Lesion detection and localization in heterogeneous media

An ultrasound system for detecting lesions or abnormalities in a heterogeneous medium, the system comprising:

• an array of ultrasound transducer elements configured to emit ultrasound signals and to receive backscattered ultrasound signals;
• a processor configured to perform a lesion detection algorithm, the processor comprising:
• first processing logic configured to process the received backscattered ultrasound signals to obtain an Inter-element Response Matrix (IRM);
• second processing logic configured to split the IRM into a plurality of sub-IRMs corresponding to subsets of the ultrasound transducer elements;
• third processing logic configured to process the sub-IRMs to separate single scattering contributions from multiple scattering contributions;
• fourth processing logic configured to process information obtained from at least one of the single scattering contribution and the multiple scattering contribution to identify one or more lesions.

An ultrasound evaluation method for detecting lesions or abnormalities in a heterogeneous medium, the method comprising:

• with an array of ultrasound transducer elements, emitting ultrasound signals toward a region of biological tissue and receiving backscattered ultrasound signals;
• with a processor configured to perform a lesion detection algorithm:
• processing the received backscattered ultrasound signals to obtain Inter-element Response Matrix;
• splitting the IRM into a plurality of sub-IRMs corresponding to subsets of the ultrasound transducer elements;
• processing the sub-IRMs to separate a coherent intensity contribution from an incoherent intensity contribution;
• processing the coherent intensity contribution to obtain a diffusion constant;
• and
• performing a depression detection algorithm that processes the diffusion constant to identify one or more lesions.

An ultrasound evaluation method for detecting lesions or abnormalities in a heterogeneous medium, the method comprising:

• with an array of ultrasound transducer elements, emitting ultrasound signals toward a region of a biological tissue and receiving backscattered ultrasound signals;
• with a processor configured to perform a lesion detection algorithm:
• processing the received backscattered ultrasound signals to obtain an Inter-element Response Matrix;
• splitting the IRM into a plurality of sub-IRMs corresponding to subsets of the ultrasound transducer elements;
• processing the sub-IRMs to separate single scattering contributions from multiple scattering contributions;
• and
• processing information obtained from at least one of the single scattering contribution and the multiple scattering contribution to identify one or more lesions.