K. Kirk Shung

Scattering of Ultrasound by Blood

The ultrasonic volumetric scattering cross section of the erythrocyte has been measured over a range of frequencies by comparing the rms value of the gated backscattered signal from the blood with that of a wave reflected from a flat reflector with known reflection coefficient. It is found to be proportional to the fourth power of the frequency predicted by the wave scattering theory for small particles in the frequency range from 5 MHz to 15 MHz. The relation between the scattering coefficient and the hematocrit is also examined up to a hematocrit of 45 percent. This coefficient is found to increase along with the hematocrit until it reaches a maximum around hematocrit = 26 percent and then decreases as the hematocrit increases. Twerskys wave scattering theory is applied to describe this result.

A 30-MHz piezo-composite ultrasound array for medical imaging applications

Ultrasound imaging at frequencies above 20 MHz is capable of achieving improved resolution in clinical applications requiring limited penetration depth. High frequency arrays that allow real-time imaging are desired for these applications but are not yet currently available. In this work, a method for fabricating fine-scale 2-2 composites suitable for 30-MHz linear array transducers was successfully demonstrated. High thickness coupling, low mechanical loss, and moderate electrical loss were achieved. This piezo-composite was incorporated into a 30-MHz array that included acoustic matching, an elevation focusing lens, electrical matching, and an air-filled kerf between elements. Bandwidths near 60%, 15-dB insertion loss, and crosstalk less than -30 dB were measured. Images of both a phantom and an ex vivo human eye were acquired using a synthetic aperture reconstruction method, resulting in measured lateral and axial resolutions of approximately 100 /spl mu/m.

Ultrasonic Scattering in Biological Tissues

Introduction (K. Kirk Shung). Clinical Relevance of Scattering (Gary Thieme). Biological Tissues as Ultrasonic Scattering Media (K.K. Shung and G. Thieme). Acoustic Scattering Theory Applied to Soft Biological Tissues (M.F. Insana and D.G. Brown). Theoretical Models of Ultrasonic Scattering in Blood (L.Y.L. Mo and R.S.C. Cobbold). Standard Substitution Methods for Measuring Ultrasonic Scattering in Tissues (J.M. Reid). Method of Determination of Acoustic Backscatter and Attenuation Coefficients Independent of Depth and Instrumentation (E.L. Madsen). Measurement System Effects in Ultrasonic Scattering Experiments (R.C. Waag and J.P. Astheimer). In Vitro Experimental Results on Ultrasonic Scattering in Biological Tissues (K.K. Shung). Cardiovascular Tissue Characterization In Vivo (S.A. Wickline, J.E. Perez, and J.G. Miller). In Vivo Liver and Splenic Tissue Characterization by Scattering (Brian Garra). In Vivo Ophthalmological Tissue Characterization by Scattering (F.L. Lizzi and E.J. Fellepa). Fetal Lung Tissue Characterization by Scattering (G.A. Thieme, P.L. Carson, C.R. Meyer, and R. Bowerman). Backscatter Imaging (J. Zagzebski, L.X. Yao, E.J. Boote, and Z.F. Lu). Index.

Design of efficient, broadband single-element (20-80 MHz) ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging applications

This paper discusses the design, fabrication, and testing of sensitive broadband lithium niobate (LiNbO/sub 3/) single-element ultrasonic transducers in the 20-80 MHz frequency range. Transducers of varying dimensions were built for an f# range of 2.0-3.1. The desired focal depths were achieved by either casting an acoustic lens on the transducer face or press-focusing the piezoelectric into a spherical curvature. For designs that required electrical impedance matching, a low impedance transmission line coaxial cable was used. All transducers were tested in a pulse-echo arrangement, whereby the center frequency, bandwidth, insertion loss, and focal depth were measured. Several transducers were fabricated with center frequencies in the 20-80 MHz range with the measured -6 dB bandwidths and two-way insertion loss values ranging from 57 to 74% and 9.6 to 21.3 dB, respectively. Both transducer focusing techniques proved successful in producing highly sensitive, high-frequency, single-element, ultrasonic-imaging transducers. In vivo and in vitro ultrasonic backscatter microscope (UBM) images of human eyes were obtained with the 50 MHz transducers. The high sensitivity of these devices could possibly allow for an increase in depth of penetration, higher image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and improved image contrast at high frequencies when compared to previously reported results.

