US 12,376,822 B2
Three-dimensional mapping of deep tissue modulus by stretchable ultrasonic arrays
Sheng Xu, La Jolla, CA (US); Hongjie Hu, La Jolla, CA (US); and Xiaoxiang Gao, La Jolla, CA (US)
Assigned to THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Oakland, CA (US)
Appl. No. 18/562,022
Filed by THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Oakland, CA (US)
PCT Filed May 26, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/031048
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 17, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/251436, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 1, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/193,224, filed on May 26, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0237965 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/0858 (2013.01) [A61B 8/403 (2013.01); A61B 8/4488 (2013.01); A61B 8/485 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining one or more mechanical properties of tissue in an individual, comprising:
attaching in a removable manner a stretchable and/or flexible ultrasound imaging device to the individual, the stretchable and/or flexible ultrasound imaging device including at least a one-dimensional array of transducer elements;
transmitting ultrasound waves into the individual using the transducer elements;
receiving a first series of ultrasound waves from the tissue in the individual using the transducer elements before applying a strain to the tissue by compression and a second series of ultrasound waves from the tissue in the individual using the transducer elements after applying the compression to the tissue;
comparing data from the first series of ultrasound waves to data from the second series of ultrasound waves to obtain displacement data of the tissue from which strain data representing strain applied to the tissue is obtainable;
generating at least one 2D image representing a 2D modulus distribution within the tissue using the displacement data of the tissue; and
identifying one or more mechanical properties of the tissue based on the 2D modulus distribution.