MRI based scoring in scoring activity of a disease, such as NAFLD. Ultrasound imaging is more readily available and less expensive and MRI, and is non-invasive.

Liver disease activity estimation with ultrasound medical imaging

For shear wave imaging with ultrasound, the apparent pulse repetition frequency is increased by combining displacements from different lateral locations. Different combinations based on different shear wave velocities and corresponding time shifts and/or attenuations and corresponding scalings are tested to find a smooth displacement profile for the combination. Once the smooth displacement profile is found, the corresponding shear wave velocity is estimated or determined.

Shear wave imaging based on ultrasound with increased pulse repetition interval

Motion independent acoustic radiation force impulse imaging is provided. Rather than rely on the displacement over time for each location, the displacements over locations for each time are used. Parallel beamforming is used to simultaneously sample across a region of interest. Since it may be assumed that the different locations are subjected to the same motion at the same time, finding a peak displacement over locations for each given time provides peak or profile information independent of the motion. The velocity or other viscoelastic parameter may be estimated from the displacements over locations.

Motion independence in acoustic radiation force impulse imaging

For quantitative ultrasound imaging with a medical diagnostic ultrasound scanner, muscle tissue is scanned in order to determine the state of contraction. Once the desired state is identified, then QUS imaging is triggered to quantify or measure a tissue property while the muscle is in the desired state. The values of the tissue property at a known state of contraction may be more diagnostically useful or informative. Comparisons of the tissue property across time and/or location may more accurately reflect diagnostic information due to the triggering.

Muscle contraction state triggering of quantitative medical diagnostic ultrasound

A system and method include control of an ultrasound system transducer to acquire an echo signal power spectrum of a region of tissue for a fundamental frequency band and an echo signal power spectrum of the region of tissue for a harmonic frequency band, wherein a center frequency of the harmonic frequency band is substantially similar to a center frequency of the fundamental frequency band, determination of a first backscatter coefficient based on the echo signal power spectrum of the region of tissue for a fundamental frequency band and an echo signal power spectrum of a reference phantom for the fundamental frequency band, determination of a value representing a second backscatter coefficient and a non-linearity term associated with the region of tissue based on the echo signal power spectrum of the region of tissue for the harmonic frequency band and an echo signal power spectrum of the reference phantom for the harmonic frequency band, determination of the non-linearity term associated with the region of tissue based on the first backscatter coefficient and the value, and display the second backscatter coefficient, the non-linearity term, and a B-mode image of the region of tissue.

Quantitative ultrasound using fundamental and harmonic signals

In backscatter coefficient imaging, a backscatter coefficient of one region of interest relative another region of interest is used to avoid calibration. The system effects are removed by using a frequency-dependent measure of the backscatter. The relative frequency-dependent backscatter coefficient is determined by an ultrasound scanner.

Relative backscatter coefficient in medical diagnostic ultrasound

For tissue property estimation with ultrasound, multiple different types of measurements are performed by an ultrasound system, including scatter measurements and shear wave propagation measurements. The tissue property, such as liver fat fraction, is estimated using a combination of these different types of measurements.

Tissue property estimation with ultrasound medical imaging

Shear wave imaging based on ultrasound with increased pulse repetition frequency

Frequency is swept in acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) scanning. Different frequencies are used at different times during the ARFI. For example, different frequencies are focused to different depths in the ARFI transmit beam. Since the frequency sweep is used for the ARFI pushing pulse rather than a transmit pulse for which echoes are received, the rate of change of the frequency is not dictated by the speed of sound. The rate of change of the frequency may be adjustable or set based on other factors, such as the type of tissue. In combination with a time varying focal position, the frequency sweep may better compensate for loss as compared to a focus sweep alone. The frequency sweep may better compensate for loss as compared to a single point focus ARFI.

Frequency sweep for acoustic radiation force impulse

A system and method include storage of an echo signal power spectrum of a reference phantom for a fundamental frequency band and an echo signal power spectrum of the reference phantom for a harmonic frequency band, acquisition of an echo signal power spectrum of a region of tissue for the fundamental frequency band and an echo signal power spectrum of the region of tissue for the harmonic frequency band, determination of a first backscatter coefficient based on the echo signal power spectrum of the region of tissue for the fundamental frequency band and the echo signal power spectrum of the reference phantom for the fundamental frequency band, determination of a second backscatter coefficient based on the echo signal power spectrum of the region of tissue for the harmonic frequency band and the echo signal power spectrum of the reference phantom for the harmonic frequency band, and determination of a non-linearity of the region of tissue based on the first backscatter coefficient and the second backscatter coefficient.

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Maple Valley, WA, United States of America

Yassin Labyed