System and method for assessing body-tissue properties using a medical ultrasound transducer probe with a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism

• US 6,511,427 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Marian, Vaughn R., Sliwa, John W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jain, Ruby
• Application Number:
  US09/522,985
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 600/459, 600/463, 600/372, 600/442, 600/438, 600/547, 600/461, 600/485, 600/587, 600/443, 600/439
• US Class Current: 600/438
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0051 by applying vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4869 Determining body composition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/145 characterised by scanning multiple planes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/429 characterised by determining or monitoring the contact between the transducer and the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties

Abstract

A system and method for diagnostic ultrasound imaging with a probe combining one or more ultrasound imaging transducer elements and a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism to detect body-tissue properties. At least one ultrasound transducer element provides an ultrasound image field of view of at least a portion of the body-tissue being measured by the parameter measurement mechanism. The parameter measurement mechanism is typically a mechanically or electrically operated mechanism attached to the probe near at least one ultrasound transducer element in order to combine information from the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism and ultrasound transducer element for easier identification of abnormal body-tissue properties (e.g., tumors, dead, or diseased body-tissue).

Claims

1. A medical diagnostic ultrasound probe, comprising:

one or more ultrasound imaging transducer elements for imaging a field of view within a body-tissue; and

a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism on the probe and being at least in part separate from the transducer elements for measuring a body-tissue parameter at least at one point in the field of view;

wherein the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism makes available at least one force, pressure, stress, or strain map or graph, in spatial and/or temporal relationship to at least one ultrasound image.

2. The probe of claim 1 wherein the body-tissue parameter mechanism applies a force, pressure, stress, or strain to a portion of body-tissue within the field of view of one or more ultrasound imaging transducer elements.

3. The probe of claim 2 wherein the force, pressure, stress, or strain varies temporally or spatially.

4. The probe of claim 1 wherein the body-tissue parameter mechanism obtains data for a force, pressure, stress, or strain map or graph, which is temporally interleaved with one or more ultrasound images.

5. The probe of claim 1 wherein the body-tissue parameter mechanism comprises at least one force, pressure, stress, or strain sensing mechanism which obtains data for a force, pressure, stress, or strain map or graph.

8. The probe of claim 1 wherein forces, pressures, stresses, or strains applied to body-tissue within the field of view of the ultrasound imaging transducer are due to:

(a) mechanical manipulation of the probe by an operator'"'"'s hand, and/or (b) mechanical or vibrational excitation generated by the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism.

6. A medical diagnostic ultrasound probe, comprising:

one or more ultrasound imaging transducer elements for imaging a field of view within a body-tissue; and

a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism on the probe and being at least in part separate from the transducer elements for measuring a body-tissue parameter at least at one point in the field of view;

wherein the body-tissue parameter mechanism comprises at least one force, pressure, stress, or strain sensing mechanism which obtains data for a force, pressure, stress, or strain map or graph; and

wherein the data is used to compute a body-tissue modulus.

7. The probe of claim 6 wherein the modulus is a shear modulus.

9. A medical diagnostic ultrasound probe, comprising:

one or more ultrasound imaging transducer elements for imaging a field of view within a body-tissue; and

a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism on the probe and being at least in part separate from the transducer elements for measuring a body-tissue parameter at least at one point in the field of view;

wherein the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism includes a plurality of electrodes.

10. The probe of claim 9, further comprising a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism for measuring, or measuring data for computing, at least one body-tissue parameter.

11. A medical diagnostic ultrasound system for imaging body-tissue, comprising:

a principle ultrasound imaging transducer element with a field of view including body-tissue;

a secondary ultrasound imaging transducer element non-parallel to the principle ultrasound imaging transducer element;

a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism for measuring, or measuring data for computing, at least one body-tissue parameter at least at one point in the field of view of the principal ultrasound imaging transducer element; and

a display device to display ultrasound images in association with at least one measured or computed body-tissue parameter.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the display device displays ultrasound images and at least one body-tissue parameter concerning body-tissue at least partly within the field of view of the principle ultrasound imaging transducer.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the display device can selectively overlay or interleave at least one computed body-tissue parameter on at least one ultrasound image.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the display device can display the spatial correlation of at least one measured or applied body-tissue parameter and an ultrasound image obtained by the principle ultrasound imaging transducer.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism applies at least one force, pressure, or stress, such as a normal, shear, compressional, rotational, or torsional force.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the principal or secondary ultrasound imaging transducer provides acoustic imaging data for a 2-D image displayed on the display device.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the principal ultrasound imaging transducer provides acoustic imaging data for a 3-D volume image displayed on the display device.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the secondary ultrasound imaging transducer provides acoustic imaging data or positional data for a 3-D volume image displayed on the display device.

