Patent ID: 9078593
Filing Date: 2015-07-14
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An ultrasound probe device having a probe surface, configured for contact with a region of interest, which surface defines a contact profile of the device, the device comprising: an array of transducers, wherein at least one of the transducers is movable relative to at least one of the other transducers of the said array, each movable transducer being configurable to change the contact profile of the device by changing the position of the end of the or each movable transducer operable to emit ultrasound waves relative to the end of at least one other transducer, the array of transducers being configured to carry out an elastography imaging process in which at least two ultrasound images are obtained whilst the device is in contact with a region of interest, wherein the contact profile is an external shape formed by a combination of distal ends of the array of transducers; a processor via a control communication configured to bring about change in a configuration of the transducers, after a first such image is obtained, by enacting movement of at least one movable transducer relative to at least one other transducer of the array before obtaining each subsequent image, thereby to engender a change in the contact profile of the device with the region of interest whilst contact between the ultrasound probe device and the region of interest is maintained and so displace part of the region of interest between images; and the processor further configured to generate a linearly independent displacement field from each image without removing the ultrasound probe device from contact with the region of interest as relative position of the transducer is changed, where the relative position of the transducer is changed by using different levels of driving forces to the transducers and to calculate a stiffness field compatible with the obtained linearly independent displacement fields.