Urvi Vyas

Ultrasound beam simulations in inhomogeneous tissue geometries using the hybrid angular spectrum method

The angular spectrum method is a fast, accurate and computationally efficient method for modeling wave propagation. However, the traditional angular spectrum method assumes that the region of propagation has homogenous properties. In this paper, the angular spectrum method is extended to calculate ultrasound wave propagation in inhomogeneous tissue geometries, important for clinical efficacy, patient safety, and treatment reliability in MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery. The inhomogeneous tissue region to be modeled is segmented into voxels, each voxel having a unique speed of sound, attenuation coefficient, and density. The pressure pattern in the 3-D model is calculated by alternating between the space domain and the spatial-frequency domain for each plane of voxels in the model. The new technique was compared with the finite-difference time-domain technique for a model containing attenuation, refraction, and reflection and for a segmented human breast model; although yielding essentially the same pattern, it results in a reduction in calculation times of at least two orders of magnitude.

The effects of spatial sampling choices on MR temperature measurements

The purpose of this article is to quantify the effects that spatial sampling parameters have on the accuracy of magnetic resonance temperature measurements during high intensity focused ultrasound treatments. Spatial resolution and position of the sampling grid were considered using experimental and simulated data for two different types of high intensity focused ultrasound heating trajectories (a single point and a 4‐mm circle) with maximum measured temperature and thermal dose volume as the metrics. It is demonstrated that measurement accuracy is related to the curvature of the temperature distribution, where regions with larger spatial second derivatives require higher resolution. The location of the sampling grid relative temperature distribution has a significant effect on the measured values. When imaging at 1.0 × 1.0 × 3.0 mm3 resolution, the measured values for maximum temperature and volume dosed to 240 cumulative equivalent minutes (CEM) or greater varied by 17% and 33%, respectively, for the single‐point heating case, and by 5% and 18%, respectively, for the 4‐mm circle heating case. Accurate measurement of the maximum temperature required imaging at 1.0 × 1.0 × 3.0 mm3 resolution for the single‐point heating case and 2.0 × 2.0 × 5.0 mm3 resolution for the 4‐mm circle heating case. Magn Reson Med, 2011.

Design and characterization of a laterally mounted phased-array transducer breast-specific MRgHIFU device with integrated 11-channel receiver array

PURPOSE This work presents the design and preliminary evaluation of a new laterally mounted phased-array MRI-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) system with an integrated 11-channel phased-array radio frequency (RF) coil intended for breast cancer treatment. The design goals for the system included the ability to treat the majority of tumor locations, to increase the MR images signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) throughout the treatment volume and to provide adequate comfort for the patient. METHODS In order to treat the majority of the breast volume, the device was designed such that the treated breast is suspended in a 17-cm diameter treatment cylinder. A laterally shooting 1-MHz, 256-element phased-array ultrasound transducer with flexible positioning is mounted outside the treatment cylinder. This configuration achieves a reduced water volume to minimize RF coil loading effects, to position the coils closer to the breast for increased signal sensitivity, and to reduce the MR image noise associated with using water as the coupling fluid. This design uses an 11-channel phased-array RF coil that is placed on the outer surface of the cylinder surrounding the breast. Mechanical positioning of the transducer and electronic steering of the focal spot enable placement of the ultrasound focus at arbitrary locations throughout the suspended breast. The treatment platform allows the patient to lie prone in a face-down position. The system was tested for comfort with 18 normal volunteers and SNR capabilities in one normal volunteer and for heating accuracy and stability in homogeneous phantom and inhomogeneous ex vivo porcine tissue. RESULTS There was a 61% increase in mean relative SNR achieved in a homogeneous phantom using the 11-channel RF coil when compared to using only a single-loop coil around the chest wall. The repeatability of the systems energy delivery in a single location was excellent, with less than 3% variability between repeated temperature measurements at the same location. The execution of a continuously sonicated, predefined 48-point, 8-min trajectory path resulted in an ablation volume of 8.17 cm(3), with one standard deviation of 0.35 cm(3) between inhomogeneous ex vivo tissue samples. Comfort testing resulted in negligible side effects for all volunteers. CONCLUSIONS The initial results suggest that this new device will potentially be suitable for MRgHIFU treatment in a wide range of breast sizes and tumor locations.

Reconstruction of fully three‐dimensional high spatial and temporal resolution MR temperature maps for retrospective applications

Many areas of MR‐guided thermal therapy research would benefit from temperature maps with high spatial and temporal resolution that cover a large three‐dimensional volume. This article describes an approach to achieve these goals, which is suitable for research applications where retrospective reconstruction of the temperature maps is acceptable. The method acquires undersampled data from a modified three‐dimensional segmented echo‐planar imaging sequence and creates images using a temporally constrained reconstruction algorithm. The three‐dimensional images can be zero‐filled to arbitrarily small voxel spacing in all directions and then converted into temperature maps using the standard proton resonance frequency shift technique. During high intensity focused ultrasound heating experiments, the proposed method was used to obtain temperature maps with 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm × 3.0 mm resolution, 288 mm × 162 mm × 78 mm field of view, and 1.7 s temporal resolution. The approach is validated to demonstrate that it can accurately capture the spatial characteristics and time dynamics of rapidly changing high intensity focused ultrasound‐induced temperature distributions. Example applications from MR‐guided high intensity focused ultrasound research are shown to demonstrate the benefits of the large coverage fully three‐dimensional temperature maps, including characterization of volumetric heating trajectories and near‐ and far‐field heating. Magn Reson Med, 2012.

