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US 6,371,912 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for the identification and characterization of regions of altered stiffness
AssigneeDuke University
InventorsKathryn R. Nightingale, Gregg E. Trahey, Roger W. Nightingale, Mark L. Palmeri
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Abstract
A remote palpation technique in breast imaging or the like ican involve the use of multiple applications of radiation force in rapid succession throughout a two-dimensional plane in the target tissue, and the combination of the small, two-dimensional displacement maps from each force location into a single, larger remote palpation image. Apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method is also disclosed.
Claims46
An ultrasound method for detecting a region of altered stiffness contained within a medium, comprising the steps of:
- (a) delivering a set of tracking pulses from a plurality of transducer elements in an ultrasound transducer array to a plurality of target regions in a two-dimensional plane within said medium to detect initial positions for said plurality of target regions;
- (b) storing said initial positions for said plurality of target regions;
- (c) delivering a first set of pushing pulses from a plurality of said transducer elements to a forcing region among said target regions to displace said target regions to displaced positions;
- then
- (d) delivering a second set of tracking pulses from said plurality of transducer elements in said ultrasound transducer array to said plurality of target regions to detect displaced positions for said plurality of target regions;
- (e) storing said displaced positions for said plurality of target regions;
- repeating steps (a) through (e) in a series of cycles, with said pushing pulses being delivered to a different forcing region and different plurality of target regions during each of said cycles;
- (g) generating a two-dimensional displacement map from each of said initial positions and displaced positions for each of said forcing regions to produce a plurality of two-dimensional displacement maps;
- and then
- (h) combining said plurality of two-dimensional displacement maps into a single combined image, with a region of altered stiffness being indicated by a region of altered displacement within said combined image.
7 more elements
An ultrasound apparatus for detecting a region of altered stiffness contained within a medium, comprising:
- (a) an ultrasound transducer array;
- (b) first transmit means for delivering a set of tracking pulses from a plurality of transducer elements in said transducer array to a plurality of target regions within said medium to detect initial positions for said plurality of target regions;
- (c) first storage means for storing said initial positions for said plurality of target regions;
- then
- (d) second transmit means for delivering a first set of pushing pulses from a plurality of said transducer elements to a forcing region among said target regions to displace said target regions to displaced positions;
- (e) third transmit means for delivering a second set of tracking pulses from said plurality of transducer elements to said plurality of target regions to detect displaced positions for said plurality of target regions,
- (f) second storage means for storing said displaced positions for said plurality of target regions;
- (g) control means associated with said first second and third transmit means and said first and second storage means for cyclically delivering said pushing pulses to a plurality of different forcing regions;
- (h) means for generating a two-dimensional tissue displacement map from each of said initial positions and displaced positions for each of said forcing regions to produce a plurality of two-dimensional tissue displacement maps;
- and
- (i) means for combining said plurality of two-dimensional tissue displacement maps into a single combined image, with a region of altered stiffness being indicated by a region of altered displacement within said image.
8 more elements
An ultrasound method for detecting a region of altered stiffness contained within a medium, comprising the steps of:
- (a) delivering a first set of pushing pulses from a plurality of said transducer elements to a forcing region among said target regions to displace said target regions to displaced positions;
- then
- (b) delivering a set of tracking pulses from a plurality of transducer elements in an ultrasound transducer array to a plurality of target regions in a two-dimensional plane within said medium to detect displaced positions for said plurality of target regions;
- (c) storing said displaced positions for said plurality of target regions;
- (d) delivering a second set of tracking pulses from said plurality of transducer elements in said ultrasound transducer array to said plurality of target regions to detect relaxed positions for said plurality of target regions, then
- (e) storing said relaxed positions for said plurality of target regions;
- (f) repeating steps (a) through (e) in a series of cycles, with said pushing pulses being delivered to a different forcing region and different plurality of target regions during each of said cycles;
- (g) generating a two-dimensional displacement map from each of said displaced positions and relaxed positions for each of said forcing regions to produce a plurality of two-dimensional displacement maps;
- and then
- (h) combining said plurality of two-dimensional displacement maps into a single combined image, with a region of altered stiffness being indicated by a region of altered displacement within said combined image.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.