Classification Preprocessing in Medical Ultrasound Shear Wave Imaging
First Claim
1. A method for classification preprocessing to be used in medical ultrasound shear wave imaging, the method comprising:
- measuring, with ultrasound, displacement over time at a first location within a patient in response to an impulse excitation;
determining a maximum of the displacement over time;
determining a signal-to-noise ratio of the displacement over time; and
classifying, with a processor, the first location as a first one of a plurality types of tissue, the classifying being a function of the maximum of the displacement over time and the signal-to-noise ratio of the displacement over time.
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Abstract
Classification preprocessing is provided for medical ultrasound shear wave imaging. In response to stress, the displacement at one or more locations in a patient is measured. The displacement over time is a curve representing a shift in location. One or more characteristics of the curve, such as signal-to-noise ratio and maximum displacement, are used to classify the location. The location is classified as fluid or fluid tissue, solid tissue, or non-determinative. Subsequent shear imaging may provide shear information for locations of solid tissue and not at other locations.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for classification preprocessing to be used in medical ultrasound shear wave imaging, the method comprising:
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measuring, with ultrasound, displacement over time at a first location within a patient in response to an impulse excitation; determining a maximum of the displacement over time; determining a signal-to-noise ratio of the displacement over time; and classifying, with a processor, the first location as a first one of a plurality types of tissue, the classifying being a function of the maximum of the displacement over time and the signal-to-noise ratio of the displacement over time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for classification preprocessing in medical ultrasound shear wave imaging, the storage medium comprising instructions for:
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determining a displacement profile of response in a patient; calculating a first characteristic of the displacement profile; distinguishing fluid and fluid tissue from solid tissue based, at least in part, on the first characteristic; and masking out shear wave information from an image for fluid or fluid tissue. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for classification preprocessing in medical ultrasound shear wave imaging, the system comprising:
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a transducer configured to transmit an acoustic impulse excitation into a patient and configured to scan with ultrasound a region of the patient; a receive beamformer configured to generate data representing the region at different times after the acoustic impulse excitation, the data generated from the scan with ultrasound; a processor configured to estimate tissue displacement induced by the acoustic impulse excitation, derive at least one parameter describing a characteristic of a profile of the tissue displacement, and classify tissue in the region based on at least the one parameter; and a display configured to display an image representing shear for first locations, the first locations determined as a function of the classification of the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification