Ultrasound Imaging & Physics Research

The main focus of our ultrasound physics research is toward quantitative imaging and measurement of tissues and microbubble contrast agents. The primary motivation for this research is a clinical requirement for more specific and more sensitive information relating to blood flow in tissues, particularly in the microvasculature.

Our goal is to perform physics and engineering based research that will have wide ranging implications for improvement of both the usability and the diagnostic quality of ultrasound imaging systems.

Specific examples of our current research include:

Development of novel real-time methods for correction of attenuation effects on propagating ultrasound signals in the presence of non-linear microbubble scatterers. This will reduce artefacts in images and allow improved quantitation for comparison of data both inter- and intra-study. This work is performed in collaboration with Dr Mengxing Tang from the Department of Bioengineering.
Improvement in the detection with low power ultrasound of the non-linear signals associated with microbubbles. Through quantitative measurement and controlled experiment we are assessing the effects of ultrasound pulse parameters on non-linear detection.
Study of novel combined tissue and microbubble imaging modes using encoded pulses. We are investigating the effects that non-linear scattering from microbubbles has on the pulse compression process required for low power pulse encoding.
Acoustic characterization of microbubble contrast agents. We are devising methods for measuring the effects of labelling or targeting microbubbles with biological materials on the acoustic response and stability of microbubbles.
Study into the physical processes involved in use of ultrasound with microbubbles for efficient and localised delivery of drugs. This work includes the optimisation of the acoustic exposure parameters.

Contact

For more information contact Rob Eckersley or Helen Mulvana

Facilities:

Flexible test and measurement rig, including arbitrary wave form generator, pulser-receiver, digital oscilloscope and a range of ultrasound transducers.
Siemens Acuson Sequoia 512 Ultrasound system exclusively available for non-clinical lab-based ultrasound experiments.
Computing facilities include automated control through IEEE GPIB interface of ultrasound test rig. The MATLAB development environment acts as our primary software development platform.
MALVERN Mastersizer 2000 laser diffraction system with wet sample dispersion unit for the measurement of the size range of microbubbles.
NPL calibrated membrane hydrophone for acoustic output measurements.