Patent ID: 11944500
Assignee: MAUI IMAGING, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  G | IPC A  G

Claim 0:
1. A method of determining a stiffness of a tissue with ultrasound, the method comprising the steps of:
forming a baseline image of a region of interest with a ping-based ultrasound imaging system;
transmitting an ultrasonic pulse with a shear-wave-initiating transducer, the ultrasonic pulse being configured to induce a propagating shear wave in the region of interest;
imaging the region of interest with the ping-based ultrasound imaging system to capture a first image frame that includes a first speckle pattern caused by the propagating shear wave as it moves through the region of interest;
imaging the region of interest with the ping-based ultrasound imaging system to capture a second image frame that includes a second speckle pattern caused by the propagating shear wave as it moves through the region of interest;
subtracting the baseline image from the first image frame with an electronic controller of the ping-based ultrasound imaging system to obtain a first difference frame;
subtracting the baseline image from the second image frame with the electronic controller to obtain a second difference frame;
calculating a first distance between an init line of the ping-based ultrasound imaging system and the first speckle pattern of the first difference frame to determine a first position of the propagating shear wave;
calculating a second distance between the init line of the ping-based ultrasound imaging system and the second speckle pattern of the second difference frame to determine a second position of the propagating shear wave; and
calculating a propagation speed of the propagating shear wave in the region of interest from the first and second positions in the first and second difference frames.