Systems and Methods for Elastography Imaging
First Claim
1. A method for obtaining information about the mechanical behaviour of structures associated with mammalian joints comprising:
- (a) creating deformation in a joint structure of interest;
(b) using an ultrasound scanner in a linear array to acquire sequences of ultrasound data of the joint structure; and
(c) estimating a displacement component or displacement distribution between a reference frame of backscattered signals and a successive frame of backscattered signals, wherein said displacement component is estimated with a matching algorithm.
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Abstract
Methods for obtaining information about the mechanical behaviour of structures associated with mammalian joints and tendons are provided. Embodiments of such methods include creating deformation in a joint structure (such as ligaments and articular cartilage) or tendon of interest, using an ultrasound scanner and a single element or array of elements to acquire sequences of ultrasound data of the joint structure or tendon, estimating one, two or three components of the resulting displacement and strain between a reference frame of ultrasound data and successive frames of ultrasound data, and using a cross-correlation algorithm to estimate the displacement and strain components. This information may be used to inform the design of tissue grafts. Tissue grafts produced using this information are also provided. The same method can be used in situ together with noninvasive or invasive procedures.
123 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for obtaining information about the mechanical behaviour of structures associated with mammalian joints comprising:
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(a) creating deformation in a joint structure of interest; (b) using an ultrasound scanner in a linear array to acquire sequences of ultrasound data of the joint structure; and (c) estimating a displacement component or displacement distribution between a reference frame of backscattered signals and a successive frame of backscattered signals, wherein said displacement component is estimated with a matching algorithm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 32, 33, 34)
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22. A method for obtaining information about the mechanical behaviour of mammalian tendons comprising:
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(a) creating deformation in a tendon of interest; (b) using an ultrasound scanner with a piezoelectric element or an array of piezoelectric elements to acquire sequences of ultrasound data of the tendon; and (c) estimating the displacement between a reference frame of the ultrasound data and successive frames of the ultrasound data, wherein said displacement or displacement distribution is estimated with a cross-correlation algorithm. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35)
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Specification