Ultrasound Technology for Measuring the Mechanical Properties of Tissue

Advantages

• Variance in tissue properties clearly visualized and color-coded
• Possible alternative to manual determination of prostate tumors
• Demonstrated improved for the transrectal imaging of the prostate to identify tumors and plan treatment as compared to conventional ultrasound

Technology Details

Elastography is a method in which the stiffness or strain of soft tissue are used to detect tumors. A tumor or a suspicious cancerous growth is normally 5-10 times stiffer than the background of normal soft tissue. When a mechanical compression is applied, the tumor deforms less than the surrounding tissue. This property can be clearly imaged.

Determining the stiffness of tissue is a common and effective tool in medical practice for the diagnosis of disease.  For example, many cancerous tumors in the prostate, breast and ovaries are initially located by subjective hand palpitation by the physician. The motivation for establishing a new modality of medical imaging is to provide an objective method for replacing manual palpitation.  Furthermore, other imaging modalities such as MRI, CT and conventional B-mode ultrasound are slow and/or costly to use for mechanical properties.

VibroSys™ brings a new approach to imaging that works in conjunction with traditional ultrasound machines.  VibroSys™ provides imaging of the mechanical properties of tissue, such the prostate, through use of a biplane endocavity ultrasound transducer by employing elastography to generate the image. 

Tissue elasticity imaging can be performed in real-time with conventional ultrasound probes and does not require additional instruments for measuring pressure or vibrations. The results are represented in color over a conventional B-mode image.

VibroSys™ is designed for prostate imaging and tumor detection using ultrasound.  The invention can be used to guide radioactive seed placement in the prostate with needles during brachytherapy treatment.   Additionally, the software modules will benefit medical simulators by providing important tissue information for improving the training for medical residents.