-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Three-dimensional ultrasound images (3DUS), having two spatial and one temporal dimension, were taken of the brachial artery during baseline conditions, in the transverse and longitudinal planes. The transverse images were analyzed by three different techniques used to quantify flow-mediated dilation (FMD): (1) measuring vessel area manually (TIMA), (2) measuring vessel area semi-automatically (TISA) and (3) measuring vessel diameter (TID). The inter- and intra-observer variability and transducer repositioning variability of each method were compared to each other and to the variability of measurements taken using the traditional method of measuring vessel FMD through measuring vessel diameter on longitudinal images (LID). The percent coefficient-of-variation describing the inter-observer variability (COV(inter)) was similar for the methods, indicating that each method was equally reproducible by the different observers. The percent coefficient-of-variation describing the intra-observer variability (COV(intra)) and the smallest detectable percent change in diameter (Δd(intra)) for each method indicated that TID was the most precise at measuring vessel diameter, and could measure the smallest changes in diameter between successive measurements (COV(intra) = 0.31%, Δd(intra) = 0.87%). LID performed the poorest (COV(intra) = 0.57%, Δd(intra) = 1.59%). The percent coefficient-of-variation describing transducer repositioning (COV(rep)) and the smallest detectable percent change in FMD over time (ΔFMD) for each method indicated that TIMA was the most reproducible method (COV(rep) = 2.35%, ΔFMD = 6.52%) closely followed by TISA. TID performed the poorest (COV(rep) = 5.37%, ΔFMD = 14.89%). TIMA and TISA were found not to be statistically different so we suggest TISA as the method of choice to maximize reproducibility between measurements over time, as it is faster and simpler to perform. In each experiment it was clear that transverse imaging introduced equal or less variability into diameter measurements as compared to longitudinal imaging and we suggest this imaging plane be used in all assessments of FMD.
Physics in Medicine and Biology 11/2010; 55(21):6501-14. · 2.83 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Ultrasound imaging is an economical and noninvasive technique for studying musculoskeletal diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Duchenne muscular dystrophy results from the loss of the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin. This in turn increases muscle susceptibility to injury, resulting in myofiber membrane leakage, inflammation, and degeneration. The purpose of this study was to detect dystrophic changes in muscle noninvasively. High-frequency ultrasound (HFU; 40 MHz) was used to obtain a resolution of 80 microm, which is not achievable with lower-frequency clinical scanners.
Using HFU, we were able to visualize musculoskeletal abnormalities as hyperechoic lesions within the dystrophic muscle. To validate the imaging findings, fiducial markers were placed in close proximity to lesions under HFU guidance. The nature of the lesion was then investigated histologically. This was repeated in the lower limbs of 10 mdx (mutated dystrophin gene) mice, a transgenic murine model of DMD.
The abnormalities in the dystrophic muscle consisted of large influxes of leukocytic infiltrates, fibrotic scars, and calcified lesions.
Although macrophages and fibrosis are commonly noted in DMD, to our knowledge, the presence of intramuscular calcific necrosis in dystrophic muscle has not been reported. This novel dystrophic feature of muscle degeneration may be useful in longitudinal studies of murine DMD and regenerative studies.
Journal of ultrasound in medicine: official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine 03/2010; 29(3):367-75. · 1.25 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical utility of a portable three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) system to be used for surgical guidance of lumpectomy surgeries. In 11%-60% of lumpectomy surgeries, a second surgery is required to fully resect the tumor. Previous studies have used 3DUS as a guidance tool with the hope of more accuracy in resecting the entire tumor during the first surgery. However, they utilized larger systems, which are not easily integrated into the operating room.
The portable 3DUS scanning system we developed consisted of a motorized "tilt" scanner coupled to a Terason t3000 portable ultrasound machine (Terason Ultrasound, Burlington, MA). The 3DUS system was evaluated by measuring agar "tumor" phantoms of known volumes and acquiring and segmenting images from nine patients undergoing lumpectomy.
