Most sound imaging instruments are currently used as measurement tools which can provide quantitative data, however, a uniform method to directly and comprehensively evaluate the results of combining acoustic and optical images is not available. Therefore, in this study, we define a localization error index for sound imaging instruments, and propose an acoustic phase cloud map evaluation method based on an improved YOLOv4 algorithm to directly and objectively evaluate the sound source localization results of a sound imaging instrument. The evaluation method begins with the image augmentation of acoustic phase cloud maps obtained from the different tests of a sound imaging instrument to produce the dataset required for training the convolutional network. Subsequently, we combine DenseNet with existing clustering algorithms to improve the YOLOv4 algorithm to train the neural network for easier feature extraction. The trained neural network is then used to localize the target sound source and its pseudo-color map in the acoustic phase cloud map to obtain a pixel-level localization error. Finally, a standard chessboard grid is used to obtain the proportional relationship between the size of the acoustic phase cloud map and the actual physical space distance; then, the true lateral and longitudinal positioning error of sound imaging instrument can be obtained. Experimental results show that the mean average precision of the improved YOLOv4 algorithm in acoustic phase cloud map detection is 96.3%, the F1-score is 95.2%, and detection speed is up to 34.6 fps. The improved algorithm can rapidly and accurately determine the positioning error of sound imaging instrument, which can be used to analyze and evaluate the positioning performance of sound imaging instrument.

The biological focal region (BFR) induced by a single high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) exposure is considered to be the foundation of the ultrasound ablation of tumor lesions. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the acoustic focal region (AFR) and the BFRs with different combinations of power and time in low-power cumulative HIFU treatment. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method was used to simulate AFR and BFR during HIFU ablation. The acoustic fields, the temperature profiles, and the shapes of BFRs were calculated by the Westervelt equation, Pennes’ equation, and the equivalent thermal dose model. In order to verify the simulation rules, phantom and ex vivo bovine livers were exposed by HIFU with a different power and time. The results demonstrated that in the low-power cumulative HIFU treatment, when the lengths of BFRs and the length of AFR were approximately equal, the shape of the BFR induced by ‘high power × short time’ exposure was closer to that of AFR than the shape of the BFR induced by ‘low power × long time’ exposure, and the exposure energy required was significantly reduced. The analysis revealed the relationship between the BFR and the AFR with different acoustic power. This study provides a reference for doctors to determine power, time, and movement distance in clinical treatment.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation has been widely used in advanced pancreatic cancer in recent years. In numerous studies, HIFU has been shown to be safe, effective, and practicable, but there are a few HIFU-related adverse effects. The patients’ discomfort during therapy increased proportionally with increasing delivered energy and pain levels seemed to be independent of the dose of anesthetic or sedation. If the power used in therapy is too high, the temperature of the target area will rise rapidly, and the boiling and cavitation make the shape of the necrosis area difficult to control. In recent years, moderate-intensity focused ultrasound (MIFU) has also been shown to heat the tumor locally for palliative treatment. Choosing the appropriate power and effectively controlling the tissue temperature until reaching the threshold for thermal necrosis are of great significance for ensuring the safety of palliative treatment. In this study, an infrared temperature measurement experimental system was set up to measure the temperature rise at different power in an ex vivo bovine liver. It was found that when the acoustic intensity of the focused ultrasound was lower than the cavitation threshold (within the range of the MIFU), the temperature of the tissue kept rising at a steady rate and could still reach the thermal damage threshold temperature within tens of seconds. The results showed that the temperature induced by the MIFU was almost entirely dependent on the thermal effect, and the temperature of the tissue at the end of sonication was linearly related to the power. Finally, this study considered the effect of blood perfusion on the temperature for the application of focused ultrasound in the palliative treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer with the goal of providing a reference for the application of focused ultrasound in the palliative treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.

Accurate temperature distribution measurement during high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment is crucial for avoiding damage to sensitive tissues and organ systems. To surpass the constraints of conventional thermocouple temperature measurement approaches, near-infrared temperature measurement, as a non-invasive imaging method, is proposed. Using infrared glass as a temperature observation window allows for studying the temperature distribution on the surface of biological tissues under ultrasound exposure. The temperature rise in the tissues near the infrared glass under ultrasound exposure was investigated through numerical simulations. Moreover, the effects of the shear waves and thermal viscosity induced by the infrared glass were also analyzed. The results indicate that the shear wave in the glass weakens the intensity of the ultrasound pressure in the focal region while enhancing the efficiency of the acoustic thermal conversion. Thermal viscosity increases the acoustic pressure and temperature in the focal zone. Furthermore, oblique incidence facilitates the transformation of the acoustic thermal effect, caused by shear waves and thermal viscosity, resulting in an expanded temperature rise range on the tissue surface. The non-linear effects in the ultrasound field further enhance the acoustic thermal effect. Significant errors occur in the near-infrared method when utilizing infrared glass for temperature measurement, with the shear waves exerting the most substantial impact on the temperature distribution. These research findings carry substantial implications for optimizing treatment plans, enhancing treatment safety and efficacy, and offering potential application value for temperature control in HIFU treatment.

Polymer viscoelasticity is crucial for mechanical performance, but conventional low-frequency methods struggle to isolate viscous loss—a key viscosity indicator. This study introduces a high-frequency ultrasonic method to differentiate the polymer viscous dissipation index by analyzing acoustic phase shifts. We employ ultrasonic phase-shift thermometry to measure localized temperature increases resulting from minute variations in sound velocity during controlled heating. This allows for the quantification of viscous loss, which is then used to distinguish between different polymer formulations. Experimental and simulation results on a series of polyurethane specimens with varying Shore hardness levels demonstrate that decawatt-range (10–20 W) ultrasonic irradiation enables sensitive and precise differentiation. Notably, the Shore A70 polyurethane sample exhibited a significantly higher viscous dissipation index, evidenced by the largest temperature rise (27.5 °C) and the highest proportion of viscous heating to total power dissipation (93.1%) under 17 W acoustic irradiation. While this study focuses on commercially available polymers, the method can be extended to evaluate key performance parameters, such as tensile modulus and glass transition temperature, in polymers fabricated under various processing conditions, thereby offering a powerful tool for material quality assessment.