Development of a 35-MHz piezo-composite ultrasound array for medical imaging

This paper discusses the development of a 64-element 35-MHz composite ultrasonic array. This array was designed primarily for ocular imaging applications, and features 2-2 composite elements mechanically diced out of a fine-grain high-density Navy Type VI ceramic. Array elements were spaced at a 50-micron pitch, interconnected via a custom flexible circuit and matched to the 50-ohm system electronics via a 75-ohm transmission line coaxial cable. Elevation focusing was achieved using a cylindrically shaped epoxy lens. One functional 64-element array was fabricated and tested. Bandwidths averaging 55%, 23-dB insertion loss, and crosstalk less than -24 dB were measured. An image of a tungsten wire target phantom was acquired using a synthetic aperture reconstruction algorithm. The results from this imaging test demonstrate resolution exceeding 50 /spl mu/m axially and 100 /spl mu/m laterally.

Simultaneous functional photoacoustic and ultrasonic endoscopy of internal organs in vivo

At present, clinicians routinely apply ultrasound endoscopy in a variety of interventional procedures that provide treatment solutions for diseased organs. Ultrasound endoscopy not only produces high-resolution images, but also is safe for clinical use and broadly applicable. However, for soft tissue imaging, its mechanical wave–based image contrast fundamentally limits its ability to provide physiologically specific functional information. By contrast, photoacoustic endoscopy possesses a unique combination of functional optical contrast and high spatial resolution at clinically relevant depths, ideal for imaging soft tissues. With these attributes, photoacoustic endoscopy can overcome the current limitations of ultrasound endoscopy. Moreover, the benefits of photoacoustic imaging do not come at the expense of existing ultrasound functions; photoacoustic endoscopy systems are inherently compatible with ultrasound imaging, thereby enabling multimodality imaging with complementary contrast. Here we present simultaneous photoacoustic and ultrasonic dual-mode endoscopy and show its ability to image internal organs in vivo, thus illustrating its potential clinical application.

Photoacoustic ophthalmoscopy for in vivo retinal imaging

We have developed a non-invasive photoacoustic ophthalmoscopy (PAOM) for in vivo retinal imaging. PAOM detects the photoacoustic signal induced by pulsed laser light shined onto the retina. By using a stationary ultrasonic transducer in contact with the eyelids and scanning only the laser light across the retina, PAOM provides volumetric imaging of the retinal micro-vasculature and retinal pigment epithelium at a high speed. For B-scan frames containing 256 A-lines, the current PAOM has a frame rate of 93 Hz, which is comparable with state-of-the-art commercial spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). By integrating PAOM with SD-OCT, we further achieved OCT-guided PAOM, which can provide multi-modal retinal imaging simultaneously. The capabilities of this novel technology were demonstrated by imaging both the microanatomy and microvasculature of the rat retina in vivo.

Interlaboratory comparison of ultrasonic backscatter, attenuation, and speed measurements.

In a study involving 10 different sites, independent results of measurements of ultrasonic properties on equivalent tissue‐mimicking samples are reported and compared. The properties measured were propagation speed, attenuation coefficients, and backscatter coefficients. Reasonably good agreement exists for attenuation coefficients, but less satisfactory results were found for propagation speeds. As anticipated, agreement was not impressive in the case of backscatter coefficients. Results for four sites agreed rather well in both absolute values and frequency dependence, and results from other sites were lower by as much as an order of magnitude. The study is valuable for laboratories doing quantitative studies.

Effect of flow disturbance on ultrasonic backscatter from blood

Due to the better resolution and performance provided by the new generation of real-time high resolution ultrasonic scanners, blood now becomes a tissue which can also be visualized ultrasonically. There is strong experimental evidence indicating that the echogenicity of blood is increased as a result of erythrocyte aggregation. In this paper, we will show that flow disturbance may also play a significant role in influencing blood ultrasonic backscatter or echogenicity. Our results indicate that the introduction of turbulent flow can cause ultrasonic backscatter from erythrocyte suspensions to increase appreciably for hematocrits greater than 10%. We will also show that this increase may be correlated to the turbulent intensity. Moreover, the scattering peak is observed to shift to lower hematocrits when turbulence is eliminated. Experimental results obtained for uniform flow are in excellent agreement with theoretical models for small spherical scatterers which predict a scattering maximum at a hematocrit of 13%.

Ultrasonic transducers and arrays

Ultrasonic imaging is one of the most important and still growing diagnostic tools in use today. To better understand transducer/array performance and some of the factors that prevent ultrasonic imagers from reaching higher resolution, this article reviews past achievements and current developments in the technology, including piezoelectric materials, transducer/array fabrication and design, and modeling. It is concluded that the array or transducer is a crucial part of an ultrasonic imaging system. Although much progress has been made in recent years to improve performance, it is still a limiting factor in preventing ultrasonic imaging systems from reaching their theoretical resolution. Investigations into novel piezoelectric materials, array stack architecture design, and modeling are being pursued. In the future, it is likely that multidimensional arrays will gradually replace linear arrays as the industry standard.