Ultrasonic shear wave imaging with focused scanline beamforming

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system for shear wave analysis comprising:

• an ultrasound probe comprising a two-dimensional array;
• a beamformer configured to control the following:
• transmit, from the ultrasound probe, push pulses along a plurality of push pulse vectors to generate a corresponding plurality of shear wave fronts each having a respective velocity, wherein the plurality of push pulse vectors are spatially interleaved in a lateral direction and the push pulses are differently sequenced in a depth direction along different ones of the plurality of push pulse vectors;
• transmit, from the ultrasound probe, tracking pulses along laterally separated tracking lines in a region adjacent to the plurality of push pulse vectors, wherein the tracking pulses are transmitted along the laterally separated tracking lines in a time-interleaved sequence such that the laterally separated tracking lines may be sampled a plurality of times after the push pulses are transmitted;
• and
• receive, from the ultrasound probe, echo signals from points along the laterally separated tracking lines to sample the laterally separated tracking lines the plurality of times after the push pulses are transmitted;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• store tracking line echo data generated from the received echo signals as the corresponding plurality of shear wave fronts pass through the laterally separated tracking lines;
• in response to the tracking line echo data, detect motion due to the shear wave fronts passing through the tracking lines, wherein detecting motion comprises successively sampling the tracking line echo data;
• measure the respective velocities of the corresponding plurality of shear wave fronts passing through the laterally separated tracking lines;
• and
• display results of measuring the respective velocities of the corresponding plurality of shear wave fronts.