US 12,716,873 B2 · Non-contact ultrasound viscoelastic spectroscopy

Abstract

A system, apparatus, method, algorithm and/or device (collectively, “system”) for non-contact or contactless ultrasound viscoelastic spectroscopy measures the viscoelastic properties of soft matter through exerting modulated ultrasound pressure waves, so called stress signals and measuring the material deformation, so called strain imaging, over a wide range of frequencies, and may be applied to various fields including but not limited to material science, polymer designing, tissue engineering, cancer drug development and/or biological tissue assessment for disease diagnosis and prognosis. By measuring the elastic and viscous moduli, the phase difference between them, and Poisson's ratio over a wide range of frequencies, this allows for non-destructive tests on soft matter such as biological tissue, by ultrasound probes.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A non-contact method to quantify the viscoelastic properties of a material placed on a movable platform, comprising:

applying, using a first transducer, ultrasonic energy to the material;
receiving, by a third transducer, reflection energy of the ultrasonic energy;
adjusting, using a controller, the movable platform based on an amount of the reflection energy received by the third transducer;
emitting, using the first transducer, a sine waveform pressure field with different frequencies towards the material;
imaging, using a second transducer, deformations to the material due to the sine waveform pressure field at different frequencies applied to the material;
and
measuring or determining, by the controller, elastic modulus, viscous modulus and Poisson's ratio of the material based on the deformations to the material.

4 more elements

A contactless system to quantify the viscoelastic moduli of a material, comprising:

a moveable platform for the material;
a first ultrasound transducer spaced apart from the material and configured to emit waveforms of pressure field with varying frequencies towards the material to deform the material;
a second ultrasound transducer spaced apart from the material and configured to image over time the material deformations;
a moveable platform to hold, position, or orient the material relative to the first ultrasound transducer or the second ultrasound transducer;
and
a controller coupled to the first ultrasound transducer and the second ultrasound transducer and configured to:
adjust the movable platform based on an amount of reflection energy from a reflection of the waveforms emitted by the first ultrasonic transducer;
obtain, from the second ultrasound transducer, the images over time of the material deformations;
and
determine a time response of elastic modulus, viscous modulus, and Poisson's ratio of the material based on the images over time.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Non-contact ultrasound viscoelastic spectroscopy

Life of this patent

Non-contact ultrasound viscoelastic spectroscopy

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13