TY - JOUR
T1 - Automated performance assessment of ultrasound systems using a dynamic phantom
AU - Joy, J.
AU - Riedel, F.
AU - Valente, A. A.
AU - Cochran, S.
AU - Corner, G. A.
PY - 2014/11
Y1 - 2014/11
N2 - Quality assurance of medical ultrasound imaging systems is limited by repeatability, difficulty in quantifying results, and the time involved. A particularly interesting approach is demonstrated in the Edinburgh pipe phantom which, with an accompanying mathematical transformation, produces a single figure of merit for image quality from individual measurements of resolution over a range of depths. However, the Edinburgh pipe phantom still requires time-consuming manual scanning, mitigating against its routine use. This paper presents a means to overcome this limitation with a new device, termed the Dundee dynamic phantom, allowing rapid set-up and automated operation. The Dundee dynamic phantom is based on imaging two filamentary targets, positioned by computer control at different depths in a tank of 9.4% ethanol–water solution. The images are analysed in real time to assess if the targets are resolved, with individual measurements at different depths again used to calculate a single figure of merit, in this case for lateral resolution only. Test results are presented for a total of 18 scanners in clinical use for different applications. As a qualitative indication of viability, the figure of merit produced by the Dundee dynamic phantom is shown to differentiate between scanners operating at different frequencies and between a relatively new, higher quality system and an older, lower quality system.
AB - Quality assurance of medical ultrasound imaging systems is limited by repeatability, difficulty in quantifying results, and the time involved. A particularly interesting approach is demonstrated in the Edinburgh pipe phantom which, with an accompanying mathematical transformation, produces a single figure of merit for image quality from individual measurements of resolution over a range of depths. However, the Edinburgh pipe phantom still requires time-consuming manual scanning, mitigating against its routine use. This paper presents a means to overcome this limitation with a new device, termed the Dundee dynamic phantom, allowing rapid set-up and automated operation. The Dundee dynamic phantom is based on imaging two filamentary targets, positioned by computer control at different depths in a tank of 9.4% ethanol–water solution. The images are analysed in real time to assess if the targets are resolved, with individual measurements at different depths again used to calculate a single figure of merit, in this case for lateral resolution only. Test results are presented for a total of 18 scanners in clinical use for different applications. As a qualitative indication of viability, the figure of merit produced by the Dundee dynamic phantom is shown to differentiate between scanners operating at different frequencies and between a relatively new, higher quality system and an older, lower quality system.
KW - Dynamic phantom
KW - Quality assurance
KW - Resolution integral
KW - Test object
KW - Ultrasound
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84927725374&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1742271X14549591
DO - 10.1177/1742271X14549591
M3 - Article
C2 - 27433220
AN - SCOPUS:84927725374
VL - 22
SP - 199
EP - 204
JO - Ultrasound
JF - Ultrasound
SN - 1742-271X
IS - 4
ER -