Author Archives: IUS 2016 Communication

For the first time, a challenge in medical ultrasound will be organized during IEEE IUS 2016.

The topic of this first challenge is Plane wave imaging: https://www.creatis.insa-lyon.fr/Challenge/IEEE_IUS_2016/

A brief analysis of the litterature in the field of ultrasound plane wave imaging led to the following remarks : an important part of the contributions done in our field is computational research; there are many algorithms/methods developped for image construction/beamforming especially for high frame rate plane wave imaging and currently there are no means to compare them all in a fair manner,i.e. same configurations, simulations, experiments, metrics, optimal tuning of each method etc…

In response to these observations and inspired by what is already done for other medical imaging modalities in other conferences, we propose to organize a challenge on plane wave imaging. The challenge is supported by a specific web platform: https://www.creatis.insa-lyon.fr/Challenge/IEEE_IUS_2016/ . It will be presented at the next IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium 2016 in Tours (France).

Some datasets consisting of the pre-beamformed single element signals for several angle of insonnification (simulations and experiments) are be provided to the challengers. They will have to construct/beamform images at a specific grid imposed by the organizers and upload their final envelope image on the platform. The datasets are designed to enable the evaluation of the following image quality metrics: resolution, contrast, penetration. These datasets will also be used to ensure that no geometric distortion is introduced during image construction and to ensure that speckle is preserved.

The competition is organized in order to motivate participants. For each participant, the results for the different metrics will be used to allocate points. These points will serve to classify and rank the challengers and designate a winner. Several  categories will be organized. In three categories the maximum number of angles will be imposed (low medium and high number of angles) and only the image quality metrics will be used for attributing points and make the ranking. In a last category, challengers will be free to use the number of angles they want and this number will be included as a correction factor for the attribution of the number of points.
The aim of the challenge goes much beyond the simple designation of a winner. The aim is also to analyse more finely the different methods.

For all details and information connect to the following site: https://www.creatis.insa-lyon.fr/Challenge/IEEE_IUS_2016/

The annual 2016 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium will be held at the VINCI Convention Center, TOURS, FRANCE, from September, 18-21, 2016. Oral and poster presentation formats will be used at the symposium. Papers are solicited for this conference describing original work in the field of ultrasonics.

The abstract submission system opens Tuesday March 1st, 2016 and closes Friday, April 1st, 2016, 11:59 pm Pacific Time: to access to the dedicated submission site please follow this link: IUS 2016 abstract submission system (http://submissions.mirasmart.com/ius2016/).

Please read the following information and instructions before submitting your abstract.

Abstract Rights Transfer to IEEE

IMPORTANT – When authors submit abstracts via the linked abstract submission site, it is understood that the authors have resolved the intellectual property right issues with their employers and other parties involved, and have transferred their abstract rights to IEEE. Authors who have concerns about intellectual property rights should consult their attorney for legal advice (for example, filing provisional patent applications). The abstracts will be kept confidential until they have been accepted and placed in the conference program. After that time (around the end of June 2016), the abstracts may be published both online and in print, or be accessible through the “Meeting Planner” to help attendees to prepare and/or individualize their conference programs.

Abstract submission instructions

– Abstract Format: Each abstract should be presented into the following three sections:
(1) Background, Motivation, Hypothesis and Objectives;
(2) Statement of Contribution/Methods;
(3) Results, Discussion and Conclusion.
– The total number of characters excluding spaces, title, author names, and affiliations is limited to 2500.
– Figures and Tables: Figures and tables are allowed as long as they are in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG or .jpg) or Graphic Interchange Format (GIF or .gif) file format. Although a picture is a thousand words, each figure or table will only count for 500 characters towards the allowed total of 2500 characters.
– An overall abstract is limited to one page, including three sections and all figures.
– Size of Figures and Tables: To fit into one page, the original size of figures and tables may need to be reduced. If the figures and/or tables are large, it is recommended to reduce their size, so that both the width and height of these items does not exceed 800 pixels before you upload them during abstract submission. Smaller sizes of figures and tables will ensure that the production of an electronic abstract book is a reasonable file size, which is helpful in the abstract review process and convenient for users who download the abstract book.
– Student Paper Competition: If you are a student, you may wish to participate in the Student Paper Competition. For consideration, please make your selection during your abstract submission. Abstracts submitted by students for the Student Paper Competition will undergo the same review process as any other abstract submitted to the symposium. The finalists, determined based on review and ranking of their abstract, will be notified and invited to present during a special Student Paper Competition session on the first day of the symposium. The presentations will be evaluated by a panel of judges, and winners in each technical area will be selected.
– Oral or Poster Preference: The mode of presentation that can be selected by authors during the abstract submission is “Oral”, “Poster” or “Either”. Although the Technical Program Committee (TPC) will consider the authors’ presentation preferences during the abstract evaluation process, the final decision on “Oral” or “Poster” of an abstract will be made by the TPC. Please note that the acceptance of an abstract or not by the conference will solely depend on the quality of the abstract, not on authors’ “Oral” or “Poster” selection.
– Student Travel Support: If you are a student, you may request Student Travel Support which is independent from Student Paper Competition. If you request Student Travel Support, please select “Yes” to the question “Do you require travel support?” during your abstract submission. Otherwise, your request will not be considered even if you have provided information such as laboratory name, advisor’s name, IEEE membership number, graduation date, etc. Please note that you are not eligible for Student Travel Support unless you are an IEEE UFFC member. If you are not a member, please join the IEEE and UFFC society. A discounted membership is available for students.
– Oral or Poster Presentation Preference: The presentation preference – “Oral” or “Poster”, can be selected by authors during the abstract submission. Although the Technical Program Committee (TPC) will consider the authors’ presentation preferences during the abstract evaluation process, the final decision will be made by the TPC based on authors’ preference, abstract review and ranking. Please note that the acceptance of an abstract for presentation at the symposium will solely depend on the quality of the abstract and the outcome of the review, and it will not be affected by the authors’ “Oral” or “Poster” selection.
– Abstract Evaluation: Your abstract will be evaluated by the Technical Program Committee (TPC) and the decision to accept, reject or combine abstracts is final. The committee will also determine the form of presentation, either “Oral” or “Poster”.
– Presentation Guides: If your abstracts are accepted, please check the Oral Presentation Guide and/or Poster Presentation Guide as appropriate to prepare your presentations.
– Missed Emails: The following abstract submission site also contains a copy of all emails that the site has sent to you automatically regarding both your abstract submissions and review results (the review results will be available at the beginning of June 2016). If your email spam filters delete the emails, you can always access them using your usernames and passwords (see the “Email History” link after you log in). If you have more than one account, please check all of your accounts.
– IMPORTANT – When you use the “Submit My Abstract” link in the online submission site, you will receive an automatic confirmation email containing your abstract ID.