An analytical solution for improved HIFU SAR estimation.

Accurate determination of the specific absorption rates (SARs) present during high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) experiments and treatments provides a solid physical basis for scientific comparison of results among HIFU studies and is necessary to validate and improve SAR predictive software, which will improve patient treatment planning, control and evaluation. This study develops and tests an analytical solution that significantly improves the accuracy of SAR values obtained from HIFU temperature data. SAR estimates are obtained by fitting the analytical temperature solution for a one-dimensional radial Gaussian heating pattern to the temperature versus time data following a step in applied power and evaluating the initial slope of the analytical solution. The analytical method is evaluated in multiple parametric simulations for which it consistently (except at high perfusions) yields maximum errors of less than 10% at the center of the focal zone compared with errors up to 90% and 55% for the commonly used linear method and an exponential method, respectively. For high perfusion, an extension of the analytical method estimates SAR with less than 10% error. The analytical method is validated experimentally by showing that the temperature elevations predicted using the analytical methods SAR values determined for the entire 3D focal region agree well with the experimental temperature elevations in a HIFU-heated tissue-mimicking phantom.

Ultrasound beam propagation using the hybrid angular spectrum method

We introduce a fast and accurate numerical method for simulating the propagation of an ultrasound beam inside inhomogeneous tissue for mapping beam absorption, refraction and diffraction in the body. The technique, called the hybrid angular spectrum method, is an extension of the angular spectrum method to inhomogeneous tissue. Inhomogeneous tissue is modeled using voxels, each with its own speed of sound, density and absorption coefficient. The proposed technique produces very fast simulations, with total calculation times of about one minute for a 201×201×101 model.

Minimisation of HIFU pulse heating and interpulse cooling times

This study presents results from a new optimisation technique that reduces HIFU treatment times by minimising individual heating and interpulse cooling times while adhering to normal tissue constraint limits at each sonication position. The potential clinical usefulness of this technique is demonstrated through its implementation in three dimentsional (3D) simulations of HIFU treatments for a range of tumour geometries, normal tissue constraint values, tissue perfusion levels and focal zone scanning path trajectories, all studied as a function of the applied power magnitude. When compared to typical open loop values the optimised treatment times were lower for all conditions studied, including when treatment-limiting normal tissue thermal build-up was present. While use of this technique guarantees minimum pulse heating and interpulse cooling times for each pulse, the total treatment time gains realised depend on the individual clinical treatment configuration. In combination with a judiciously selected scan path, use of the pulse time optimisation procedure reduced treatment times in a small, superficial tumour by 85%. In addition, in all cases studied the use of an increased applied power always decreased the treatment time, including cases when significant normal tissue thermal build-up was present. Importantly, the power maximisation and pulse time minimisation procedures can be applied independently of the optimisation of the focal zones scan path, size and shape. Given the basic nature, universal applicability and ready clinical adaptability for use in real time model predictive control, the pulse time minimisation and power maximisation approaches have significant clinical promise for reducing HIFU treatment times.

Extension of the angular spectrum method to calculate pressure from a spherically curved acoustic source.

The angular spectrum method is an accurate and computationally efficient method for modeling acoustic wave propagation. The use of the typical 2D fast Fourier transform algorithm makes this a fast technique but it requires that the source pressure (or velocity) be specified on a plane. Here the angular spectrum method is extended to calculate pressure from a spherical transducer-as used extensively in applications such as magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery-to a plane. The approach, called the Ring-Bessel technique, decomposes the curved source into circular rings of increasing radii, each ring a different distance from the intermediate plane, and calculates the angular spectrum of each ring using a Fourier series. Each angular spectrum is then propagated to the intermediate plane where all the propagated angular spectra are summed to obtain the pressure on the plane; subsequent plane-to-plane propagation can be achieved using the traditional angular spectrum method. Since the Ring-Bessel calculations are carried out in the frequency domain, it reduces calculation times by a factor of approximately 24 compared to the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld method and about 82 compared to the Field II technique, while maintaining accuracies of better than 96% as judged by those methods for cases of both solid and phased-array transducers.

Improved cortical bone specificity in UTE MR Imaging.

Methods for direct visualization of compact bone using MRI have application in several “MR‐informed” technologies, such as MR‐guided focused ultrasound, MR‐PET reconstruction and MR‐guided radiation therapy. The specificity of bone imaging can be improved by manipulating image sensitivity to Bloch relaxation phenomena, facilitating distinction of bone from other tissues detected by MRI.

Transcranial phase aberration correction using beam simulations and MR-ARFI

In this paper, we propose a technique to achieve phase aberration correction for transcranial MR-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery. The technique uses ultrasound beam propagation simulations with MR Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (MR-ARFI) imaging to correct skull caused phase aberrations. This technique resulted in a 10% improvement of the focal intensity using only one MR-ARFI image.