Correction of Non-Linear Propagation Artifact in Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging of Carotid Arteries: Methods and in Vitro Evaluation.
Non-linear propagation of ultrasound creates artifacts in contrast-enhanced ultrasound images that significantly affect both qualitative and quantitative assessments of tissue perfusion. This article describes the development and evaluation of a new algorithm to correct for this artifact. The correction is a post-processing method that estimates and removes non-linear artifact in the contrast-specific image using the simultaneously acquired B-mode image data. The method is evaluated on carotid artery flow phantoms with large and small vessels containing microbubbles of various concentrations at different acoustic pressures. The algorithm significantly reduces non-linear artifacts while maintaining the contrast signal from bubbles to increase the contrast-to-tissue ratio by up to 11 dB. Contrast signal from a small vessel 600 μm in diameter buried in tissue artifacts before correction was recovered after the correction.
Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Yesna O
YO
Yildiz
Division of Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Robert J
RJ
Eckersley
Department of Echocardiography, Royal Brompton Hospital, Biomedical Research Unit, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Roxy
R
Senior
Imaging Department, Charing Cross Hospital, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Adrian K P
AK
Lim
Imaging Department, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
David
D
Cosgrove
Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: mengxing.tang@imperial.ac.uk.
Meng-Xing
MX
Tang
D016477:Artifacts; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D010743:Phospholipids; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D000069453:Ultrasonic Waves; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride
Artifact correction; Contrast enhanced ultrasound; Microbubbles; Non-linear propagation artifact; Perfusion quantification