Differential integrated backscatter imaging for monitoring the formation of HIFU-induced lesions in soft tissue

To present a method of ultrasonic monitoring imaging for the characterization of lesions in soft tissue induced by high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), differential integrated backscatter (IB) imaging technique was used to monitor the HIFU-induced lesions, which combined IB parameter imaging with the digital differential method. The experiments of bovine muscle and liver in vitro were implemented. The differential IB images were acquired as well as the corresponding B-mode images and the differential attenuation images. The differential IB images in various thresholds and calculation window sizes for spectrum analysis were also acquired. The differential IB imaging can characterize the HIFU-induced lesions in soft tissue effectively. It can identify the non-cavitation lesions which can not be detected in B-mode images and offer higher contrast and resolution than the differential attenuation images.