Spatial Resolution in Ultrasonic Pulse Echo Texture Analysis

Abstract

As part of a general programme of research which aims to develop methods of ultrasonic B-scan texture analysis for remote tissue classification, we are studying the influence of a number of system and processing variables. Some of this work (dealing with the effects of system gain, TGC rate and beam profile) was reported at a previous meeting in this series (Nassiri et al., 1982). In this paper we concentrate on the important question: “with what spatial resolution might it be possible to achieve a useful classification of tissue structures”.

To begin to answer this question we are at present pursuing a study of the interrelationships between the size and shape of a region of interest (the region to be analyzed), the ultrasonic beam and pulse characteristics, and the ability of the texture features to discriminate between images of different object structures. This is being accomplished by the use of theoretical models (computer simulations), physical models (tissue phantoms) and some real (fixed) tissues. Images of each object, either simulated or real, are generated for a number of different pulse and beam widths, and wavelengths. Data will be presented on information content of texture features as function of both size of the region of interest and number of scans analysed.