Optical coherence elastography (OCE) method under acoustic radiation force excitation using OCT doppler variance methods and OCT correlation-based methods
View Patent ↗A system for imaging and quantifying shear wave and shear modulus under orthogonal acoustic radiation force (ARF) excitation using the OCT Doppler variance apparatus. The ARF perpendicular or with at least a perpendicular component to the OCT beam is produced by a remote ultrasonic transducer. The OCT Doppler variance apparatus, which is sensitive to the transverse vibration, is used to measure the ARF induced vibration. For analysis of the shear modulus, the Doppler variance apparatus is utilized to visualize shear wave propagation. The propagation velocity of the shear wave is measured and then used to quantitatively map the shear modulus.
1. A method for imaging a shear wave or quantifying shear modulus in tissue under orthogonal acoustic radiation force (ARF) excitation using an optical coherence tomography (OCT) Doppler variance acquisition system comprising:
generating an OCT beam in the tissue;
generating ARF-induced vibration in the tissue which is at least partially perpendicular relative to the OCT beam in the tissue by an ultrasonic transducer;
detecting ARF-induced vibration in the tissue with an OCT probe or lens;
imaging a shear wave propagation with the OCT probe or lens; and
mapping the shear modulus from the imaging of the shear wave propagation.
2. The method of claim 1 where imaging a shear wave propagation with the OCT probe or lens comprises imaging a shear wave propagation with at least a parallel component to the OCT beam by performing an M-mode scan at a plurality of locations and quantitatively measuring a slope of a propagation path to calculate shear modulus at each of the plurality of locations.
3. The method of claim 1 where mapping the shear modulus from the imaging of the shear wave propagation further comprises quantitatively mapping the shear modulus of a volume in the tissue by performing a lateral and transverse scan relative to the tissue to map the shear modulus of the tissue.
4. The method of claim 1 where detecting ARF-induced vibration in the tissue with the OCT probe or lens comprises using an intensity based Doppler variance (IBDV) quantitative measurement.
5. The method of claim 2 where mapping the shear modulus from the imaging of the shear wave propagation further comprises quantitatively mapping the shear modulus of a cross-section in the tissue by performing a cross-sectional B scan.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising quantitatively mapping Young's modulus, a velocity of the shear wave or a combination thereof of a volume in the tissue by performing a lateral and transverse scan relative to the tissue.
7. The method of claim 1 where generating ARF-induced vibration in the tissue which is at least partially perpendicular relative to the OCT beam in the tissue by an ultrasonic transducer comprises generating the ARF-induced vibration by a remote ultrasonic transducer applying a non-contact force to the tissue.
8. The method of claim 1 where generating ARF-induced vibration in the tissue which is at least partially perpendicular relative to the OCT beam in the tissue by an ultrasonic transducer comprises generating the ARF-induced vibration by an ultrasonic transducer applying a contact force to the tissue.
9. The method of claim 1 where generating ARF-induced vibration in the tissue which is at least partially perpendicular relative to the OCT beam in the tissue by an ultrasonic transducer comprises generating an ARF-induced vibration which is entirely perpendicular to the OCT beam.
10. The method of claim 1 where generating an OCT beam and detecting ARF-induced vibration in the tissue with the OCT probe or lens comprises using an endoscope-based system.
11. The method of claim 1 where generating the OCT beam in the tissue and detecting ARF-induced vibration in the tissue with the OCT probe or lens comprises generating an OCT beam in the tissue and detecting ARF-induced vibration in the tissue with a multimodality system comprising an integrated ultrasound-OCT system, an integrated photoacoustic-OCT system, or an integrated fluorescence-OCT system.
12. The method of claim 1 where generating the OCT beam in the tissue and detecting ARF-induced vibration in the tissue with the OCT probe or lens comprises generating the OCT beam in the tissue and detecting ARF-induced vibration in cancer tissue, ocular tissue, periocular tissue or vascular tissue with the OCT probe or lens.
13. An apparatus for imaging a shear wave or quantifying shear modulus in tissue under orthogonal acoustic radiation force (ARF) excitation using an optical coherence tomography (OCT) Doppler variance acquisition system comprising:
an OCT subsystem for generating an OCT beam in the tissue;
an ARF subsystem for generating an ARF-induced vibration in the tissue which is at least partially perpendicular relative to the OCT beam in the tissue by an ultrasonic transducer; and
a detector coupled to the OCT subsystem for detecting ARF-induced vibration in the tissue,
where the OCT subsystem comprises an OCT probe or lens.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 where the ARF subsystem comprises a remote ultrasonic transducer applying a non-contact force to the tissue.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 where the ARF subsystem comprises an ultrasonic transducer applying a contact force to the tissue.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 where the OCT probe or lens comprises an endoscope-based system.
17. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising an integrated ultrasound-OCT system, an integrated photoacoustic-OCT system, or an integrated fluorescence-OCT system.