# US 11,998,392 B2 · Shear wave elasticity measurement method and shear wave elasticity imaging system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,998,392 B2 - Document ID: US11998392B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/097,881 - Filed: 2020-11-13 - Published: 2021-03-18 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-15 - Assignees: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.; Shenzhen Mindray Scientific Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.; Shenzhen Mindray Scientific Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shuangshuang Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998392B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/485: {involving measuring strain or elastic properties} - A61B 8/463: {characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display} - A61B 8/469: {for selection of a region of interest} - A61B 8/5207: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image} - A61B 8/5223: {for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data (for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012)} - A61B 8/54: {Control of the diagnostic device} - G01N 29/043: {in the interior, e.g. by shear waves} - G01N 29/0654: {Imaging} - G01S 7/52022: {using a sequence of pulses, at least one pulse manipulating the transmissivity or reflexivity of the medium} - G01S 7/52042: {determining elastic properties of the propagation medium or of the reflective target (diagnostic techniques involving the measurement of strain A61B8/485)} - G01S 7/52085: {Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences (control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54)} - G01N 2291/011: Velocity or travel time - G01N 2291/02827: Elastic parameters, strength or force - G01N 2291/0422: Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A shear wave elasticity measurement method and a shear wave elasticity imaging system are disclosed. For each pair of corresponding shear waves, an echo signal within a continuous period of time can be obtained only at a third position, so that an elasticity parameter corresponding to the target area can be obtained according to the echo signal within the continuous period of time. Not only the position required for obtaining an echo signal is few, but also the total data volume required for obtaining the echo signal is few. The calculation method is also easy, which significantly reduces the system performance requirement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A shear wave elasticity measurement method, comprising: generating a first shear wave at a first position on a boundary of a target area; generating a second shear wave at a second position on the boundary of the target area, wherein the second position is located on a propagation path of the first shear wave; transmitting an ultrasound wave to a third position to detect the first shear wave and the second shear wave, and receiving echoes of the ultrasound wave to obtain an echo signal, wherein the third position is located outside the target area and the first shear wave propagates to the third position through the second position; obtaining a first time when the first shear wave reaches the third position and a second time when the second shear wave reaches the third position according to the echo signal; and calculating an elasticity parameter of the target area according to a time difference between the first time when the first shear wave reaches the third position and the second time when the second shear wave reaches the third position, and a distance between the first position and the second position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The shear wave elasticity measurement method of claim 1, wherein the second position is different from the first position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The shear wave elasticity measurement method of claim 2, wherein the distance between the first position and the second position is maximum on the boundary of the target area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The shear wave elasticity measurement method of claim 1, wherein generating the first shear wave at the first position on the boundary of the target area comprises: generating multiple first shear waves at multiple target points at the first position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The shear wave elasticity measurement method of claim 4, wherein generating the second shear wave at the second position on the boundary of the target area comprises: generating multiple second shear waves at multiple target points at the second position, wherein the multiple first shear waves respectively propagate to the third position through the multiple target points at the second position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The shear wave elasticity measurement method of claim 1, wherein the first shear wave and the second shear wave are generated at a same time or at different times. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The shear wave elasticity measurement method of claim 1, wherein the elasticity parameter comprises one or more of an average velocity of shear wave, a Young's modulus, and a shear modulus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The shear wave elasticity measurement method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting an ultrasound wave to the target area and receiving ultrasound echoes from the target area to obtain an echo signal for generating an ultrasound image; generating an ultrasound image of the target area according to the echo signal for generating an ultrasound image; displaying the ultrasound image; and displaying the elasticity parameter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The shear wave elasticity measurement method of claim 8, further comprising: obtaining the target area selected by a user on the ultrasound image; and determining the first position and the second position according to the selected target area. ### Claim 10 A shear wave elasticity imaging system, comprising: a probe; a transmitting controller configured to control the probe to generate a first shear wave at a first position on a boundary of a target area, control the probe to generate a second shear wave at a second position on the boundary of the target area, and control the probe to transmit an ultrasound wave to a third position to detect the first shear wave and the second shear wave, wherein, the second position is located on a propagation path of the first shear wave, and the third position is located outside the target area and the first shear wave propagates to the third position through the second position; a receiving controller configured to control the probe to receive echoes of the ultrasound wave transmitted to the third position to obtain an echo signal; and an image processor configured to obtain a first time when the first shear wave reaches the third position and a second time when the second shear wave reaches the third position according to the echo signal, and calculate an elasticity parameter of the target area according to a time difference between the first time when the first shear wave reaches the third position and the second time when the second shear wave reaches the third position, and a distance between the first position and the second position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The shear wave elasticity imaging system of claim 10, wherein the second position is different from the first position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The shear wave elasticity imaging system of claim 11, wherein the distance between the first position and the second position is maximum on the boundary of the target area. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The shear wave elasticity imaging system of claim 10, wherein the transmitting controller is configured to control the probe to generate multiple first shear waves at multiple target points at the first position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The shear wave elasticity imaging system of claim 13, wherein the transmitting controller is configured to control the probe to generate multiple second shear waves at multiple target points at the second position, wherein the multiple first shear waves respectively propagate to the third position through the multiple target points at the second position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The shear wave elasticity imaging system of claim 10, wherein the transmitting controller is configured to control the probe to generate the first shear wave and the second shear wave at a same time or at different times. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The shear wave elasticity imaging system of claim 10, wherein the elasticity parameter obtained by the image processor comprises one or more of an average velocity of shear wave, a Young's modulus, and a shear modulus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The shear wave elasticity imaging system of claim 10, further comprising a display, wherein: the transmitting controller is further configured to control the probe to transmit an ultrasound wave to the target area, and the receiving controller is further configured to control the probe to receive ultrasound echoes from the target area to obtain an echo signal for generating an ultrasound image; the image processor is further configured to generate an ultrasound image of the target area according to the echo signal for generating an ultrasound image; and the display is further configured to display the ultrasound image and the elasticity parameter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The shear wave elasticity imaging system of claim 17, wherein the image processor is further configured to obtain a selection instruction of a user for selecting the target area on the ultrasound image and determine the first position and the second position according to the selected target area.