Small calculus detection for medical acoustic imaging using cross-correlation between echo signals

Small calculus detection is important to differentiate malignant from benign masses. Although ultrasonography has an excellent ability to depict soft tissue, it plays a secondary role in detection because of its poor calculus sensitivity compared with computed tomography and other X-ray tests. In this paper, we propose a novel method to detect small calculi using cross-correlation coefficients between IQ data of adjacent scan lines. Results of an experimental study show that the proposed calculus detection method has the potential to depict small calculi about 0.3 mm in diameter.