Experiments on simulated agar tumor phantoms have shown that our device could be used to measure objects with smooth, well-defined boundaries of known volume with an error of 3%. It was possible to view and segment estimated tumor margins from the clinical images in three dimensions. Correspondence between measurements obtained in the laboratory and the operating room varied with tumor geometry and the degree of spiculation in the ultrasound image. The measured values obtained by the system did not correspond closely with those obtained using histology. However, a more accurate histological measurement using 3D histology may provide a better basis for comparison.
The results of imaging simulated agar tumor phantoms indicate the system's consistency in measuring objects of known volume and geometry. The system could be used for segmenting the approximate boundary of lumpectomy patients' breast tumors relative to inserted guide wires. The potential advantages of this system are a reduction in the number of re-excision surgeries required and a reduction in the operative time with the patient under anesthesia.
Medical Physics 02/2010; 37(2):564-70. · 2.83 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Breast-conserving surgery combined with subsequent radiation therapy is a standard procedure in breast cancer treatment. The disadvantage of whole-breast beam irradiation is that it requires 20-25 treatment days, which is inconvenient for patients with limited mobility or who reside far from the treatment center. However, interstitial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is an irradiation method requiring only 5 treatment days and that delivers a lower radiation dose to the surrounding healthy tissue. It involves delivering radiation through 192Ir seeds placed inside the catheters, which are inserted into the breast. The catheters are attached to a HDR afterloader, which controls the seed placement within the catheters and irradiation times to deliver the proper radiation dose. One disadvantage of using HDR brachytherapy is that it requires performing at least one CT scan during treatment planning. The procedure at our institution involves the use of two CT scans. Performing CT scans requires moving the patient from the brachytherapy suite with catheters inserted in their breasts. One alternative is using three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) to image the patient. In this study, the authors developed a 3DUS translation scanning system for use in breast brachytherapy. The new system was validated using CT, the current clinical standard, to image catheters in a breast phantom. Once the CT and 3DUS images were registered, the catheter trajectories were then compared. The results showed that the average angular separation between catheter trajectories was 2.4 degrees, the average maximum trajectory separation was 1.0 mm, and the average mean trajectory separation was found to be 0.7 mm. In this article, the authors present the 3DUS translation scanning system's capabilities as well as its potential to be used as the primary treatment planning imaging modality in breast brachytherapy.
Medical Physics 11/2009; 36(11):5099-106. · 2.83 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: This study used high-frequency ultrasound (HFU) imaging to assess muscle damage noninvasively in a longitudinal study of 2 transgenic murine models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): mdx, which has mutated cytoskeletal protein dystrophin; and udx, which has mutated dystrophin and lacks another cytoskeleton protein, utrophin. The mdx group was further subdivided into exercised and nonexercised subgroups to assess exercise-induced damage.
Muscle damage was assessed with HFU imaging (40 MHz) at biweekly intervals for 16 weeks. The assessment was based on the number of hyperechoic lesions, the lesion diameter, and muscle disorganization, giving a combined grade according to a 5-point scale.
High-frequency ultrasound discriminated the severity of muscle damage between wild-type and transgenic models of DMD and between mdx and udx models. Qualitative comparisons of 3-dimensional HFU images with serial histologic sections of the skeletal muscle showed the ability of ultrasound to accurately depict changes seen in the muscle architecture in vivo.
High-frequency ultrasound images soft tissue in mice at high contrast and spatial resolution, thereby showing that this microimaging modality has the capability to assess architectural changes in muscle fibers due to myotonic dystrophy-related diseases such as DMD.
