arXiv:2508.03744eess.IVcs.AI2025-08中稿 · CURAC conference 2…

深度学习可直接用原始超声数据区分组织弹性,无需预处理。

Do We Need Pre-Processing for Deep Learning Based Ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography?

  • 用3D卷积网络直接处理原始射频数据预测剪切波速度。
  • 不同预处理程度下,各弹性组别间速度差异均显著(p<0.05)。
  • 适合追求快速、标准化弹性成像的临床应用。

组织弹性估计对多种诊断应用具有重要意义。超声剪切波弹性成像提供了一种无创方法,但其在不同系统和处理流程间的泛化性与标准化仍受限。鉴于图像处理对超声诊断的影响,近期研究探讨了不同处理步骤对可靠、可重复弹性分析的影响。本文研究深度学习在超声剪切波弹性成像中是否需要预处理。我们评估了一个3D卷积神经网络从时空超声图像中预测剪切波速度的表现,对比了从完全波束成形并滤波的图像到原始射频数据的不同预处理程度。在四个不同弹性水平的明胶假体上,将深度学习结果与传统时差法进行比较。结果显示,所有弹性组别间预测剪切波速度差异均具有统计学意义(p<0.05),无论预处理程度如何。尽管预处理略有提升性能指标,但深度学习方法在使用原始未处理射频数据时仍能可靠区分弹性组别。结果表明,基于深度学习的方法可减少甚至消除传统超声预处理步骤的需求与偏差,实现更快更可靠的临床弹性评估。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Estimating the elasticity of soft tissue can provide useful information for various diagnostic applications. Ultrasound shear wave elastography offers a non-invasive approach. However, its generalizability and standardization across different systems and processing pipelines remain limited. Considering the influence of image processing on ultrasound based diagnostics, recent literature has discussed the impact of different image processing steps on reliable and reproducible elasticity analysis. In this work, we investigate the need of ultrasound pre-processing steps for deep learning-based ultrasound shear wave elastography. We evaluate the performance of a 3D convolutional neural network in predicting shear wave velocities from spatio-temporal ultrasound images, studying different degrees of pre-processing on the input images, ranging from fully beamformed and filtered ultrasound images to raw radiofrequency data. We compare the predictions from our deep learning approach to a conventional time-of-flight method across four gelatin phantoms with different elasticity levels. Our results demonstrate statistically significant differences in the predicted shear wave velocity among all elasticity groups, regardless of the degree of pre-processing. Although pre-processing slightly improves performance metrics, our results show that the deep learning approach can reliably differentiate between elasticity groups using raw, unprocessed radiofrequency data. These results show that deep learning-based approaches could reduce the need for and the bias of traditional ultrasound pre-processing steps in ultrasound shear wave elastography, enabling faster and more reliable clinical elasticity assessments.

弹性成像深度学习超声

Thank you to arXiv for use of its open access interoperability. PaperDance 不是 arXiv 官方产品;中文卡片由大模型生成,请以原文为准。