A Study of Transmit-side Frequency Compounding for Elastography by Simulation / 国际生物医学工程杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective No reports has been found to date on whether frequency compounding can improve elastographic image signal to noise ratio (SNRe) and how it affects elastogram performance.In this paper simulations investigation was carried out on transmit-side frequency compounding (TSFC)for elastography.Methods 50 mm×50 mm tissue model was simulated with two round hard inclusions of 10mm diameter uniformly distributed along the tissue central axial line,and their elasticity modulus were 10 times of the background.Then simulation of 3.5 MHz、5 MHz and 7.5 MHz probes were introduced to form compression elastography of the double-lesion model by quasi-static compression method (applied strain 1%).Then,sub-elastograms obtained by the combination of 3.5 MHz and 5 MHz,3.5 MHz and 5 MHz,3.5 MHz and 7.5 MHz were compounded,respectively.Results Before compounding,signal to noise ratio (SNRe) of the various sub-elastograms were 8.42,9.62,10.73,respectively,contrast to noise ratio (CNRe) were 11.35,14.82,18.37,respectively and axial resolutions were 9.83,9.82,9.81.After compounding elastograms,the SNRe were 11.82,13.05,19.45,CNRe were 22.31,27.63,56.12,while axial resolutions were 9.83,9.83,9.83.Conclusion Frequency compounding elastograms have higher SNRe and CNRe than any sub-elastogram before compounding and have no axial resolution loss.The TSFC can improve elastogram performance efficiently and frequency compounding for elastography enhancement is feasible.