Ultrasound image-based concentration measurement
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsJohn Haeseon Lee, Brian W. Anthony, Duane S. Boning
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Abstract
The systems and methods of the present disclosure are directed to ultrasound-based concentration measurement techniques in which both scatterer count and image volume are measured concurrently to provide absolute concentration measurements. In particular, through the techniques of the present disclosure, the effective thickness of an ultrasound beam can be determined based on the spreading of individual scatterers within ultrasound images. Based on the effective thickness of the ultrasound beam, the volume of the image and, thus, the concentration of particles in the image can be determined directly, without the need for estimation, approximation, or use of a reference sample.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- acquiring an ultrasound image of a medium with an ultrasound transducer, wherein the ultrasound image includes at least a portion of a two-dimensional image obtained from the ultrasound transducer and wherein the medium contains a number of scatterers;
- determining a volume of the ultrasound image in which one or more of the number of scatterers in the medium produce an echo detectable within the two-dimensional image;
- counting the scatterers in the ultrasound image;
- and
- based on the counted scatterers and the volume of the ultrasound image, determining an absolute concentration of the scatterers in the medium.
A method comprising:
- adding particles to a biological sample of cells in a medium, the cells having an affinity for the added particles;
- acquiring a two-dimensional ultrasound image, obtained by an ultrasound transducer, of the biological sample with the added particles;
- counting, in the ultrasound image, cells with changed acoustic properties in a presence of the added particles;
- determining a volume of at least a portion of the ultrasound image;
- and
- based on the counted cells with changed acoustic properties and the volume of the ultrasound image, determining an absolute concentration of the cells with changed acoustic properties in the biological sample.
A system comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer having an adjustable beam shape;
- and
- a controller including one or more processors and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for causing the one or more processors to:
- receive an expected concentration of a sample,
- adjust the beam shape based on the received expected concentration,
- acquire a two-dimensional ultrasound image from the transducer, with the adjusted beam shape, of a medium containing a number of scatterers,
- count the scatterers in the ultrasound image,
- determine a volume of at least a portion of the ultrasound image, and
- based on the counted scatterers and the volume of the ultrasound image, determine an absolute concentration of the scatterers in the medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.