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Method and apparatus for elasticity imaging

  • US 5,524,636 A
  • Filed: 12/21/1992
  • Issued: 06/11/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of identifying a region within a tissue portion having a different elasticity than the surrounding tissue of the tissue portion comprising:

  • causing a deformation of the tissue portion to create stress and strain in the tissue portion;

    determining at least one property of at least one of the created stress and strain in the tissue portion when the tissue portion is deformed to yield a pattern of the at least one property of the created stress and strain in the tissue portion; and

    evaluating the pattern of the at least one property in the tissue portion by the further steps of;

    defining a model of the tissue portion with homogeneous tissue and with given boundary conditions for the tissue portion;

    calculating the pattern of the at least one property for the defined model;

    comparing the pattern obtained in the determining step and the calculated pattern to obtain the difference between the patterns, this difference indicating the presence and location of a differing elasticity region of tissue within the tissue portion; and

    calculating elasticity characteristics of the tissue portion by varying a spatial distribution of modulus of elasticity in the defined model to minimize the difference between the pattern from the determining step and that calculated for the defined model thereby solving an inverse mechanical problem and obtaining spatial distribution of elasticity modulus in the tissue portion.

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