System and method for acquiring optoacoustic data and producing parametric maps using subband acoustic compensation

• US 9,792,686 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seno Medical Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seno Medical Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Zalev, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): MOYER, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US15/354,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20170069089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 382128, 382131, 382132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0095 by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0097 by applying acoustic waves and detecting light, i.e. acoustooptic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0825 for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4444 related to the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4477 using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5215 involving processing of medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5261 combining images from different diagnostic modalities, e.g. ultrasound and X-ray
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5292 using additional data, e.g. patient information, image labeling, acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/003 : Reconstruction from projections, e.g. tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 : Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 : Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 : Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 : Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration

Abstract

A method is disclosed for generating sinograms by sampling transducers acoustically coupled with a surface of a volume after a pulse of light, each transducer being associated with a channel in an optoacoustic imaging system, and processing at least two multi-channel sinograms, each corresponding to a different one of the at least two different predominant wavelengths, to create at least two processed sinograms. The processing step includes a step of sub-band acoustic compensation. Image reconstruction is performed based upon the processed sinograms to generate at least two optoacoustic images. Image post processing is performed on the optoacoustic images to generate post-processed images. A parametric map is generated based upon information contained in the post-processed images, and an ultrasound image is generated using the transducers. The parametric map and the ultrasound image are co-registered and a co-registered image is displayed.

Claims

1. A method for creating and displaying images in an optoacoustic imaging system, comprising:

generating a plurality of multi-channel sinograms, each said channel generated by sampling a transducer acoustically coupled with a surface of a volume for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light having a predominant wavelength selected from at least two different predominant wavelengths;

processing at least two of the plurality of multi-channel sinograms using sub-band acoustic compensation, each of the plurality of multi-channel sinograms corresponding to a different one of the at least two different predominant wavelengths to create at least two processed sinograms, wherein the sub-band acoustic compensation comprises;

filtering each of the at least two multi-channel sinograms to create a filtered representation of each of the sinograms;

demodulating each said filtered representation of each of the sinograms in the frequency domain;

applying a narrowband simplification to each said filtered representation of each of the sinograms to create a processed filtered representation of each of the sinograms, wherein the narrowband simplification is applied in the time domain to the demodulated filtered representations of each of the sinograms;

creating two processed images from information contained in each of the processed sinograms; and

displaying at least one of the two processed images.

2. The method as specified in claim 1, further comprising displaying both of the two processed images.

3. The method as specified in claim 1, wherein the applying a narrowband simplification comprises computing a time shift between two demodulated narrow-band signals in the time domain.

4. The method as specified in claim 1, wherein the filtering comprises using a filter bank of sub-band filters to define a plurality of sub-bands in the frequency domain.

5. The method as specified in claim 4, further comprising reassembling the filtered representation of each of the sinograms for each sub-band filter after applying the narrowband simplification.

6. The method as specified in claim 4, further comprising compensating at least one of the plurality of sub-bands based on a depth dependent compensation factor associated with the corresponding sub-band filter.

7. The method as specified in claim 6, further comprising identifying a range of frequencies for each of the plurality of sub-band filters.

8. The method as specified in claim 4, further comprising compensating each of the plurality of sub-bands for frequency dependent attenuation.

9. The method as specified in claim 8, wherein the compensation for at least one of the plurality of sub-bands is different from the compensation for at least one other of the plurality of sub-bands.

10. The method as specified in claim 1, further comprising perfoiiiiing image reconstruction based upon the at least two processed sinograms to generate at least two optoacoustic images.

11. The method as specified in claim 10, further comprising performing image post processing on the at least two optoacoustic images to generate at least two post-processed images.

12. The method as specified in claim 11, further comprising generating a first parametric map based upon information contained in the at least two post-processed images.

13. The method as specified in claim 12, further comprising generating an ultrasound image using the plurality of transducers acoustically coupled with the surface of the volume.

14. The method as specified in claim 13, further comprising:

co-registering the first parametric map and the ultrasound image; and

displaying on a display an image formed from data in the co-registered first parametric map and ultrasound image.

15. The method as specified in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of multi-channel sinograms is sampled after a pulse of light having a shorter predominant wavelength selected from the at least two different predominant wavelengths, and at least one other of the plurality of multi-channel sinograms is sampled after a pulse of light having a longer predominant wavelength selected from the at least two different predominant wavelengths.

16. A method for creating and displaying images in an optoacoustic imaging system, comprising:

generating a plurality of multi-channel sinograms, each said channel generated by sampling a transducer acoustically coupled with a surface of a volume for a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light having a predominant wavelength selected from at least two different predominant wavelengths;

processing at least two of the plurality of multi-channel sinograms using sub-band acoustic compensation, each of the plurality of multi-channel sinograms corresponding to a different one of the at least two different predominant wavelengths to create at least two processed sinograms, wherein the sub-band acoustic compensation comprises;

modifying each of the at least two multi-channel sinograms to create a modified representation of each of the sinograms;

demodulating each said modified representation of each of the sinograms in the frequency domain;

applying a narrowband simplification to each said modified representation of each of the sinograms to create a processed modified representation of each of the sinograms, wherein the narrowband simplification is applied in the time domain to the demodulated modified representations of each of the sinograms;

creating two processed images from information contained in each of the processed sinograms; and

displaying at least one of the two processed images.

17. The method as specified in claim 16, further comprising reassembling the modified representation of each of the sinograms after applying the narrowband simplification.

18. The method as specified in claim 16, wherein the applying a narrowband simplification comprises computing a time shift between two demodulated narrow-band signals in the time domain.

19. The method as specified in claim 17, wherein the modifying comprises using a filter bank of sub-band filters to define a plurality of sub-bands in the frequency domain.

20. The method as specified in claim 18, wherein the modifying comprises using a filter bank of sub-band filters to define a plurality of sub-bands in the frequency domain.