Enhanced Needle Visualization With Reflection Tuned Apodization Based on the Radon Transform for Ultrasound Imaging

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Ultrasound Technology
• Interventional Procedures

Background:

• Ultrasound (US)-guided interventions face challenges in needle visualization due to strong specular reflections.
• Conventional Delay and Sum Beamforming (DASB) is degraded by these reflections, hindering accurate needle tracking.
• Existing methods struggle to differentiate needle reflections from surrounding tissue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel Reflection Tuned Apodization (RTA) method for enhanced needle visualization in ultrasound imaging.
• To improve the accuracy and clarity of needle tracking during in-plane insertions in US-guided interventions.
• To address the limitations of conventional DASB in handling specular reflections from needles.

Main Methods:

• Developed a Reflection Tuned Apodization (RTA) technique integrating temporal and angular information from Radon transforms of radio frequency (RF) data.
• Utilized plane-wave imaging to acquire RF data for analysis.
• Translated Radon domain directivity information into apodization center maps for integration with DASB.

Main Results:

• The RTA method significantly enhances the image quality of needle interfaces compared to conventional DASB.
• Specular reflections from the needle are effectively filtered, while diffuse scattering from surrounding tissues is preserved.
• The approach demonstrates robustness across various needle angulations, sizes, and multiple specular interfaces with minimal computational overhead.

Conclusions:

• The proposed RTA method offers a promising solution for improving needle visualization in ultrasound-guided interventions.
• This technique facilitates better needle tracking and characterization of ultrasound reflections using Radon transforms.
• RTA has the potential to improve clinical outcomes and diagnostic capabilities in interventional ultrasound.