Quantitative Ultrasound In Soft Tissues

Due to parallel advances in signal processing and computer hardware in the last 15 years, quantitative ultrasound techniques have reached maturity, allowing for the construction of quantitative maps or images of soft tissues. This book will focus on 5 modern research topics related to quantitative ultrasound of soft tissues: - Spectral-based methods for tissue characterization, tissue typing, cancer detection, etc.; - Envelope statistics analysis as a means of quantifying and imaging tissue properties; - Ultrasound elastography for quantifying elastic properties of tissues (several clinical ultrasound scanners now display elastography images); - Scanning acoustic microscopy for forming images of mechanical properties of soft tissues with micron resolution (desktop size scanners are now available); and - Ultrasound computer tomography for breast cancer imaging (new ultrasound tomography systems have been developed and are currently under evaluation clinically).

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) continues to mature as a research field and is primed to make a swift transition to routine preclinical and clinical applications. This book will serve two main purposes: Advanced education in QUS by providing a complete and thorough review of all theoretical, physical, and engineering aspects of QUS. Review of recent development of QUS by lead contributors in the research field. This 2nd edition will focus on 6 modern research topics related to quantitative ultrasound of soft tissues: Spectral-based methods for tissue characterization, tissue typing, cancer detection, etc. Attenuation estimation for tissue characterization and improving spectral based methods Envelope statistics analysis as a means of quantifying and imaging tissue properties. Ultrasound computed tomography for preclinical and clinical imaging. Scanning acoustic microscopy for forming images of mechanical properties of soft tissues with micron resolution. Phantoms for quantitative ultrasound.

Ultrasound is quickly becoming the technique of choice in the measurement of bone density. Proving cheaper and more portable than previous techniques, and also having the advantage of not using ionizing radiation, it is likely that the use of various ultrasound systems will become increasingly widespread in clinical practice. This book is a comprehensive review of the systems currently available, preceded by a summary of the basic science of ultrasound and concluding with a section on clinical studies, trials and experience in a number of countries. Likely future developments are also discussed, bringing the book completely up to date.

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of bone is a relatively recent research field. The research community is steadily growing, with interdisciplinary branches in acoustics, medical imaging, biomechanics, biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, bone biology and clinical sciences, resulting in significant achievements in new ultrasound technologies to measure bone, as well as models to elucidate the interaction and the propagation of ultrasonic wave in complex bone structures. Hundreds of articles published in specialists journals are accessible from the Web and from electronic libraries. However, no compilation and synthesis of the most recent and significant research exist. The only book on QUS of bone has been published in 1999 at a time when the propagation mechanisms of ultrasound in bone were still largely unknown and the technology was immature. The research community has now reached a critical size, special sessions are organized in major international meetings (e.g., at the World Congress of Biomechanics, the annual meetings of the Acoustical Society of America, International Bone Densitometry Workshop, etc...). Consequently, the time has come for a completely up to date, comprehensive review of the topic. The book will offer the most recent experimental results and theoretical concepts developed so far and is intended for researchers, graduate or undergraduate students, engineers, and clinicians who are involved in the field. The central part of the book covers the physics of ultrasound propagation in bone. Our goal is to give the reader an extensive view of the mathematical and numerical models as an aid to understand the QUS potential and the types of variables that can be determined by QUS in order to characterize bone strength. The propagation of sound in bone is still subject of intensive research. Different models have been proposed (for example, the Biot theory of poroelasticity and the theory of scattering have been used to describe wave propagation in cancellous bone, whereas propagation in cortical bone falls in the scope of guided waves theories). An extensive review of the models has not been published so far. We intend in this book to present in details the models that are used to solve the direct problem and strategies that are currently developed to address the inverse problem. This will include analytical theories and numerical approaches that have grown exponentially in recent years. Most recent experimental findings and technological developments will also be comprehensively reviewed.

