Ultrasound Normalized Weighted Cumulative ResidualEntropy Imaging: A New Quantitative Ultrasound Method for Characterizing Hepatic Steatosis

Background/Objectives: In this paper, we propose ultrasound normalized weighted cumulative residual entropy (NWCRE) imaging, a novel quantitative ultrasound (QUS) technique derived from the information-theoretic weighted cumulative residual entropy (WCRE) for hepatic steatosis characterization.

Methods

The proposed ultrasound NWCRE imaging method adopted cumulative distribution function (CDF)-driven non-parametric estimation, and parallel computing was implemented to improve computational efficiency. For a comparison study, the previously reported ultrasound normalized cumulative residual entropy (NCRE) imaging was also implemented. We further mathematically derived the finite upper bound of integrals for both NWCRE and NCRE to convert improper integrals into proper integrals for numerical calculation. Phantom simulations with varied scatterer number densities and two groups of clinical datasets for hepatic steatosis assessment were investigated for validation.