初探热声断层成像技术在活体手指关节类风湿关节炎检测中的应用。

First assessment of thermoacoustic tomography for in vivo detection of rheumatoid arthritis in the finger joints detection of rheumatoid arthritis in the finger joints.

机构信息

School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China.

School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.

出版信息

Med Phys. 2022 Jan;49(1):84-92. doi: 10.1002/mp.15340. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

DOI:10.1002/mp.15340

PMID:34767650

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is complicated because of the complexity of symptoms and joint structures. Current clinical imaging techniques for the diagnosis of RA have strengths and weaknesses. Emerging imaging techniques need to be developed for the diagnosis or auxiliary diagnosis of RA.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to demonstrate the potential of thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) for in vivo detection of RA in the finger joints.

METHODS

Finger joints were imaged by a TAT system using three different microwave illumination methods including pyramidal horn antenna, and parallel in-phase and anti-phase microwave illuminations. Both diseased and healthy joints were imaged and compared when the three microwave illumination methods were used. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of all the joints was performed to validate the TAT findings. In addition, two diseased joints were imaged at two time points by the pyramidal horn antenna-based TAT to track/monitor the progression of RA during a time period of 16 months. Three-dimensional (3-D) TAT images of the joints were also obtained.

RESULTS

The TAT images of the diseased joints displayed abnormalities in bone and soft tissues compared to the healthy ones. The TAT images by pyramidal horn antenna and in-phase microwave illumination showed high similarity in image appearance, while the anti-phase-based TAT images provided different information about the disease. We found that the TAT findings matched well with the MRI images. The 3-D TAT images effectively displayed the stereoscopic effect of joint lesions. Finally, it was evident that TAT could detect the development of the lesions in 16 months.

CONCLUSION

TAT can noninvasively visualize bone lesions and soft tissue abnormalities in the joints with RA. This first in vivo assessment of TAT provides a foundation for its clinical application to the diagnosis and monitoring of RA in the finger joints.

摘要

背景

类风湿关节炎（RA）的诊断较为复杂，因为其症状和关节结构较为复杂。目前用于 RA 诊断的临床影像学技术各有优缺点。需要开发新兴的影像学技术来辅助或诊断 RA。

目的

本研究旨在展示热声断层扫描（TAT）在体内检测指间关节 RA 的潜力。

方法

使用三种不同的微波照射方法，包括角锥形喇叭天线和平行同相和反相微波照射，通过 TAT 系统对指间关节进行成像。当使用这三种微波照射方法时，对患病和健康的关节进行成像并进行比较。对所有关节进行磁共振成像（MRI）以验证 TAT 的发现。此外，使用基于角锥形喇叭天线的 TAT 对两个患病关节在两个时间点进行成像，以在 16 个月的时间段内跟踪/监测 RA 的进展。还获得了关节的三维（3-D）TAT 图像。

结果

与健康关节相比，患病关节的 TAT 图像显示出骨和软组织异常。角锥形喇叭天线和同相微波照射的 TAT 图像在图像外观上显示出高度相似性，而反相 TAT 图像提供了有关疾病的不同信息。我们发现 TAT 结果与 MRI 图像吻合良好。3-D TAT 图像有效地显示了关节病变的立体效果。最后，显然 TAT 可以在 16 个月内检测到病变的发展。