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US 12,714,311 B2Granted
Magnetic resonance elastography system for the prostate
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsChristopher Brace, Shane Wells
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A driver for transperineal magnetic resonance elastography provides a body harness stabilizing a mechanical actuator against a body reference point to provide improved imaging. The driver may employ a polymer bellows for mechanical simplicity and low cost.
Claims21
A driver for magnetic resonance elastography comprising
- a mechanical actuator sized to fit between a patient's legs having at a proximal end, an actuator head adapted to abut the patient's perineum to apply a periodic force to the perineum at a frequency in excess of 50 Hz and sidewalls extending distally from the actuator head;
- an actuator support including a strap passing between legs of the patient and attached to a body harness fixedly engaging the patient's body, the strap and body harness cooperating to position and bias the actuator head against the perineum during an application of the periodic force;
- wherein the mechanical actuator is a bellows with a fluid chamber having one end adapted to directly contact the patient's perineum and apply the periodic force as a function of a varying fluid pressure in the fluid chamber;
- and
- wherein a material of the sidewalls is formed with multiple circumferential pleats adapted to flex with the periodic force, and wherein the sidewalls are adapted to expand preferentially in an axial direction primarily by flexing of the pleats rather than elastic expansion of the material of the bellows toward the perineum relative to a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
2 more elements
A method of prostate magnetic resonance elastography comprising:
- positioning a mechanical actuator having an actuator head at its proximal end so that the actuator head abuts a patient's perineum by attaching an actuator support to the patient, the actuator support having a strap passing between legs of the patient and attached to a body harness fixedly engaging the patient's body and biasing actuator head against the perineum;
- applying a periodic force with the mechanical actuator to the perineum at a frequency in excess of 50 Hz;
- and
- imaging wave motion in the prostate motion during an application of the periodic force to provide an image revealing tissue stiffness in the prostate;
- wherein the mechanical actuator is a bellows with a fluid chamber having one end adapted to directly contact the patient's perineum and apply the periodic force as a function of a varying fluid pressure in the fluid chamber;
- and
- wherein a material of the sidewalls is formed with multiple circumferential pleats adapted to flex with the periodic force, and wherein the sidewalls are adapted to expand preferentially in an axial direction primarily by flexing of the pleats rather than elastic expansion of the material of the bellows toward the perineum relative to a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.