METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ULTRASOUND IMAGING
A first ultrasound pulse is applied to biological tissue to create shear waves in the biological tissue, a focused ultrasound pulse is transmitted into the biological tissue, one or more ultrasound signals is received from the biological tissue, and shear waves are detected in the biological tissue based on the received one or more ultrasound signals. At least one propagation property associated with the detected shear waves is determined, and the determined at least one propagation property is displayed.
1 . A method comprising:
applying a first ultrasound pulse to biological tissue to create shear waves in the biological tissue;
transmitting a focused ultrasound pulse into the biological tissue;
receiving one or more ultrasound signals from the biological tissue generated in response to the focused ultrasound pulse;
detecting the shear waves in the biological tissue based on the received one or more ultrasound signals;
determining a shear wave propagation velocity based on the detected shear waves; and
displaying the determined shear wave propagation velocity.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein detecting the shear waves comprises calculating a correlation, the sum of absolute differences (SAD), the sum of square differences (SSD), the sum of absolute cubic differences (SCD) or the sum of absolute power differences (SPD) between the received ultrasound signals at one or multiple positions in time.
3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one propagation property comprises calculating a correlation, the sum of absolute differences (SAD), the sum of square differences (SSD), the sum of absolute cubic differences (SCD) or the sum of absolute power differences (SPD) between the detected shear waves at one or multiple instances.
4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein detecting the shear waves comprises determining a displacement of the biological tissue.
5 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein detecting the shear waves comprises determining a velocity of the biological tissue using a color Doppler technique.
6 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the shear wave propagation velocity is calculated based on the square root of the ratio between a temporal second-order derivative of the displacement of the biological tissue and a spatial second-order derivative of the displacement of the biological tissue.
7 . A method according to claim 4 , wherein determining a displacement of the biological tissue comprises calculating a time integral of tissue color Doppler velocity.
8 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first ultrasound pulse is applied more than one time and is focused at a different focal point at each of the more than one time.
9 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the focused ultrasound pulse is transmitted more than one time and respective ones of the one or more received ultrasound signals may be received at one or more instances.
10 . A non-transitory medium storing processor-executable program code, the program code executable by a device to:
apply a first ultrasound pulse to biological tissue to create shear waves in the biological tissue;
transmit a focused ultrasound pulse into the biological tissue;
receive one or more ultrasound signals from the biological tissue generated in response to the focused ultrasound pulse;
detect the shear waves in the biological tissue based on the received one or more ultrasound signals;
determine a shear wave propagation velocity based on the detected shear waves; and
display the determined shear wave propagation velocity.
11 . A medium according to claim 10 , wherein detection of the shear waves comprises calculation of a correlation, the sum of absolute differences (SAD), the sum of square differences (SSD), the sum of absolute cubic differences (SCD) or the sum of absolute power differences (SPD) between the received ultrasound signals at one or multiple positions in time.
12 . A medium according to claim 10 , wherein determination of the at least one propagation property comprises calculation of a correlation, the sum of absolute differences (SAD), the sum of square differences (SSD), the sum of absolute cubic differences (SCD) or the sum of absolute power differences (SPD) between the detected shear waves at one or multiple instances.
13 . A medium according to claim 10 , wherein detection of the shear waves comprises determination of a displacement of the biological tissue.
14 . A medium according to claim 10 , wherein detection of the shear waves comprises determination of a velocity of the biological tissue using a color Doppler technique.
15 . A medium according to claim 10 , wherein the shear wave propagation velocity is calculated based on the square root of the ratio between a temporal second-order derivative of the displacement of the biological tissue and a spatial second-order derivative of the displacement of the biological tissue.
16 . A medium according to claim 13 , wherein determination of a displacement of the biological tissue comprises calculation of a time integral of tissue color Doppler velocity.
17 . A medium according to claim 10 , wherein the first ultrasound pulse is applied more than one time and is focused at a different focal point at each of the more than one time.
18 . A medium according to claim 10 , wherein the focused ultrasound pulse is transmitted more than one time and respective ones of the one or more received ultrasound signals may be received at one or more instances.
19 . A system comprising:
a memory storing processor-executable program code; and
a processor to execute the processor-executable program code in order to cause the system to:
apply a first ultrasound pulse to biological tissue to create shear waves in the biological tissue;
transmit a focused ultrasound pulse into the biological tissue;
receive one or more ultrasound signals from the biological tissue generated in response to the focused ultrasound pulse;
detect the shear waves in the biological tissue based on the received one or more ultrasound signals;
determine a shear wave propagation velocity based on the detected shear waves; and
display the determined shear wave propagation velocity.
20 . A system according to claim 19 , wherein detection of the shear waves comprises calculation of a correlation, the sum of absolute differences (SAD), the sum of square differences (SSD), the sum of absolute cubic differences (SCD) or the sum of absolute power differences (SPD) between the received ultrasound signals at one or multiple positions in time.
21 . A system according to claim 19 , wherein determination of the at least one propagation property comprises calculation of a correlation, the sum of absolute differences (SAD), the sum of square differences (SSD), the sum of absolute cubic differences (SCD) or the sum of absolute power differences (SPD) between the detected shear waves at one or multiple instances.
22 . A system according to claim 19 , wherein detection of the shear waves comprises determination of a displacement of the biological tissue.
23 . A system according to claim 19 , wherein detection of the shear waves comprises determination of a velocity of the biological tissue using a color Doppler technique.
24 . A system according to claim 19 , wherein the shear wave propagation velocity is calculated based on the square root of the ratio between a temporal second-order derivative of the displacement of the biological tissue and a spatial second-order derivative of the displacement of the biological tissue.
25 . A system according to claim 22 , wherein determination of a displacement of the biological tissue comprises calculation of a time integral of tissue color Doppler velocity.
26 . A system according to claim 19 , wherein the first ultrasound pulse is applied more than one time and is focused at a different focal point at each of the more than one time.
27 . A system according to claim 19 , wherein the focused ultrasound pulse is transmitted more than one time and respective ones of the one or more received ultrasound signals may be received at one or more instances.