Evaluation of imaging quality of medical diagnostic ultrasound scanners based upon void counting in a 3D volume using voids or low echoic cysts

摘要

Ultrasound quality assurance testing is disclosed comprising: 3D imaging a phantom comprising tissue mimicking material and anechoic void features; calculating void detectability ratios (VDR) for every point in the volume; and counting the number of voids for each depth for a number of specified minimum contrast or VDR levels to provide quality assurance values (see graph fig. 11). An aspect of ultrasound imaging quality is the capability of a scanner to detect small lesions, presenting as low echoic structures. This invention uses the number of random voids detected from a 3D-volume scan, of a tissue mimicking material, to provide evaluation criteria. The volume data is used for calculating the void detectability ratio (VDR). A higher density of detected random voids indicates higher quality. Any VDR-level exceeding the void detectability limit indicates a higher resolution. This is because higher counts are effected by smaller voids being detected, down to the resolution limit of the scanner. By calculating different fitted curves for the resulting plots and evaluating the aberration of the fitted curve from the measured void count additional quality information is provided.