MUST 2024

Ultrasound computed tomography applied to peripheral nerve imaging

Jun 10, 2024, 3:00 PM

20m

Eulerzaal (Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica)

oral presentations Applications & Multimodal Extensions

Speaker

Hui Zhang (Huazhong university of Science and Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, collage of Life Science and Technology.)

Description

Background:
Peripheral nerves play crucial roles in motor and sensory functions, and their clinical imaging typically involves ultrasound and MRI. Ultrasound has limitations due to shallow depth, poor spatial resolution, and operator-dependent acquisition, while MRI is constrained by imaging time and motion artifacts. Ultrasound Computed Tomography (USCT) presents a promising solution for achieving precise imaging of peripheral nerves, attributable to its high resolution, fast scanning speed, and volumetric imaging capabilities. This study delineates the utilization of USCT in limb scanning to acquire high-resolution peripheral nerve images.
Material and Method:
The in vivo experiment utilized a circular probe with 2048 elements and a 220mm diameter, operating at a central frequency of 3MHz with water as the coupling agent. The limb under examination was positioned at the center of the probe for spiral scanning. A thorough scan of the elbow joint and the knee joint was conducted. Subsequently, several visualization operations, such as segmentation and 3D reconstruction, are used to visualize the nerves.
Results:
The experimental results demonstrate that USCT can facilitate precise imaging of the principal nerves, allowing the distinction of structures such as the radial nerve, median nerve, ulnar nerve, and peroneal nerve. The single-layer image acquisition time was less than 1s. All scans were completed within the 90s. A certain degree of patient motion can only lead to adjacent layer image position mismatch, but not single-layer image damage.
Conclusion:
Peripheral nerves, typically delicate structures measuring less than 5mm, present a challenge in imaging due to patients' inability to keep their limbs still. So achieving high-resolution and high-speed imaging is crucial in nerve imaging. Experiments have shown that USCT can achieve fast imaging of peripheral nerves. Motion artifacts caused by patient shivering are avoided, and high-resolution peripheral nerve imaging is achieved, which is expected to help clinical neurological disease diagnosis.