US 11,980,497 B2
Device and method for measuring the viscoelastic properties of a viscoelastic medium
Laurent Sandrin, Bourg-la-Reine (FR)
Assigned to ECHOSENS, Paris (FR)
Filed by ECHOSENS, Paris (FR)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/330,808.
Application 18/330,808 is a continuation of application No. 17/983,054, filed on Nov. 8, 2022, granted, now 11,730,448.
Application 17/983,054 is a continuation of application No. 17/738,682, filed on May 6, 2022, granted, now 11,690,592.
Application 17/738,682 is a continuation of application No. 16/498,162, granted, now 11,331,073, issued on May 17, 2022, previously published as PCT/EP2018/057609, filed on Mar. 26, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 17163075 (EP), filed on Mar. 27, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0309957 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/4254 (2013.01) [A61B 8/429 (2013.01); A61B 8/4494 (2013.01); A61B 8/485 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for measuring viscoelastic properties of a viscoelastic medium, the device comprising:
a probe extending along a longitudinal axis and being adapted to carry out a transient elastography measurement, the probe comprising:
a probe casing;
at least one ultrasound transducer arranged at an end of the probe and
adapted to generate ultrasound pulses, and
a vibrator arranged in the probe casing and adapted to generate a low-frequency wave,
wherein:
the vibrator is arranged to induce a movement of the probe casing along the longitudinal axis,
the at least one ultrasound transducer is bound to the probe casing with no motion of the at least one ultrasound transducer with respect to the probe casing, and
the transient elastography measurement is carried out by generating the shear wave in the viscoelastic medium by emitting the low-frequency wave using the vibrator and transmitted to the viscoelastic medium via the at least one transducer and by emitting, with the at least one ultrasound transducer, a plurality of ultrasounds pulses to track a propagation of the shear wave in the viscoelastic medium.