US 2024/0188932 A1 · ULTRASOUND ON-PROBE VIBRATION SYSTEMS, METHODS AND DEVICES FOR ELASTOGRAPHIC AND VISCOELASTOGRAPHIC MEDICAL IMAGING

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are provided for inducing acoustic vibration into the human body for the purpose of elastography and viscoelastography medical imaging. This method places the vibration sources on the ultrasound probe separate from the ultrasound array. Compared to ARFI, the methods described herein increase the size and depth of the vibrational shear wave fields and the range of frequencies within the shear wave field and allows for multi-channel and multi-directional audio-frequency vibration sources. Embodiments enable the implementation of various external vibration methods for shear wave elastography and viscoelastography. Additional embodiments enable ARFI push pulses to be generated by the vibration sources, along with the implementation of methods for ARFI elastography and its variants.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An ultrasound elastography diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a probe assembly comprising:
an ultrasound probe configured to detect vibrations passing through subject tissue;
a vibration isolation component;
one or more vibratory devices coupled to the ultrasound probe via the vibration isolation component;
an input electrical interface communicatively couplable to a signal generator to receive a vibration driver signal comprising one of:
(i) an acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) signal;
and (ii) an external vibration shear wave elastography imaging (EV-SWEI) signal, the input electrical interface communicatively coupled to the one or more vibratory devices to generate a corresponding one of an ARFI push pulse and an EV-SWEI vibration;
and
an output electrical interface communicatively coupled to the ultrasound probe that tracks tissue displacements and is communicatively couplable to an image processor to generate a map of one or more viscoelastic properties contained in the tracked tissue displacements.

6 more elements

A method of performing an ultrasound elastography diagnostic procedure, the method comprising:

positioning a probe assembly into contact with subject tissue, the probe assembly comprising:
(i) an ultrasound probe configured to detect vibrations passing through the subject tissue;
(ii) a vibration isolation component;
and (iii) one or more vibratory devices coupled to the ultrasound probe via the vibration isolation component and comprising one or more vibratory devices that are configured to generate at least one of (a) an acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) push pulse;
and (b) an external vibration shear wave elastography imaging (EV-SWEI) vibration;
transmitting one of an ARFI signal and an EV-SWEI signal to the one or more vibratory devices to produce a corresponding one of the ARFI push pulse and the EV-SWEI vibration;
tracking with the ultrasound probe the tissue displacements resulting from the corresponding one of the ARFI push pulse and the EV-SWEI vibration;
and
mapping, at an image processor, one or more viscoelastic properties derived from the tracked tissue displacements.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ultrasound on-probe vibration systems, methods and devices for elastographic and viscoelastographic medical imaging

Life of this patent

Ultrasound on-probe vibration systems, methods and devices for elastographic and viscoelastographic medical imaging

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20