19. The system of claim 11 further comprising a linear array of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms.

20. The system of claim 11 further comprising one or more force or pressure-sensing or application mechanisms, wherein at least one body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism is located peripherally to the principal or secondary ultrasound imaging transducer.

21. The system of claim 11 further comprising one or more body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms, wherein at least one body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism measures or manipulates body-tissue within the field of view of the principal or secondary ultrasound imaging transducer.

22. The system of claim 11 further comprising one or more body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms, wherein at least one body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism includes a piezoelectric or piezoresistive material.

23. The system of claim 11 further comprising one or more body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms including means for directing time-varying pressure or stress waves into the body-tissue.

24. The system of claim 11 further comprising one or more body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms, wherein at least one body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism is attachable to an ultrasound imaging probe.

25. A method for using an ultrasound imaging transducer with a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism, comprising:

imaging ultrasound images with an ultrasound imaging transducer; and

measuring body-tissue parameter information with a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism, the body-tissue parameter information derived from data free of acoustic echo information;

wherein imaging includes Doppler imaging.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein measuring body-tissue includes pressure or force sensing.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein measuring body-tissue includes mechanically displacing body-tissue.

26. A method for using an ultrasound imaging transducer with a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism, comprising:

imaging ultrasound images with an ultrasound imaging transducer; and

measuring body-tissue parameter information with a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism, the body-tissue parameter information derived from data free of acoustic echo information;

wherein imaging includes imaging body tissue movement in and out of a field of view of the ultrasound imaging transducer.

29. A method for using an ultrasound imaging transducer with a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism, comprising:

imaging ultrasound images with an ultrasound imaging transducer; and

measuring body-tissue parameter information with a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism, the body-tissue parameter information derived from data free of acoustic echo information;

wherein measuring body-tissue includes displacing body-tissue by electric stimulation of body-tissue by one or more electrodes.

30. A method for using an ultrasound imaging transducer with a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism, comprising:

imaging ultrasound images with an ultrasound imaging transducer; and

measuring body-tissue parameter information with a body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism, the body-tissue parameter information derived from data free of acoustic echo information;

wherein measuring body-tissue includes measuring an electrical impedance of body-tissue by a plurality of electrodes.

31. A method for operating a combined ultrasound imaging transducer and body-tissue parameter measurement system, comprising:

activating a plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms integrated with a probe; and

acoustically imaging a portion of body-tissue in a field of view of an ultrasound imaging transducer integrated with the probe adjacent to the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms, said portion under an influence of at least one of said mechanisms.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein activating the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms includes controlling a phase of at least one of said mechanisms.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein activating the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms includes controlling a frequency of activation.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein activating the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms includes controlling a sensitivity of their measurement range.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein activating the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms includes controlling an activation in relation to body-tissue imaged by the ultrasound imaging transducer.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein activating the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms includes independently controlling an activation frequency of a plurality of electrodes.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein activating the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms includes independently controlling at least one measurement range of the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein activating the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms includes controlling activation of the plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms for either rotational, torsional or shear displacement of body-tissue.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein imaging body-tissue includes Doppler imaging.

40. The method of claim 31 wherein activating a plurality of body-tissue parameter measurement mechanisms includes palpating a portion of the body-tissue in a field of view of the ultrasound imaging transducer.

41. An ultrasound imaging transducer assembly, comprising:

an ultrasound imaging transducer; and

at least one body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism different from and coupled to the imaging transducer to measure body-tissue in coupled contact with the imaging transducer.

42. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 wherein the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism is a PVDF piezoelectric film.

43. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 wherein the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism is fabricated from a piezoelectric or piezoresistive material.

44. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 wherein the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism is responsive to software, firmware or electronic commands.

45. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 further comprising means to control the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism in relation to the imaging of the ultrasound imaging transducer.

46. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 wherein the body-tissue parameter measurement mechanism contributes to a measurement of rotational, torsional, or shear displacement of body-tissue.

47. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 further comprising means for measuring forces, pressures, or stresses in body-tissue.

48. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 further comprising means for mechanically displacing body-tissue.

49. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 further comprising electrodes for electrically inducing a displacement of body-tissue.

50. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 further comprising electrodes for electrically measuring body-tissue.

51. The ultrasound imaging transducer assembly of claim 41 wherein the ultrasound imaging assembly is comprised of a first part with the ultrasound imaging transducer, and a detachable second part with a plurality of electrodes.