Tissue elasticity using acoustic radiation force
We are developing a method that uses acoustic radiation force to image the stiffness of the vitreous body and other soft materials. This approach applies acoustic radiation force through a series of ultrasonic pulses to generate small displacements in tissue. Motion tracking techniques are used to measure the resultant displacement. This process can be repeated at a number of locations to acquire data for image formation. A series of acrylamide phantoms were constructed to test the proposed method. Phantom speed of sound and attenuation have been characterized and found to be close to that of the human vitreous. In this paper, we present acoustic radiation force images, which clearly distinguish phantoms of differing gel concentration. We also show time-displacement curves, which indicate a viscoelastic response for this material. The images presented show that acoustic radiation force can be used to image tissue mechanical properties including displacement, relative elasticity and relative viscosity. We present data that indicates maximum displacement is linearly proportional to the power transmitted by the system. Optical data was also collected to enable visualization of the displacement field.
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- 5102 Atomic, molecular and optical physics
- 4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
- 4006 Communications engineering
Citation
Published In
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Start / End Page
Related Subject Headings
- 5102 Atomic, molecular and optical physics
- 4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
- 4006 Communications engineering