During the past year we have equipped and established the ultrasound oral pharyngeal imaging laboratory. The laboratory consists of a subsystem for ultrasound image acquisition and a subsystem for ultrasound image processing and data analysis. System hardware configurations and testing protocols have been completed. A general purpose testing phantom has been used to calibrate and ensure scanner reliability and quality and for use in ongoing speckle analysis and reduction studies. A preliminary pilot study of color flow imaging and Dopler spectial analysis is being conducted to monitor velocity and trajectory of tongue and hyoid motion during speech and swallowing. In order to obtain ultrasound images in 3D space, we are investigating an electromagnetic position and orientation measurement system, the construction and calibration of this positioning device is nearly completed. We are continuing to test the sensitivity of device for determining sources of environmental interference. In order to perform image processing and conduct studies of tongue surface configuration, we have developed a macro to assist in video digitization of the original ultrasound tongue images. We are working on tongue surface feature extraction of ultrasound images and are in the process of working on algorithms to automatically extract features and perform video reconstructions of normal tongue motion.
