Parallelization and performance of 3D ultrasound imaging beamforming algorithms on modern clusters

To diagnose scoliosis, the standing radiograph with Cobb’s method is the gold standard for clinical practice. Recently, three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging, which is radiation-free and inexpensive, has been demonstrated to be reliable for the assessment of scoliosis and validated by several groups. A portable 3D ultrasound system for scoliosis assessment is very much demanded, as it can further extend its potential applications for scoliosis screening, diagnosis, monitoring, treatment outcome measurement, and progress prediction. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of a newly developed portable 3D ultrasound imaging system, Scolioscan Air, for scoliosis assessment using coronal images it generated. The system was comprised of a handheld probe and tablet PC linking with a USB cable, and the probe further included a palm-sized ultrasound module together with a low-profile optical spatial sensor. A plastic phantom with three different angle structures built-in was used to evaluate the accuracy of measurement by positioning in 10 different orientations. Then, 19 volunteers with scoliosis (13F and 6M; Age: 13.6 ± 3.2 years) with different severity of scoliosis were assessed. Each subject underwent scanning by a commercially available 3D ultrasound imaging system, Scolioscan, and the portable 3D ultrasound imaging system, with the same posture on the same date. The spinal process angles (SPA) were measured in the coronal images formed by both systems and compared with each other. The angle phantom measurement showed the measured angles well agreed with the designed values, 59.7 ± 2.9 vs. 60 degrees, 40.8 ± 1.9 vs. 40 degrees, and 20.9 ± 2.1 vs. 20 degrees. For the subject tests, results demonstrated that there was a very good agreement between the angles obtained by the two systems, with a strong correlation (R2 = 0.78) for the 29 curves measured. The absolute difference between the two data sets was 2.9 ± 1.8 degrees. In addition, there was a small mean difference of 1.2 degrees, and the differences were symmetrically distributed around the mean difference according to the Bland–Altman test. Scolioscan Air was sufficiently comparable to Scolioscan in scoliosis assessment, overcoming the space limitation of Scolioscan and thus providing wider applications. Further studies involving a larger number of subjects are worthwhile to demonstrate its potential clinical values for the management of scoliosis.

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3D ultrasound imaging: Some clinical results A. Collet Billon, Y. Le Guérinel and P. Rua, Laboratoires d'Electronique Philips, 3, avenue Descartes, 94451 Limeil-Brévannes Cedex, France

Ultrasonic Imaging ◽

10.1016/0161-7346(90)90212-g ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 152

Keyword(s):

Ultrasound Imaging ◽

Clinical Results ◽

3D Ultrasound

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Ultrasound detection using optical interferometry

10.32920/ryerson.14651565 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nusrat Jahan Surovy

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Ultrasound Imaging ◽

Detection System ◽

Incidence Angle ◽

Low Cost ◽

3D Ultrasound ◽

Attractive Alternative ◽

Simulation Results ◽

Exerted Pressure ◽

Piezoelectric Devices

Ultrasound imaging is a widely used noninvasive imaging technique for biomedical and other applications. Piezoelectric devices are commonly used for the generation and detection of ultrasound in these applications. However, implementation of two-dimensional arrays of piezoelectric transducers for 3D ultrasound imaging is complex and expensive. Optical Fabry-Perot interferometry is an attractive alternative to the piezoelectric devices for detection of ultrasound. In this method a thin film etalon is constructed and used. Light reflected from the two surfaces of this thin film produces an intensity which depends on the film thickness. When ultrasound is incident on the film, it changes the thickness of the film and consequently modulates the light intensity on the film. In our work, we made two types of etalon (Finesse 2) for our experiment. We detected lower frequency ultrasound (0.5 MHz or 1 MHz) using the build etalon. We determined a linear relationship between the strength of the optical signals and the exerted pressure on a film by the ultrasound. The dependence of the etalon performance on the light wavelength was demonstrated indirectly by measuring the signal at various light incidence angle. Simulation results are also presented. Lastly, we proposed the optimum design of this detection system based on the simulation results. This method of ultrasound detection can be a potential low-cost approach for 3D ultrasound imaging.

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Review on automated follicle identification for polycystic ovarian syndrome

Bulletin of Electrical Engineering and Informatics ◽

10.11591/eei.v9i2.2089 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A A Nazarudin ◽

Noraishikin Zulkarnain ◽

A. Hussain ◽

S. S. Mokri ◽

I. N. A. M. Nordin

Keyword(s):

Performance Evaluation ◽

Ultrasound Imaging ◽

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome ◽

Speckle Noise ◽

Future Research ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Time Consumption ◽

Non Invasive ◽

And Performance ◽

Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), is a condition of the ovary consisting numerous follicles. Accurate size and number of follicles detected are crucial for treatment. Hence the diagnosis of this condition is by measuring and calculating the size and number of follicles existed in the ovary. For diagnosis, ultrasound imaging has become an effective tool as it is non-invasive, inexpensive and portable. However, the presence of speckle noise in ultrasound imaging has caused an obstruction for manual diagnosis which are high time consumption and often produce errors. Thus, image segmentation for ultrasound imaging is critical to identify follicles for PCOS diagnosis and proper health treatment. This paper presents different methods proposed and applied in automated follicle identification for PCOS diagnosis by previous researchers. In this paper, the methods and performance evaluation are identified and compared. Finally, this paper also provided suggestions in developing methods for future research.

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