Title :
Real-time 1-D/2-D transient elastography on a standard ultrasound scanner using mechanically induced vibration
Author :
Azar, R.Z. ; Dickie, K. ; Pelissier, L.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of R&D, Ultrasonix Med. Corp., Richmond, BC, Canada
fDate :
10/1/2012 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Transient elastography has been well established in the literature as a means of assessing the elasticity of soft tissue. In this technique, tissue elasticity is estimated from the study of the propagation of the transient shear waves induced by an external or internal source of vibration. Previous studies have focused mainly on custom single-element transducers and ultrafast scanners which are not available in a typical clinical setup. In this work, we report the design and implementation of a transient elastography system on a standard ultrasound scanner that enables quantitative assessment of tissue elasticity in real-time. Two new custom imaging modes are introduced that enable the system to image the axial component of the transient shear wave, in response to an externally induced vibration, in both 1-D and 2-D. Elasticity reconstruction algorithms that estimate the tissue elasticity from these transient waves are also presented. Simulation results are provided to show the advantages and limitations of the proposed system. The performance of the system is also validated experimentally using a commercial elasticity phantom.
Keywords :
biological tissues; biomechanics; biomedical ultrasonics; elastic waves; elasticity; image reconstruction; medical image processing; phantoms; vibrations; commercial elasticity phantom; custom imaging modes; elasticity reconstruction algorithms; mechanically induced vibration; real-time 1-D/2-D transient elastography; single-element transducers; soft tissue elasticity; standard ultrasound scanner; transient shear waves; ultrafast scanners; Elasticity; Image reconstruction; Imaging phantoms; Phantoms; Transient analysis; Ultrasonic imaging; Algorithms; Computer Simulation; Elasticity Imaging Techniques; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Models, Biological; Phantoms, Imaging; Vibration;
Journal_Title :
Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TUFFC.2012.2443