Papers are solicited for this conference describing original work in the field of ultrasonics from the following subject classifications:

·

Dear Colleague:

We are writing to ask your help in identifying potential recipients of threeawards that are offered annually by the IEEE UFFC designed to recognize very significant contributions in the field of ultrasonics.  The 3 Awards are:

1. IEEE Ultrasonics Early Career Investigator Award
2. IEEE Carl Hellmuth Hertz Ultrasonics Award (aimed at mid career members)
3. Rayleigh Award

Descriptions of the awards and criteria for eligibility are available on the IEEEUFFC Awards website.

Nominations for the Early Career Investigator and Carl Hellmuth HertzAwards are aimed at individuals in small and large companies, government laboratories, and academic institutions. In recognition of the wide differences in the kinds of contributions that are central to the goals of each of these divergent components of our Ultrasonics community, a flexible two-page nomination format will be employed.  The submission should begin with the name and contact information (email and telephone) of the nominator followed by that information for the nominee. The next entry should be a brief (one sentence or less) proposed citation that will accompany the announcement of the award if the candidate is selected. The remainder of the two-page submission may be used as the nominator chooses to highlight reasons that the selection committee should consider in evaluating the candidate. Suggested entries are 1) educational history, 2) professional history, 3) engineering, scientific, and technological contributions, 4) previous awards or other professional recognitions, and 5) A synopsis of the contributions that motivate the nominator to promote the candidate. Please identify which of the five groups of theUltrasonics Symposium’s Technical Program Committee (Group 1: Medical Ultrasonics; Group 2: Sensors, NDE, and Industrial Applications; Group 3: Physical Acoustics; Group 4: MicroAcoustics – SAW, FBAR, MEMS; andGroup 5: Transducers and Transducer Materials) reflects most closely the contributions of the candidate.

The Rayleigh Award represents the highest honor for achievement within theUFFC Society in the field of Ultrasonics. The achievement may be in technical innovations, research, education, publications and related professional endeavors. Typically, the recipient will have demonstrated these accomplishments over a sustained period of time.  Nominators are encouraged to focus the 2 page submission on how the nominee has changed the field of ultrasonics and created new opportunities for academic inquiry and or commercial success.

The format for the submission is at the discretion of the nominator. Tables, bulleted lists, and the judicious use of white space are often more effective in communicating than densely packed text. Highlighting a specific patent or the nominee’s contributions to a successful device or product illustrated with a photo might be appropriate for some candidates, whereas highlighting a published paper or a particularly impactful presentation the IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium might be appropriate for others. Active collaboration between the nominator and the nominee in the preparation of the submission is encouraged.  Self nomination is also permitted.  A selection committee drawn from a very wide range of interests, backgrounds, and affiliations will evaluate and rank the submissions.

Submissions are due no later than March 1, 2015 and are required to be in pdf format and of two pages in length. No supplemental material will be considered.

For the Early Career and Hertz awards, please send this material as an email attachment to Yook-Kong Yong at the email address below. Please use the Subject line “IEEE Ultrasonics Awards” and please title the attached pdf file with the nominee’s name in the form “Joseph_Jones.pdf”.  Yong will acknowledge each submission by email. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within one week, please contact him.

