Patent Document ID: 8366619
Application ID: 12779903
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A medical device for diagnosing malignant nodules in a bodily organ, comprising: an ultrasound elastographer configured to quantify tissue strain generated by either in vivo compression or external compression of the bodily organ to produce elastography information; a benign/malignant scorer configured to transform elastography information of each nodule into a nodule stiffness index, at least in part, by: a) using systolic information by taking a ratio of a highest strain near an in vivo compression source and a lowest strain in the nodule; or b) using diastolic information by calculating a standard deviation of strain variation in diastole of an in vivo compression source; or c) calculating a discriminant score based on frequency characteristics of a strain rate waveform for a nodule; and a nodule screener configured to classify a nodule as Type I, which is benign for further observation, or as Type II, which is malignant for invasive procedures, wherein the nodule screener is configured to classify the nodule based, at least in part, on the nodule stiffness index.