Virtual imaging
Our framework includes: the establishment of realistic numerical phantoms, that describe the anatomical and functional properties of the female breast, and coupled-physics-based computational models of the image formation process and data-acquisition. Alexander Oraevsky’s team at TomoWave Laboratories. We are actively engaged in the development of a framework for conducting VITs for 3D PACT breast imaging, in collaboration with Dr. Due to their enabling potential, VIT methodologies have become an active topic of research for emerging modalities, such as photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) also known as optoacoustic tomography. Virtual imaging trials (VITs) permit imaging experiments to be simulated in silico by use of clinically relevant numerical phantoms and computational models of the image formation process.
Virtual imaging trials for photoacoustic computed tomography Anastasio, “Three-dimensional stochastic numerical breast phantoms for enabling virtual imaging trials of ultrasound computed tomography,” in IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, 2021. Anastasio,“3D Acoustic Numerical Breast Phantoms,” (2021) Available:
Examples of breast phantoms produced by use of the proposed methods and a collection of 52 sets of simulated USCT measurement data have been made open source for use in image reconstruction development.ģD rendering of acoustic phantoms from four breast types: From up to bottom: (A) almost entirely fatty, (B) scattered areas of fibroglandular density, (C) heterogeneously dense, and (D) extremely dense. These breast phantoms will possess clinically relevant variations in breast size, composition, acoustic properties, tumor locations, and tissue textures. By extending and adapting an existing stochastic 3D breast phantom for use with USCT, methods for creating ensembles of numerical acoustic breast phantoms are established. In this work, a methodology for producing realistic three-dimensional (3D) numerical breast phantoms for enabling clinically-relevant computer-simulation studies of USCT breast imaging is presented. Such stochastic phantoms for clinically relevant applications of ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) are currently lacking. Moreover, when computing objective image quality measures, an ensemble of such phantoms should be employed that display the variability in anatomy and object properties that is representative of the to-be-imaged patient cohort.
When simulating an imaging technology intended for clinical use, it is essential to employ realistic numerical phantoms that can facilitate the objective, or task-based, assessment of image quality. Virtual imaging trials for ultrasound computed tomographyĬomputer-simulation studies, also known as virtual imaging trials, provide researchers with an economical and convenient route to systematically explore imaging system designs and image reconstruction methods.