Feasibility study of acoustic imaging for human thorax using an acoustic contrast source inversion algorithm

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Acoustics
• Biophysics

Background:

• Quantitative acoustic imaging of the human thorax is crucial for medical diagnosis.
• Existing methods face challenges due to the nonlinear relationship between acoustic wave propagation and tissue properties like density.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of an acoustic imaging method for quantitatively reconstructing compressibility, attenuation, and density of the human thorax.
• To develop and validate an efficient and stable algorithm for acoustic parameter reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• An acoustic imaging method based on contrast source inversion was employed.
• Two contrast sources were introduced to linearize the acoustic wave equation, enabling efficient inverse problem solving.
• A multiplicative regularization scheme with additive factors was applied to enhance algorithmic stability.

Main Results:

• The proposed method successfully reconstructed acoustic parameters (compressibility, attenuation, density) of the human thorax.
• Accurate reconstruction was achieved using low-frequency ultrasound measurements (tens of kHz).
• The algorithm demonstrated improved stability and efficiency in solving the inverse problem.

Conclusions:

• The developed contrast source inversion method is feasible for quantitative acoustic imaging of the human thorax.
• The algorithm provides a stable and efficient approach for reconstructing key acoustic properties from ultrasound data.
• This technique holds promise for enhanced medical imaging and diagnostics of thoracic structures.