Shear wave amplitude reconstruction for tissue elasticity monitoring and display

A method of shear wave imaging, the method comprising:

• acquiring ultrasound echoes responsive to ultrasound pulses transmitted toward a target tissue;
• transmitting a push pulse into the target tissue to generate a shear wave in the target tissue;
• transmitting tracking pulses spatially planned to intersect the shear wave at one or more locales;
• receiving echo signals where the tracking pulses intersected the shear wave;
• storing tracking echo data generated from the received echo signals;
• determining a displacement amplitude of the shear wave propagating through the target tissue based on the tracking echo data, wherein the determined displacement amplitude is determined at two or more laterally-spaced points within the target tissue;
• and
• generating a qualitative tissue elasticity map of the target tissue based on the determined displacement amplitude,
• wherein generating the qualitative tissue elasticity map of the target tissue based on the determined displacement amplitude comprises comparing the determined displacement amplitude to a reference displacement amplitude,
• wherein the reference displacement amplitude is determined at two or more laterally-spaced points within a reference tissue or is determined numerically from a simulated model, and
• wherein generating the qualitative tissue elasticity map further comprises:
• determining a displacement amplitude decorrelation value by comparing the determined displacement amplitude at consecutive pairs of the laterally-spaced points within the target tissue;
• determining a reference displacement amplitude decorrelation value by comparing the determined displacement amplitude at consecutive pairs of the laterally-spaced points within the reference tissue;
• comparing the displacement amplitude decorrelation value to the reference displacement amplitude decorrelation value;
• and
• based on the comparison, generating the qualitative tissue elasticity map.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions, which when executed cause a processor of an ultrasound imaging system to:

• acquire ultrasound echoes responsive to ultrasound pulses transmitted toward a target tissue;
• transmit a push pulse into the target tissue to generate a shear wave in the target tissue;
• transmit tracking pulses spatially planned to intersect the shear wave at one or more locales;
• receive echo signals where the tracking pulses intersected the shear wave;
• store tracking echo data generated from the received echo signals;
• determine a displacement amplitude of the shear wave propagating through the target tissue based on the tracking echo data, wherein the determined displacement amplitude is determined at two or more laterally-spaced points within the target tissue;
• and
• generate a qualitative tissue elasticity map of the target tissue based on the determined displacement amplitude,
• wherein generating the qualitative tissue elasticity map of the target tissue based on the determined displacement amplitude comprises comparing the determined displacement amplitude to a reference displacement amplitude,
• wherein the reference displacement amplitude is determined at two or more laterally-spaced points within a reference tissue or is determined numerically from a simulated model, and
• wherein generating the qualitative tissue elasticity map further comprises:
• determining a displacement amplitude decorrelation value by comparing the determined displacement amplitude at consecutive pairs of the laterally-spaced points within the target tissue;
• determining a reference displacement amplitude decorrelation value by comparing the determined displacement amplitude at consecutive pairs of the laterally-spaced points within the reference tissue;
• comparing the displacement amplitude decorrelation value to the reference displacement amplitude decorrelation value;
• and
• based on the comparison, generating the qualitative tissue elasticity map.