Systems, methods, and apparatuses for confidence mapping of shear wave imaging

An ultrasound imaging system comprising:

• an ultrasound imaging device configured to generate shear wave signals responsive to shear wave tracking echoes received by an ultrasound probe communicatively coupled to the ultrasound imaging device;
• and
• a processor integral with or communicatively coupled to the ultrasound imaging device, wherein the processor includes:
• a shear wave processor configured to calculate tissue stiffness values based, at least in part, on the shear wave signals;
• a confidence map generator configured to calculate confidence values based on at least one confidence factor;
• and
• an image processor configured to generate an ultrasound image including a graphical overlay of tissue stiffness values for one or more pixels within a region of interest and a confidence map, wherein the confidence map is configured to provide, based on the calculated confidence values, an indication of reliability of the tissue stiffness values within the region of interest,
• wherein the confidence map represents different confidence values with different colors.