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of bone is a relatively recent research field. The research community is steadily growing, with interdisciplinary branches in acoustics, medical imaging, biomechanics, biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, bone biology and clinical sciences, resulting in significant achievements in new ultrasound technologies to measure bone, as well as models to elucidate the interaction and the propagation of ultrasonic wave in complex bone structures. Hundreds of articles published in specialists journals are accessible from the Web and from electronic libraries. However, no compilation and synthesis of the most recent and significant research exist. The only book on QUS of bone has been published in 1999 at a time when the propagation mechanisms of ultrasound in bone were still largely unknown and the technology was immature. The research community has now reached a critical size, special sessions are organized in major international meetings (e.g., at the World Congress of Biomechanics, the annual meetings of the Acoustical Society of America, International Bone Densitometry Workshop, etc...). Consequently, the time has come for a completely up to date, comprehensive review of the topic. The book will offer the most recent experimental results and theoretical concepts developed so far and is intended for researchers, graduate or undergraduate students, engineers, and clinicians who are involved in the field. The central part of the book covers the physics of ultrasound propagation in bone. Our goal is to give the reader an extensive view of the mathematical and numerical models as an aid to understand the QUS potential and the types of variables that can be determined by QUS in order to characterize bone strength. The propagation of sound in bone is still subject of intensive research. Different models have been proposed (for example, the Biot theory of poroelasticity and the theory of scattering have been used to describe wave propagation in cancellous bone, whereas propagation in cortical bone falls in the scope of guided waves theories). An extensive review of the models has not been published so far. We intend in this book to present in details the models that are used to solve the direct problem and strategies that are currently developed to address the inverse problem. This will include analytical theories and numerical approaches that have grown exponentially in recent years. Most recent experimental findings and technological developments will also be comprehensively reviewed.

Ultrasonic Scattering in Biological Tissues contains 14 chapters written by world-renowned authorities who describe current work related to theoretical and experimental aspects of ultrasonic scattering phenomenon in biological tissues. Introductory material regarding ultrasonic scattering in biological tissues is presented, followed by discussions on theoretical treatments, experimental approaches, in vitro results on selective tissues, in vivo results on various tissues, and the current status of quantitative backscatter imaging. Ultrasonic Scattering in Biological Tissues will be an excellent reference for biomedical engineers, ultrasound specialists, biophysicists, and radiology researchers.

Many significant achievements in new ultrasound technologies to measure bone and models to elucidate the interaction and the propagation of ultrasonic waves in complex bone structures have been reported over the past ten years. Impaired bone remodeling affects not only the trabecular compartment but also the cortical one. Despite the crucial contribution of the cortical structure to the whole bone mechanical competence, cortical bone was understudied for a long time. A paradigm shift occurred around 2010, with a special focus placed on the importance of cortical bone. This has sparkled a great deal of interest in new ultrasound techniques to assess cortical bone. While our book ‘Bone Quantitative Ultrasound’ published in 2011 emphasized techniques to measure trabecular bone, this new book is devoted for a large part to the technologies introduced recently to measure cortical bone. These include resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, guided waves, scattering, and pulse-echo and tomography imaging techniques. Instrumentation, signal processing techniques and models used are detailed. Importantly, the data accumulated in recent years such as anisotropic stiffness, elastic engineering moduli, compression and shear wave speeds of cortical bones from various skeletal sites are presented comprehensively. A few chapters deal with the recent developments achieved in quantitative ultrasound of trabecular bone. These include (i) scattering-based approaches and their application to measure skeletal sites such as the spine and proximal femur and (ii) approaches exploiting the poro-elastic nature of bone. While bone fragility and osteoporosis are still the main motivation for developing bone QUS, this Book also includes chapters reporting ultrasound techniques developed for other applications of high interest such as 3-D imaging of the spine, assessment of implant stability and transcranial brain imaging. This book, together with the book ‘Bone Quantitative Ultrasound’ published in 2011 will provide a comprehensive overview of the methods and principles used in bone quantitative ultrasound and will be a benchmark for all novice or experienced researchers in the field. The book will offer recent experimental results and theoretical concepts developed so far and would be intended for researchers, graduate or undergraduate students, engineers, and clinicians who are involved in the field. The book should be considered as a complement to the first book publisher in 2011, rather than a second edition, in the sense that basic notions already presented in the first book are not repeated.

Biomechanics covers a wide field such as organ mechanics, tissue mechanics, cell mechanics to molecular mechanics. At the 6th World Congress of Biomechanics WCB 2010 in Singapore, authors presented the largest experimental studies, technologies and equipment. Special emphasis was placed on state-of-the-art technology and medical applications. This volume presents the Proceedings of the 6th WCB 2010 which was hold in conjunction with 14th International Conference on Biomedical Engineering (ICBME) & 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Biomechanics (APBiomech). The peer reviewed scientific papers are arranged in the six themes Organ Mechanics, Tissue Mechanics, Cell Mechanics, Molecular Mechanics, Materials, Tools, Devices & Techniques, Special Topics.