To nominate candidates for the Early Career Investigator and Carl Hellmuth Hertz Awards please contact:

Dr. Yook-Kong Yong
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
School of Engineering
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Piscataway, NJ 08854
yyong@rci.rutgers.edu
Phone:1 848-445-3219
http://www.civeng.rutgers.edu/fac/yook-kong-yong

To nominate candidates for the Rayleigh Award please contact:

Dr. Pierre Khuri-Yakub
E. L. Ginzton Laboratory
348 Via Pueblo Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-4088
khuri-yakub@stanford.edu
Phone: 1 (650) 723-0718
http://www-kyg.stanford.edu/khuriyakub/opencms/en/home/

Thanks for your help in identifying outstanding candidates for these prestigiousawards.

Yook-Kong Yong and Pierre Khuri-Yakub on behalf of the IEEE UFFCUltrasonics Committee.

The 2016 IEEE international Ultrasonics Symposium in Tours, France, will host for the first time a student-industry networking event. The motivation is to connect students close to graduation with jobs in industry.

Why have this event?

The motivation is to retain the great talent we observe each year attending the annual conference in a related field beyond graduation. The field of ultrasound, physical acoustics and related material research requires training and dedication to make it to the level to present scientific work at the annual conference and these contributions are the basis of a innovative and dynamic society. The vast job opportunities in the field of acoustics are often unknown to students, and this event tries to address this by very specifically introducing a prospective student to open jobs.

How does it work?

The event will take place on Sunday, September 18^th from 5 pm to 6.45 pm at the VINCI Convention Center. The actual event will consist of a 90 min slot, in which 25 students will be each allotted 3 min to present their profile to industry members with open positions. A one page slide master is provided that will contain your contact information, graduation date, skills and interests. Use of this template ensures all students to have the same time and opportunity.

After the 90 mins of presentations, there will be a social mixer with snacks and drinks during which the students and industry members can mix. The idea is that from the information provided during the presentations industry members take down the contact information of prospective students and can either approach them during the social mixer or contact them later on.

For more information connect to the page dedicated to the Student-Industry Network Event: http://site.ieee.org/ius-2016/uffc-student-industry-network-event/

Tours and the Vinci Congress Center will host the 2016 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, one of the major international scientific event in research and development for ultrasonic medical and industrial applications. More than 1,300 researchers, engineers, students and decision makers from 50 countries are expected at this occasion in September next year.

After a successful 2015 edition in Taipei (Taiwan), with more than 1,000 participants and 800 scientific papers, the IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS) will come to Tours in France for the first time since 20 years.

The choice of Tours city is not surprising since it was here, in 1972, that Professor Léandre Pourcelot developed one of the first Doppler ultrasound equipment. Since then, a whole ecosystem of research teams and ultrasound-related businesses grew in Tours: including for example the INSERM research team U930 “Imaging and Ultrasound”, the GREMAN laboratory, technology transfer units as Althaïs Technologies, Certem, clinical investigation center of Tours University Hospital and industry players such as Vermon, Rheawave, Transderma… This conference will be an opportunity to highlight the Tours scientific expertise in this highly innovative world.

This event will be organized by Dr. Ayache Bouakaz , research director at INSERM. Specialist of medical imaging and ultrasound contrast agents, his team focuses on the development of diagnosis and treatment of cancerous tumors with ultrasound activated microbubbles.

Ayache Bouakaz

“I am very pleased that we organize the IUS Conference in Tours in 2016, this is a very important event for the French scientific and industrial community working in this area, and a chance to discover and present the latest developments, research and innovations related to ultrasound applications. We are also proud to have the Mayor of Tours, Mr Serge Babary, support us and define IUS 2016 as a major scientific event for the city.

This conference will also be an opportunity, for the first time, of a “speed-dating” between students and industrials, a great way to create contacts and why not get a job. A FrenchTech space will also be created to highlight the French innovation in the field of ultrasound for medical applications.”

WELCOME TO TOURS!

The 2016 edition of IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium is coming to TOURS, FRANCE, 18 to 21 September and will be held in the VINCI convention center. It is an honor to host this wonderful symposium and to bring together academic and industrial researchers from over 50 countries to allow scientific exchange, inspire new ideas and projects.

TOURS has a long history with ultrasound in France. In the late sixties, Professor Léandre Pourcelot brought to market the first European CW Doppler system. With his research group, he developed one of the first real-time ultrasound imaging systems based on electronic scanning of a linear array. His work paved the way to more than 40 years of innovations in medical ultrasound.
 

TOURS city is situated in the LOIRE VALLEY, nicknamed “Jardin de la France” (Garden of France), a UNESCO world heritage, popular for a number of famous castles such as Chenonceau, Amboise, Chambord, Villandry …
 

TOURS located in the center of France, is easily accessible and a major touristic region renowned for its unique history, gastronomy, heritage and culture.
 

I am looking forward to seeing you in TOURS, FRANCE
 

Very sincerely,
 

Dr. Ayache Bouakaz, General Chair