Ultrasound Activated Contrast Imaging for Prostate Cancer Detection

Abstract

The diagnosis of prostate cancer is currently based on elevated PSA levels or abnormal digital rectal examination confirmed with needle biopsy of the prostate. However, for most screening populations, the frequency of positive biopsy findings is as low as 25%. Therefore, an accurate, noninvasive diagnostic imaging examination of the prostate is needed as a replacement of or an alternative to biopsy. Hence, the current project proposes to develop a novel ultrasound contrast imaging technique (called EEI) for better visualization of the microvessels, which are characteristic of the neovasculature associated with prostate cancer. To date, a pulse-echo system was built to perform in vitro EEI measurements and initial experiments were conducted with 4 contrast agents. Up to 10 dB of enhancement was measured at 37c with Optison. Higher frequency detection pulses are currently being evaluated. A new zero-thickness interface model was developed to describe the encapsulation of microbubble contrast agents. While the model was fitted based on linear measurements, the model predictions were compared to measured nonlinear subharmonic signals. The current model shows a much better match with the experimental data at frequencies of 3.0 and 4.4MHz than other models. The dual pulse imaging mode associated with EEI is currently being modeled.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA425621

Entities

People

  • Flemming Forsberg

Organizations

  • Thomas Jefferson University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustics
  • Amplifiers
  • Contrast
  • Data Acquisition
  • Detection
  • Encapsulation
  • Experimental Data
  • Frequency
  • Measurement
  • Neoplasms
  • Power Amplifiers
  • Prostate
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Radio Frequency Amplifiers
  • Surface Tension
  • Transducers
  • Ultrasounds

Fields of Study

  • Medicine
  • Physics

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Electronics Engineering
  • Medical Imaging.