title: Impact of B-mode color encoding on rapid detection of ultrasound targets: an in vitro study.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact that new B-Mode color encoding schemes have on an observer's ability to rapidly detect ultrasound targets in an in vitro system. Four phantoms were created with five-, six-, or seven-tissue-density objects. Each phantom was scanned in routine grey scale (256 grey levels) and in three different color encoding algorithms. A test tape containing 3- and 5-second exposures, in random order, to the different phantoms recorded in grey and B-mode color was then prepared and viewed by 21 observers. Results were tabulated as the mean number of absolute errors in object recognition, per observer, per scan, for both the 3- and 5-second exposures. Each color scheme reduced observer detection error rates compared with error rates with grey scale recordings when viewed for 3 seconds. There was no reduction in error rates when 5-second exposures were viewed. We conclude that in an in vitro system, new B-mode color encoding schemes may facilitate rapid and accurate detection of soft-tissue targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-0022.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Marcovitz
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Segar
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D008961:Models, Structural; D009132:Muscles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*