IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2018 Oct;65(10):2237-2247. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2017.2787679. Epub 2017 Dec 27.
We present an automated method for acquiring images and contrast parameters based on mechanical properties of breast lesions and surrounding tissue at load frequencies less than 1 Hz. The method called sub-Hertz analysis of viscoelasticity (SAVE) uses a compression device integrated with ultrasound imaging to perform in vivo ramp-and-hold uniaxial creep-like test on human breast in vivo. It models the internal deformations of tissues under constant surface stress as a linear viscoelastic response. We first discuss different aspects of our unique measurement approach and the expected variability of the viscoelastic parameters estimated based on a simplified one-dimensional reconstruction model. Finite-element numerical analysis is used to justify the advantages of using imaging contrast over viscoelasticity values. We then present the results of SAVE applied to a group of patients with breast masses undergoing biopsy.
我们提出了一种基于病变和周围组织的机械性能，在低于 1Hz 的加载频率下获取图像和对比参数的自动化方法。该方法称为次赫兹粘弹性分析（SAVE），使用一种与超声成像集成的压缩设备，对人体乳房进行体内斜坡和保持单轴类蠕变试验。它将组织的内部变形建模为恒表面应力下的线性粘弹性响应。我们首先讨论了我们独特测量方法的不同方面，以及基于简化的一维重建模型估计的粘弹性参数的预期变化性。有限元数值分析用于证明使用成像对比而不是粘弹性值的优势。然后我们展示了 SAVE 在一组接受活检的乳房肿块患者中的应用结果。
