title: Pixel compounding: resolution-enhanced ultrasound imaging for quantitative analysis.
abstract: Accurate measurement of structural features represented in medical images is important in clinical trials and patient diagnosis. A key factor for precision is spatial resolution, which in ultrasonic imaging is limited by transducer array arrangements, transmitting frequency, and data acquisition firmware. In this paper, a variation of pixel compounding is proposed to enhance ultrasound resolution using acquired cine loops. The technique operates on a sequence of ultrasound B-scan images acquired with random motion. Subpixel registration is estimated and a maximum a posteriori (MAP) approach with the shift information is used to reconstruct a high-resolution single image. A nonhomogeneous anisotropic diffusion algorithm follows from the estimation process and is implemented to enhance the high-resolution edges. Preliminary tests using simulations and phantom studies show promising results. Pixel compounding can be a powerful preprocessing tool to assure accurate segmentation, measurement, and analysis of ultrasound images.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Theresa A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Tuthill
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Raunig
authors.forename: Martin D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Analoui
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016880:Anisotropy; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004453:Echoencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D014159:Transducers; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology