Journal ArticleDOI
Signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio and their trade-offs with resolution in axial-shear strain elastography.
Arun Thitaikumar,Arun Thitaikumar,Thomas A. Krouskop,Thomas A. Krouskop,Jonathan Ophir,Jonathan Ophir +5 more
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TLDR
It is observed that the differential estimates of the axial-shear strain involve a trade-off between the CNR(asse) (SNR(asse)) and the spatial resolution only with respect to pitch and not withrespect to signal processing parameters.Abstract:
In axial-shear strain elastography, the local axial-shear strain resulting from the application of quasi-static axial compression to an inhomogeneous material is imaged. In this paper, we investigated the image quality of the axial-shear strain estimates in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNRasse) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNRasse) using simulations and experiments. Specifically, we investigated the influence of the system parameters (beamwidth, transducer element pitch and bandwidth), signal processing parameters (correlation window length and axial window shift) and mechanical parameters (Young's modulus contrast, applied axial strain) on the SNRasse and CNRasse. The results of the study show that the CNRasse (SNRasse) is maximum for axial-shear strain values in the range of 0.005–0.03. For the inclusion/background modulus contrast range considered in this study (<10), the CNRasse (SNRasse) is maximum for applied axial compressive strain values in the range of 0.005%–0.03%. This suggests that the RF data acquired during axial elastography can be used to obtain axial-shear strain elastograms, since this range is typically used in axial elastography as well. The CNRasse (SNRasse) remains almost constant with an increase in the beamwidth while it increases as the pitch increases. As expected, the axial shift had only a weak influence on the CNRasse (SNRasse) of the axial-shear strain estimates. We observed that the differential estimates of the axial-shear strain involve a trade-off between the CNRasse (SNRasse) and the spatial resolution only with respect to pitch and not with respect to signal processing parameters. Simulation studies were performed to confirm such an observation. The results demonstrate a trade-off between CNRasse and the resolution with respect to pitch.read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Visualization of bonding at an inclusion boundary using axial-shear strain elastography: a feasibility study.
Arun Thitaikumar,Thomas A. Krouskop,Thomas A. Krouskop,Brian S. Garra,Jonathan Ophir,Jonathan Ophir +5 more
TL;DR: The overall hypothesis of this work is that the pattern of axial-shear strain distribution around the inclusion/background interface is completely determined by the bonding at the interface after normalization for inclusion size and applied strain levels, and that it is feasible to extract certain features from the axial, shear strain elastograms to quantify this pattern.
Journal ArticleDOI
Real-time quasi-static ultrasound elastography.
Graham M. Treece,JE Lindop,Lujie Chen,Lujie Chen,James Housden,Richard W. Prager,Andrew H. Gee +6 more
TL;DR: A review of the most widely adopted, non-quantitative, techniques focusing on technical innovations rather than clinical applications, as well as placing the various techniques in context according to the authors' perspective of the field.
Journal ArticleDOI
How to measure CT image quality: Variations in CT-numbers, uniformity and low contrast resolution for a CT quality assurance phantom
Kristine Gulliksrud,Caroline Stokke,Anne Catrine Trægde Martinsen,Anne Catrine Trægde Martinsen +3 more
TL;DR: The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of the most commonly used QA phantom in CT: Catphan 500/504/600, and to be aware of which phantom is used to study CT-numbers and low contrast resolution for a specific scanner.
Journal ArticleDOI
Nonlinear characterization of breast cancer using multi-compression 3D ultrasound elastography in vivo.
TL;DR: The proposed elastographic techniques can be used as a noninvasive quantitative characterization tool for breast cancer, with the capability of visualizing and separating the masses in a three dimensional space, and may reduce the number of unnecessary painful breast biopsies.
Journal ArticleDOI
Blood flow quantification in adults by phase-contrast MRI combined with SENSE--a validation study.
TL;DR: In adults, PC- MRI may be safely combined with SENSE to reduce scan time for a quantitative flow measurement in the great arteries to "30 seconds", demonstrating clinically acceptable agreement with standard PC-MRI (Bland-Altman analysis).
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