Thoracic spine imaging method for epidural anesthesia using steering-transmitted ultrasound: in vivo study

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 2026

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Authors: Yu Soejima, Mototaka Arakawa, Takuro Ishii, Hidehisa Saito, Eiko Onishi, 山内 正憲, Yoshifumi Saijo
DOI: 10.35848/1347-4065/ae423b
Cited by: 0
References: 16

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to improve the visualization of the thoracic spine gap during epidural anesthesia using steering-transmitted ultrasound beams. Previously, we introduced a beamforming method that used amplitude characteristics to distinguish ultrasound reflections from scattering. Here, a correction factor was added to further emphasize bone echoes, and the method was applied to in vivo measurements of three healthy participants. The results showed improved contrast between the bone and gap regions compared to conventional B-mode imaging and our previous method.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Ultrasound Imaging and Elastography Ultrasound in Clinical Applications Ultrasonics and Acoustic Wave Propagation

Publication details

Journal / source
Japanese Journal of Applied Physics
Volume
65
Issue
4
Pages
048002–048002
Publication date
5 February 2026