Nonlinear elasticity imaging

We present the solution of the nonlinear inverse elasticity problem, wherein we image the linear and nonlinear hyperelastic properties of soft tissues in-vivo. For this, we solve a constrained optimization problem iteratively. The discrepancy between measured and predicted displacement fields is minimized in the objective function in the presence of regularization. The predicted displacement fields satisfy the equilibrium equations of elasticity from the current estimate of the elastic properties. The measured displacement fields are determined from a sequence of ultrasound radio frequency data while the tissue is slowly compressed. We model the tissue to have an exponential stress-stretch relation and capture its nonlinear response with a nonlinear parameter at large deformations.

[1]  M. O’Donnell,et al.  Reconstructive elasticity imaging for large deformations , 1999, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control.

[2]  T. Krouskop,et al.  Elastography: Ultrasonic estimation and imaging of the elastic properties of tissues , 1999, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine.

[3]  Sevan Goenezen,et al.  Inverse Problems , 2008 .

[4]  C. Vogel.  Computational Methods for Inverse Problems , 1987 .

[5]  Jingfeng Jiang,et al.  Linear and nonlinear elasticity imaging of soft tissue in vivo: demonstration of feasibility , 2009, Physics in medicine and biology.

[6]  K J Parker,et al.  Imaging of the elastic properties of tissue--a review. , 1996, Ultrasound in medicine & biology.

[7]  Kevin J. Parker,et al.  Techniques for elastic imaging: a review , 1996 .

[8]  T. Krouskop,et al.  Elastic Moduli of Breast and Prostate Tissues under Compression , 1998, Ultrasonic imaging.

[9]  B. Garra,et al.  Elastography: Ultrasonic imaging of tissue strain and elastic modulus in vivo , 1996 .