Visual detectability of elastic contrast in real-time ultrasound images

Naomi R. Miller; Jeffery C. Bamber; Marvin M. Doyley; Martin O. Leach

doi:10.1117/12.271300

16 April 1997 Visual detectability of elastic contrast in real-time ultrasound images

Naomi R. Miller, Jeffery C. Bamber, Marvin M. Doyley, Martin O. Leach

Proceedings Volume 3036, Medical Imaging 1997: Image Perception; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.271300
Event: Medical Imaging 1997, 1997, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

Elasticity imaging (EI) has recently been proposed as a technique for imaging the mechanical properties of soft tissue. However, dynamic features, known as compressibility and mobility, are already employed to distinguish between different tissue types in ultrasound breast examination. This method, which involves the subjective interpretation of tissue motion seen in real-time B-mode images during palpation, is hereafter referred to as differential motion imaging (DMI). The purpose of this study was to develop the methodology required to perform a series of perception experiments to measure elastic lesion detectability by means of DMI and to obtain preliminary results for elastic contrast thresholds for different lesion sizes. Simulated sequences of real-time B-scans of tissue moving in response to an applied force were generated. A two-alternative forced choice (2-AFC) experiment was conducted and the measured contrast thresholds were compared with published results for lesions detected by EI. Although the trained observer was found to be quite skilled at the task of differential motion perception, it would appear that lesion detectability is improved when motion information is detected by computer processing and converted to gray scale before presentation to the observer. In particular, for lesions containing fewer than eight speckle cells, a signal detection rate of 100% could not be achieved even when the elastic contrast was very high.

Citation Download Citation

Naomi R. Miller, Jeffery C. Bamber, Marvin M. Doyley, and Martin O. Leach "Visual detectability of elastic contrast in real-time ultrasound images", Proc. SPIE 3036, Medical Imaging 1997: Image Perception, (16 April 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.271300

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available