Timothy J. Hall PhD, Presenter: Equipment support, Siemens AG Advisory Board, Siemens AG

1) Describe the various approaches and history of Quantitative Ultrasound. 2) Understand the difference in system-dependent and system-independent backscatter parameters. 3) Understand the benefits of system-independent backscatter parameters. 4) Describe the state of the art in elasticity imaging and quantitative ultrasound from backscattered echoes.

There is a long history of attempts to use the backscattered echo signals from medical ultrasound to describe disease conditions of various tissue types. For example, from the initial application of ultrasound in breasts, the investigators attempted to differentiate benign from malignant disease based on characteristics of the echo signals. Along the way, there have been substantial successes. For example, it was only 30yrs ago that we debated how to estimate blood flow based on ultrasound echo signals and how to interpret that data. Just over 20yrs ago we began to display flow dynamics with color flow imaging. More recently, elasticity imaging methods, which also began in the “tissue characterization” or “quantitative ultrasound” community, have become commercially viable products with clear diagnostic potential. These were “tissue characterization” methods in their early days. Now they are recognized as specific procedures with quantifiable diagnostic merit. Numerous other “quantitative ultrasound” (QUS) methods have been proposed, developed, tested and have demonstrated varying degrees of success. Many of these methods are still under development. This presentation will discuss “quantitative ultrasound” methods based on backscattered echo signals focusing on the most recent techniques that are either commercially available or that show the greatest potential as diagnostic tools.  

Hall, T, Elasticity and Backscatter Related Measures.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/12020943.html