US 11,672,508 B2
System and method for shear wave elastography by transmitting ultrasound with subgroups of ultrasound transducer elements
James F. Greenleaf, Rochester, MN (US); Shigao Chen, Rochester, MN (US); Pengfei Song, Champaign, IL (US); and Armando Manduca, Rochester, MN (US)
Assigned to Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Rochester, MN (US)
Filed by Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Rochester, MN (US)
Filed on Jul. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/372,182.
Application 16/023,782 is a division of application No. 14/397,395, granted, now 10,624,609, issued on Apr. 21, 2020, previously published as PCT/US2013/063631, filed on Oct. 7, 2013.
Application 17/372,182 is a continuation of application No. 16/023,782, filed on Jun. 29, 2018, granted, now 11,058,398.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/710,744, filed on Oct. 7, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2021/0338205 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01); G01N 29/07 (2006.01); G01N 29/26 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/485 (2013.01) [A61B 8/08 (2013.01); A61B 8/4488 (2013.01); A61B 8/4494 (2013.01); A61B 8/5223 (2013.01); G01N 29/07 (2013.01); G01N 29/262 (2013.01); G01S 7/5209 (2013.01); G01S 7/52022 (2013.01); G01S 7/52042 (2013.01); G01S 15/8915 (2013.01); G01S 15/8927 (2013.01); G01N 2291/011 (2013.01); G01N 2291/02475 (2013.01); G01N 2291/02827 (2013.01); G01N 2291/0422 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for measuring a mechanical property of an object using an ultrasound system having an ultrasound transducer that includes a plurality of transducer elements, the steps of the method comprising:
a) controlling the ultrasound transducer to energize a plurality of subgroups of transducer elements so as to transmit a corresponding plurality of different focused ultrasound beams each focused at one of a plurality of different lateral locations, wherein the plurality of different focused ultrasound beams extend outward from the ultrasound transducer in a comb-shaped pattern;
b) obtaining elastography data representative of the multiple different shear waves by transmitting at least one detection ultrasound beam into the object and receiving echo signals in response thereto;
c) generating processed elastography data by processing the obtained elastography data to separate the multiple different shear waves into multiple different directional components to reduce effects of interference between the multiple different shear waves; and
d) calculating a mechanical property of the object using the processed elastography data.