Feasibility of Non-linear Beamforming Ultrasound Methods to Characterize and Size Kidney Stones

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2018 Aug 29

PMID 30153279

Citations 3

Authors

Ryan S Hsi

Siegfried G Schlunk

Jaime E Tierney

Kazuyuki Dei

Rebecca Jones

Mark George

Pranav Karve

Ravindra Duddu

Brett C Byram

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Ultrasound methods for kidney stone imaging suffer from poor sensitivity and size overestimation. The study objective was to demonstrate feasibility of non-linear ultrasound beamforming methods for stone imaging, including plane wave synthetic focusing (PWSF), short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) imaging, mid-lag spatial coherence (MLSC) imaging with incoherent compounding, and aperture domain model image reconstruction (ADMIRE).

Materials And Methods: The ultrasound techniques were evaluated in an in vitro kidney stone model and in a pilot study of 5 human stone formers (n = 6 stones). Stone contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), sizing, posterior shadow contrast, and shadow width sizing were compared among the different techniques and to B-mode. CT imaging within 60 days was considered the gold standard stone size. Paired t-tests using Bonferroni correction were performed to evaluate comparing each technique with B-mode.

Results: Mean CT measured stone size was 6.0mm (range 2.9-12.2mm) with mean skin-to-stone distance 10.2cm (range 5.4-16.3cm). Compared to B-mode, stone contrast was best with ADMIRE (mean +12.2dB), while SLSC and MLSC showed statistically improved CNR. Sizing was best with ADMIRE (mean +1.3mm error), however this was not significantly improved over B-mode (+2.4mm). PWSF performed similarly to B-mode for stone contrast, CNR, SNR, and stone sizing. In the in vitro model, the shadow contrast was highest with ADMIRE (mean 10.5 dB vs 3.1 dB with B-mode). Shadow sizing was best with SLSC (mean error +0.9mm ± 2.9), however the difference compared to B-mode was not significant.

Conclusions: The detection and sizing of stones are feasible with advanced beamforming methods with ultrasound. ADMIRE, SLSC, and MLSC hold promise for improving stone detection, shadow contrast, and sizing.

Citing Articles

Enhancing sizing accuracy in ultrasound images with an alternative ADMIRE model and dynamic range considerations.

Schlunk S, Hsi R, Byram B Ultrasonics. 2023; 131:106952.

PMID: 36796204 PMC: 10035539. DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2023.106952.

Combining ADMIRE and MV to Improve Image Quality.

Schlunk S, Byram B IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control. 2022; 69(9):2651-2662.

PMID: 35900997 PMC: 9484307. DOI: 10.1109/TUFFC.2022.3194548.

Development of a novel intravascular oxygenator catheter: Oxygen mass transfer properties across nonporous hollow fiber membranes.

Farling S, Straube T, Vesel T, Bottenus N, Klitzman B, Cheifetz I Biotechnol Bioeng. 2020; 118(1):345-356.

PMID: 32959889 PMC: 7920697. DOI: 10.1002/bit.27574.

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