title: A new method for the acquisition of ultrasonic strain image volumes.
abstract: This article presents a new method for acquiring three-dimensional (3-D) volumes of ultrasonic axial strain data. The method uses a mechanically-swept probe to sweep out a single volume while applying a continuously varying axial compression. Acquisition of a volume takes 15-20 s. A strain volume is then calculated by comparing frame pairs throughout the sequence. The method uses strain quality estimates to automatically pick out high quality frame pairs, and so does not require careful control of the axial compression. In a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, we quantify the image quality of the new method and also assess its ease of use. Results are compared with those for the current best alternative, which calculates strain between two complete volumes. The volume pair approach can produce high quality data, but skillful scanning is required to acquire two volumes with appropriate relative strain. In the new method, the automatic quality-weighted selection of image pairs overcomes this difficulty and the method produces superior quality images with a relatively relaxed scanning technique.
authors.affiliation: University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering, Cambridge, United Kingdom. rjh80@eng.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: R James
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Housden
authors.forename: Lujie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Gee
authors.forename: Graham M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Treece
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Uff
authors.forename: Jeremie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fromageau
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Prager
authors.forename: Neil L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Dorward
authors.forename: Jeffrey C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bamber
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D009929:Organ Size; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity