IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,514,535
Granted Patent B2
US 12,514,535 · App. 18/428,507 · Granted Jan 6, 2026

Shear wave elasticity imaging method and ultrasound imaging device

Inventors: Shuangshuang Li (Shenzhen, CN); Mengling Xu (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
A61B8/08A61B8/14A61B8/461A61B8/485
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,514,535
App. No.
18/428,507
Granted
Jan 6, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Shear wave elasticity imaging methods and ultrasound imaging devices are provided. The method may include: generating a shear wave in a target area of an object being examined; transmitting a first ultrasonic wave to the target area and receiving first echo data; determining an elasticity parameter of the target area according to the first echo data; obtaining a motion parameter of the target area; and displaying the elasticity parameter and the motion parameter.

Claims (54)

1 . A shear wave elasticity imaging method, comprising:

obtaining a motion parameter that represents a motion of a target area of an object being examined; and

comparing the motion parameter with a third condition, and starting a shear wave elasticity imaging process in response to the motion parameter meeting the third condition;

wherein the shear wave elasticity imaging process comprises:

transmitting a first ultrasound wave to the target area of the object being examined to track a shear wave propagating in the target area;

receiving an ultrasound echo of the first ultrasound wave returned from the target area to obtain first echo data; and

obtaining an elasticity parameter of the target area according to the first echo data,

wherein the motion parameter comprises a respiratory parameter, and the respiratory parameter corresponds to at least one of: a voltage obtained when monitoring breathing of the object through electrodes, a current obtained when monitoring the breathing of the object through the electrodes, a voltage change, a current change, and a lung capacity change calculated by the voltage change or the current change; the third condition comprises a preset value; and starting the shear wave elasticity imaging process in response to the motion parameter meeting the third condition comprises determining to start the shear wave elasticity imaging process in response to the respiratory parameter meeting the preset value.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating an elasticity image according to the elasticity parameter;

generating a motion image according to the motion parameter; and

displaying the elasticity image and the motion image.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a respiratory parameter curve according to the respiratory parameter.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the motion parameter that represents the motion of the target area comprises:

transmitting a second ultrasound wave to the target area;

receiving an ultrasound echo of the second ultrasound wave returned from the target area to obtain second echo data;

obtaining at least two frames of ultrasound images of the target area according to the second echo data; and

obtaining a displacement of a tissue in the target area according to the at least two frames of ultrasound images.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

generating a displacement curve according to the displacement of the tissue in the target area.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein obtaining the displacement of the tissue in the target area according to the at least two frames of ultrasound images comprises:

determining an area to be matched from a first frame of ultrasound image of the at least two frames of ultrasound images;

determining a matching area that matches the area to be matched from a second frame of ultrasound image of the at least two frames of ultrasound images; and

obtaining the displacement according to the area to be matched and the matching area.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the motion parameter that represents the motion of the target area comprises:

obtaining at least two frames of ultrasound images of the target area according to the first echo data; and

obtaining a displacement of a tissue in the target area according to the at least two frames of ultrasound images.

8 . The method of claim 1 , before transmitting the first ultrasound wave to the target area of the object being examined, further comprising:

generating the shear wave that propagates in the target area.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a reliability of the elasticity parameter according to the motion parameter.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the reliability of the elasticity parameter according to the motion parameter comprises:

comparing the motion parameter with a first condition, and

in response to the motion parameter meeting the first condition,

obtaining an elasticity image according to the elasticity parameter, and

determining that the reliability of the elasticity parameter or a reliability of the elasticity image is a high reliability.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

outputting a first prompt, wherein the first prompt is used for prompting that the elasticity parameter or the elasticity image has the high reliability.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the reliability of the elasticity parameter according to the motion parameter comprises:

comparing the motion parameter with a second condition, and

in response to the motion parameter meeting the second condition,

obtaining an elasticity image according to the elasticity parameter, and

determining that the reliability of the elasticity parameter or a reliability of the elasticity image is a low reliability.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

outputting a second prompt, wherein the second prompt is used for prompting that the elasticity parameter or the elasticity image has the low reliability.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing the motion parameter with a fourth condition, and stopping the shear wave elasticity imaging process in response to the motion parameter meeting the fourth condition.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the respiratory parameter corresponds to the voltage obtained when monitoring the breathing of the object through the electrodes or the current obtained when monitoring the breathing of the object through the electrodes; the preset value corresponds to a seventh preset value or a ninth preset value; and determining to start the shear wave elasticity imaging process in response to the respiratory parameter meeting the preset value comprises:

determining, in response to the voltage being less than the seventh preset value, to start the shear wave elasticity imaging process; or

determining, in response to the current being greater than the ninth preset value, to start the shear wave elasticity imaging process.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a respiratory parameter curve or a respiratory parameter graphic according to the respiratory parameter; and

displaying the elasticity parameter and the respiratory parameter curve, so as to screen out the elasticity parameter based on the respiratory parameter curve; or displaying the elasticity parameter and the respiratory parameter graphic, so as to screen out the elasticity parameter based on the respiratory parameter graphic.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2024
From: LI, SHUANGSHUANG; XU, MENGLING
To: SHENZHEN MINDRAY BIO-MEDICAL ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066329/0901 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17087496 · Nov 2, 2020
Continuation PCTCN2018085461 · May 3, 2018
Related Publication 20240245383A1 · Jul 25, 2024
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