System and method for acoustic radiation force creep-recovery and shear wave propagation elasticity imaging
AssigneeMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
InventorsJames F. Greenleaf, Carolina Amador Carrascal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A model-independent method for producing a viscoelastic tissue property metric using ultrasound is provided. A mechanical stress, such as an acoustic force, is applied to a tissue during a creep period using an ultrasound system to generate a creep response. Tissue displacement resulting from the applied acoustic force is measured during a recovery period following the creep period. From the tissue displacement measurements, a relative complex modulus is extracted, and a loss tangent is calculated based on extracted complex modulus. Using the calculated loss tangent, viscoelastic tissue property metrics may be calculated.
Claims13
A method for producing a viscoelastic tissue property metric using an ultrasound system, the steps of the method comprising:
- a) applying a mechanical stress to a tissue during a creep period using an ultrasound system, wherein the mechanical stress generates at least a creep response;
- b) measuring a tissue displacement resulting from the applied mechanical stress during a recovery period that follows the creep period using the ultrasound system;
- c) extracting with a computer system, a relative complex modulus value from the tissue displacement measured during the recovery period that follows the creep period based in part on computing with the computer system a reciprocal of a Fourier transform of the tissue displacement measured during the recovery period that follows the creep period;
- d) calculating with the computer system, a loss tangent from the extracted complex modulus;
- and
- e) calculating with the computer system, a viscoelastic tissue property metric based on the calculated loss tangent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.