Lung Ultrasound Imaging, a Technical Review

Abstract

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a growing and fascinating field of application for ultrasound imaging. Despite the difficulties in imaging an organ largely filled with air, the potential benefits originating from an effective ultrasound method focusing on monitoring and diagnosing lung diseases represent a tremendous stimulus for research in this direction. This paper presents a technical review where, after a brief historical overview, the current limitations of LUS imaging are discussed together with a description of the physical phenomena at stake. Next, the paper focuses on the latest technical developments of LUS.

Keywords

• lung ultrasound
• a-line
• b-line
• ultrasound imaging
• quantitative ultrasound
• wave propagation