Full angle spatial compounding for improved replenishment analyses in contrast perfusion imaging: in vitro studies.
For contrast enhanced perfusion imaging semi-quantitative methods (such as the bolus-, replenishment- or depletion-method) are commonly used to analyze the dynamic changes in concentration of contrast agent induced by insonification. In order to apply these methods and to decrease artifacts from tissue nonlinearity, perfusion imaging is conducted using decreased transmit power. However, echo signals from deeper structures are often too weak to be successfully analyzed. Furthermore, shadowing artifacts may occur as a result of high concentration of contrast agent in the beam path. Thus, those semi-quantitative methods often fail or yield ambiguous diagnoses. Imaging an object (e.g., the female breast) from multiple viewing angles (spatial compounding) may overcome these issues. In addition, spatial compounding achieves an isotropic resolution and reduces speckle and further common artifacts. In this paper we present results obtained from a combination of spatial compounding with contrast enhanced perfusion imaging. Applying the replenishment method, we extracted perfusion-related parameters and compared the conventional parametric images with the compound parametric images. We found that the compounded parametric images outperform the conventional images due to reduced noise and suppression of artifacts.
Hansen
Christian
C
Institute for High Frequency Engineering, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. christian.hansen@rub.de
Hüttebräuker
Nils
N
Wilkening
Wilko
W
Brunke
Shelby
S
Ermert
Helmut
H
D000465:Algorithms; D003287:Contrast Media; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D010477:Perfusion / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media