title: An adaptive filter to approximate the Bayesian strategy for sonographic beamforming.
abstract: A first-principles task-based approach to the design of medical ultrasonic imaging systems for breast lesion discrimination is described. This study explores a new approximation to the ideal Bayesian observer strategy that allows for object heterogeneity. The new method, called iterative Wiener filtering, is implemented using echo data simulations and a phantom study. We studied five lesion features closely associated with visual discrimination for clinical diagnosis. A series of human observer measurements for the same image data allowed us to quantitatively compare alternative beamforming strategies through measurements of visual discrimination efficiency. Employing the Smith-Wagner model observer, we were able to breakdown efficiency estimates and identify the processing stage at which performance losses occur. The methods were implemented using a commercial scanner and a cyst phantom to explore development of spatial filters for systems with shift-variant impulse response functions. Overall we found that significant improvements were realized over standard B-mode images using a delay-and-sum beamformer but at the cost of higher complexity and computational load.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. nnguyen6@illinois.edu
authors.forename: Nghia Q
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Craig K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Abbey
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Insana
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012984:Software; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000379:methods*