Shear wave amplitude reconstruction for tissue elasticity monitoring and display
US11540810B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 25, 2019 |
| Grant date | Jan 3, 2023 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 25, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG16H50/70
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present disclosure describes ultrasound systems and methods configured to determine the elasticity of a target tissue. Systems can include an ultrasound transducer configured to acquire echoes responsive to ultrasound pulses transmitted toward the tissue, which may include a region of increased stiffness. Systems can also include a beamformer configured to control the transducer to transmit a push pulse into the tissue, thereby generating a shear wave in the region of increased stiffness. The beamformer can be configured to control the transducer to emit tracking pulses adjacent to the push pulse. Systems can further include a processor configured to determine a displacement amplitude of the shear wave and based on the amplitude, generate a qualitative tissue elasticity map of the tissue. The processor can combine the qualitative map with a quantitative map of the same tissue, and based on the combination, determine a boundary of the region of increased stiffness.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.