Journal of ultrasound in medicine: official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine 07/2009; 28(6):707-16. · 1.25 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Ultrasound has been the greatest imaging modality worldwide for many years by equipment purchase value and by number of machines and examinations. It is becoming increasingly the front end imaging modality; serving often as an extension of the physician's fingers. We believe that at the other extreme, high-end systems will continue to compete with all other imaging modalities in imaging departments to be the method of choice for various applications, particularly where safety and cost are paramount. Therapeutic ultrasound, in addition to the physiotherapy practiced for many decades, is just coming into its own as a major tool in the long progression to less invasive interventional treatment. The physics of medical ultrasound has evolved over many fronts throughout its history. For this reason, a topical review, rather than a primarily chronological one is presented. A brief review of medical ultrasound imaging and therapy is presented, with an emphasis on the contributions of medical physicists, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and its publications, particularly its journal Medical Physics. The AAPM and Medical Physics have contributed substantially to training of physicists and engineers, medical practitioners, technologists, and the public.
Medical Physics 03/2009; 36(2):411-28. · 2.83 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To allow a more objective interpretation of 3D carotid bifurcation images, we have implemented and evaluated on patient data, automated volume registration of 3D magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), 3D power Doppler (PD) ultrasound, and 3D B-mode ultrasound. Our algorithm maximizes the mutual information between the thresholded intensities of the MRA and PD images. The Bmode images, acquired simultaneously in the same orientation as PD, are registered to the MRA using the transformation obtained from the MRA-PD registration. To test the algorithm we misaligned clinical ultrasound images and simulated mismatches between the datasets due to different appearances of diseased vessels by removing 3D sections of voxels from each of the paired scans. All registrations were assessed visually using integrated 3D volume, surface, and 2D slice display. 97% of images misaligned within a range of 40 and 40 pixels were correctly registered. The deviation from the mean registration parameters due to the simulated defects was 1.62.5, 1.51.6 pixels in X ,Y and 0.70.7 pixels in Z direction. The algorithm can be used to register carotid images with misalignment range of 40 pixels in X, Y directions, 10 pixels in Z direction and 40 rotations, even in the case of different image appearances due to vessel stenoses. Keywords: Image registration, ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiography 1.
04/2000;
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Prostate biopsy (Bx) has for 3 decades been performed in a systematic, but blind fashion using 2D ultrasound (US). Herein is described the initial clinical evaluation of a 3D Bx tracking and targeting device (Artemis; Eigen, Grass Valley, CA). Our main objective was to test accuracy of the new 3D method in men undergoing first and follow-up Bx to rule out prostate cancer (CaP).
Patients in the study were men ages 35-87 years (66.1 ± 9.9), scheduled for Bx to rule out CaP, who entered into an IRB-approved protocol. A total of 218 subjects underwent conventional trans-rectal US (TRUS); the tracking system was then attached to the US probe; the prostate was scanned and a 3D reconstruction was created. All Bx sites were visualized in 3D and tracked electronically. In 11 men, a pilot study was conducted to test ability of the device to return a Bx to an original site. In 47 men, multi-parametric 3 Tesla MRI, incorporating T2-weighted images, dynamic contrast enhancement, and diffusion-weighted imaging, was performed in advance of the TRUS, allowing the stored MRI images to be fused with real-time US during biopsy. Lesions on MRI were delineated by a radiologist, assigned a grade of CaP suspicion, and fused into TRUS for biopsy targeting.
3D Bx tracking was completed successfully in 180/218 patients, with a success rate approaching 95% among the last 50 men. Average time for Bx with the Artemis device was 15 minutes with an additional 5 minutes for MRI fusion and Bx targeting. In the tracking study, an ability to return to prior Bx sites (n=32) within 1.2 ± 1.1 mm SD was demonstrated and was independent of prostate volume or location of Bx site. In the MRI fusion study, when suspicious lesions were targeted, a 33% Bx-positivity rate was found compared with a 7% positivity rate for systematic, nontargeted Bx (19/57 cores vs. 9/124 cores, P=0.03).
Use of 3D tracking and image fusion has the potential to transform MRI into a clinical tool to aid biopsy and improve current methods for diagnosis and follow-up of CaP.
Urologic Oncology 29(3):334-42. · 3.22 Impact Factor
