The quantitative ultrasound technique or we tend to refer to it as QUS, takes advantage
of a piece of information in the ultrasound signal that current diagnostic equipment does
not. The current diagnostic equipment creates what’s called a B-mode image and that B-mode
image is just simply a brightness image and it looks only at the amplitude, the echo coming
back from tissue, and we take advantage also of what we refer to as the phase of the information
or sometimes we’ll work for two days, we’ll use the entire RF component of the signal.
What we’re endeavoring to do is to determine what the shape of the scattered signal is.
The shape of the scattered signal is unique to type of scattered site. If the scattered
site is spherical, then the radiation will come from a site in a spherical way; cylindrical
then the wave will come back, it’ll be cylindrically shaped. So there’s uniqueness in the echo
coming back based on where it is scattering from. The amplitude is unique also in terms
of how similar or dissimilar of how the site is to the surrounding material. So, the QUS
technique is quantitative, it’s providing new information now that the clinician does
not have. So if we are successful, we will be adding armament of capabilities to not
only detect tissue abnormalities but also to provide capability possibly- first level
of a diagnosis, also of what that is; in other words, do ultrasonic pathology.
We’re at the stage where we’re fairly confident that we can determine the difference
between a couple of types of legions and risks; the principle difference is with what’s
called a fiber adenoma. This is a very painful syndrome that women have, it’s not malignant
but often it does have to be evaluated pathologically and there is always the stress of waiting
for the pathological evaluation to come back. We believe that we are at the stage where
we could even evaluate clinically now the fiber adenoma; we’re not doing it yet because
it wasn’t written into the grant application, but we can distinguish now between fiber adenoma
and malignant tumors such that two different types of malignant tumors, because the scattering
sites, as I said earlier, the size is one of the determinants, and the fiber adenoma
typically has a size – the unique structures of fiber adenoma has structures that are about
100 microns in diameter and the two types of cancers that we’ve looked at so far have
scattering sites about a third the site or about 30 microns in diameter and that we can
see the difference on now. So we think we’re at the point where we’re able to diagnose-at
least in animal models- fiber enema versus two types of cancers.
Well, the potential if we’re completely successful is that for the case of breast
cancer, the woman would go and have an ultrasound scan and the clinician could immediately say
what it is. There wouldn’t be question of ‘well, I think something is there, we’ve
got to do the next step and the next step and wait for the report.’ We’re hoping
to make this such that it’s essentially a real-time activity, such that the clinician
can provide an answer to the patient at the time something is spotted. You wouldn’t
have the time sitting and waiting and you would have an answer right away. I mean it
may not be the answer that you want but it also may be an answer that you do want. It
may be, for example, fiber adenoma, as opposed to something that has the potential of being
malignant. If it does have the potential of being malignant, it will still more than likely
in the clinical practice of medicine, go to normal pathology. If it’s a fiber adenoma,
we’re thinking at this stage, we might be able to move in the direction of telling the
patient that it’s a fiber adenoma and the move on.
Well, we’re transitioning this capability, this quantitative ultrasound capability, into
other areas. Also because what it does, the fundamental technique looks at tissue structure.
We’re able to say something about tissue structure. So, we’re looking at it in obstetrics
for purposes of looking at whether or not the baby might be delivered early because
certain types of structures change in the cervix that we’ve done some preliminary
work to suggest that we’re able to see that and with the current clinical applications
of ultrasound and obstetrics of standard trans-vaginal examination would provide the signals that
I think could be processed to provide the quantitative ultrasound information. We are
working with people at the University of Illinois in Chicago on that project. We are looking
at issues of thyroid cancer- thyroid nodules- with a quantitative ultrasound. One of the
applications in ultrasound is also extensively being used is the use of ultrasound for therapy,
actually turning up the power quite a bit and actually destroying tissue from legions
in the breast and to prostate cancer. What is missing is a good indicator as to whether
or not the legion has been successful. In other words, you’ve completely destroyed
the tissue and we believe, with quantitative ultrasound, we’ll be able to determine whether
the tissue has been destroyed, so as an indicator of the therapy.