In vitro detection of microcalcifications using dual band ultrasound

Irregular patterns of microcalcifications in the breast may indicate a malignant cancer tumor. The gold standard for early detection is X-ray mammography. However, high density of connective tissue of the breast can limit detection. Improved suppression of the connective tissue can be achieved with ultrasound. However detecting the weak signals from microcalcifications in a highly echoic background has proven difficult. By utilizing the dual band imaging technique, Second order UltRasound Field (SURF) imaging, we are able to suppress the background scattering by 20dB to 40dB improving detection of microcalcifications. In vitro experiments show the feasibility of the method with detection results which are in agreement with X-ray mammography.