基于微圆迹合成孔径的超声CT乳腺高分辨率成像方法

Breast cancer is a threat to women's lives and the life quality, its screening and early diagnosis can significantly improve patient survival ratio. Ultrasound CT is a kind of new breast cancer ultrasound detection image method. It is non-radioactive, without squeezing, good repeatability, high image quality, high sensitivity for dense breast, suitable for Chinese women. Current Ultrasound CT studies have been focused on data processing and image reconstruction. According to the relative positional relationship between the annular ultrasonic probe and the human body, focused on the signal acquisition mode, this project puts forward a novel micro-circular synthetic aperture based ultrasound CT breast high-resolution imaging method, including the micro circular scan mode and the synthetic aperture imaging algorithm. The former uses high-precision control system to drive the probe rotate around the ring center with sub-element steps and collect human data; the latter adopts spatio-temporal smoothed coherent factor and curved line path optimization to reconstruct high-resolution breast structure and functional images, respectively. Early theoretical verification and simulation results show that the micro-circular synthetic aperture method can significantly improve ultrasound CT image resolution. Implementation of the project will help to improve the breast cancer detection ratio in clinics, occupy the commanding heights of breast examination imaging equipment, promoting China's biomedical engineering technology development.

乳腺癌是威胁女性生命和生活质量的重大疾病，其早期检测可显著提高患者存活率。超声CT无放射性、无需挤压、可重复性好、图像质量高、对致密型乳腺敏感度高，是一种适合我国女性的新型乳腺癌超声影像学检测手段。目前已有的超声CT研究主要集中于数据处理和图像重建上，本项目根据超声CT环形探头与人体相对位置关系确定的特点，从人体信号采集模式入手，提出了一种新的基于微圆迹合成孔径的超声CT乳腺高分辨率成像方法，主要包括微圆迹扫描模式和合成孔径成像算法两部分。前者通过高精度控制系统，带动环形探头围绕圆心进行亚阵元的微旋转并进行人体数据采集；后者分别利用空时平滑相干因子和折线路径优化重建出高分辨率的乳腺结构像和功能像。前期理论验证和仿真试验表明微圆迹合成孔径方法可显著提高超声CT图像的分辨率。本项目的实施有助于提高临床乳腺癌检测的准确率，占领国内外乳腺检查影像设备的制高点，推动我国生物医学工程技术的发展。

本项目研制了微圆迹高精度控制系统，带动环形探头进行人体数据采集；完成前端收发系统、数据采集与处理系统的设计加工；搭建了基于微圆迹合成孔径的超声断层成像系统原理样机；完成数据预处理、模态分解、预采集、矫正，实现了反射图像、声速图像重建算法，通过体模实验进行了验证，采集了临床乳腺数据，分析了重建图像的结构和功能信息，并将结果反馈进行系统和算法优化。结果表明超声断层成像系统对于乳腺癌的检测具有重要的应用前景，有助于提高临床乳腺癌检测的准确性。经过四年的研究工作，署名该基金编号已发表学术论文11篇，其中SCI论文8篇；申请中国发明专利7项，授权5项，申请国际PCT专利2项；培养博士4名，硕士3名，其中博士毕业2名，硕士毕业3名；申请中国生物医学工程学会团体标准1项。