US 2022/0015741 A1Published application

Ultrasound system and method for shear wave characterization of anisotropic tissue

AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.

InventorsCAROLINA AMADOR CARRASCAL, FRANCOIS GUY GERARD MARIE VIGNON, SEUNGSOO KIM, HUA XIE

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Ultrasound systems and methods for shear wave elastography (SWE) imaging are described which may improve the scan protocol for SWE imaging of anisotropic tissue. One or more initial measurements may be acquired to determine the orientation of the anisotropic tissue. The system acquires shear wave speed and/or stiffness measurements from at least two perpendicular intersecting planes through the anisotropic tissue and reports, a shear wave speed and/or stiffness measurement along the perpendicular intersecting planes and/or a composite measurement based upon the plurality of individual shear wave speed and/or stiffness measurement obtained at the different image planes. Improvements to the SWE imaging protocol may be achieved by providing guidance by way of an improved graphical user interface, to assist the sonographer in acquiring measurements at suitable imaging planes for more accurately characterizing the anisotropic tissue. The SWE imaging protocol may be an automatic or semi-automatic protocol.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of acquiring shear wave elastography measurements of anisotropic tissue, the method comprising:

acquiring initial measurements from the anisotropic tissue by transmitting ultrasound beams toward the anisotropic tissue at a plurality of different angles with respect to an orientation of the anisotropic tissue;
determining a first imaging plane at the angle associated with a maximum or a minimum value of the initial acoustic measurements, wherein the maximum value indicates a first orientation to a structure of the anisotropic tissue and the minimum value indicates a second orientation to the structure of the anisotropic tissue;
determining a second imaging plane;
generating a first shear wave at an intersection of the first imaging plane and the second imaging plane;
acquiring a first shear wave elastography measurement by tracking the first shear wave propagation along the first imaging plane;
generating a second shear wave at the intersection of the first imaging plane and the second imaging plane;
acquiring a second shear wave elastography measurement by tracking the second shear wave propagation along the second imaging plane;
and
generating a composite shear wave elastography measurement for the anisotropic tissue at the intersection of the first imaging plane and the second imaging plane based on the first and second shear wave elastography measurements.

6 more elements

An ultrasound system comprising:

a probe configured to transmit ultrasound signals and acquire echoes responsive to the ultrasound signals to acquire measurements from an imaging plane;
and
a processor configured to:
cause the probe to acquire initial measurements from an anisotropic tissue at a plurality of angles with respect to an orientation of the anisotropic tissue;
determine a first imaging plane at an angle associated with a maximum or minimum value of the initial measurements, wherein the maximum value indicates a first orientation to a structure of the anisotropic tissue and the minimum value indicates a second orientation to the structure of the anisotropic tissue;
determine a second imaging plane;
cause the probe to generate a first shear wave at an intersection of the first imaging plane and the second imaging plane;
acquire a first shear wave elastography measurement at the intersection of the first imaging plane and the second imaging plane by causing the probe to track the first shear wave's propagation along the first imaging plane;
cause the probe to generate a second shear wave at the intersection of the first imaging plane and the second imaging plane;
acquire a second shear wave elastography measurement at the intersection of the first imaging plane and the second imaging plane by causing the probe to track the second shear wave's propagation along the second imaging plane;
and
generate a composite shear wave elastography measurement anisotropic tissue at the intersection of the first imaging plane and the second imaging plane based on the first and second shear wave elastography measurements.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.