Department of Robotics and Mechatronics, AGH University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
Department of Robotics and Mechatronics, AGH University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
Ultrasound Med Biol. 2024 Apr;50(4):627-638. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.01.008. Epub 2024 Jan 29.
This study aims to present an approach for the simulation of ultrasound elastic waves propagation in a diverse range of heterogeneous tissue-like viscoelastic materials, including, but not limited to, Kelvin-Voigt, Zener, Maxwell, Burger's, and Maxwell-Wiechert models, while also allowing for modeling highly viscous fluids.
Ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) serves as a cost-effective modality for noninvasive, quantitative assessment of soft tissue viscoelastic mechanical properties. To explore tissue viscoelasticity, measuring the shear wave phase velocity in the frequency domain is a common method. In this paper, we employ modeling and numerical simulations to enhance the development of SWE methods. The study employs the staggered grid finite difference (SGFD) method along with recursive calculations of convolution integrals pertinent to linear viscoelastic models.
The presented numerical method demonstrates its capability to simulate the propagation of ultrasound elastic waves, both longitudinal and shear, across a broad spectrum of tissue-like viscoelastic heterogeneous materials. The approach successfully accommodates various viscoelastic models without requiring additional modifications in the numerical model, thus enabling a comprehensive exploration of different viscoelastic behaviors commonly observed in diverse tissue types.
The developed combination of the SGFD method and recursive calculation of convolution integrals presents a novel and versatile approach in modeling linear viscoelastic tissue-like materials for SWE applications. This method eliminates the need for model-specific adaptations in numerical simulations, thereby offering flexibility for exploring and understanding diverse viscoelastic behaviors inherent in different heterogeneous tissue types, contributing significantly to the advancement of ultrasound SWE for diagnostic purposes.
本研究旨在提出一种方法，用于模拟超声弹性波在多种异质类粘弹性材料中的传播，包括但不限于 Kelvin-Voigt、Zener、Maxwell、Burger 和 Maxwell-Wiechert 模型，同时也允许对高粘性流体进行建模。
超声剪切波弹性成像（SWE）是一种经济有效的非侵入性方法，可用于定量评估软组织粘弹性力学特性。为了研究组织粘弹性，在频域中测量剪切波相速度是一种常用的方法。在本文中，我们采用建模和数值模拟来增强 SWE 方法的发展。该研究采用交错网格有限差分（SGFD）方法和与线性粘弹性模型相关的卷积积分的递归计算。
所提出的数值方法证明了其在模拟超声弹性波（包括纵向波和剪切波）在广泛的类粘弹性异质材料中的传播的能力。该方法成功地适应了各种粘弹性模型，而不需要在数值模型中进行额外的修改，从而能够全面探索不同组织类型中常见的不同粘弹性行为。
SGFD 方法和卷积积分的递归计算的组合为 SWE 应用中的线性粘弹性类组织材料建模提供了一种新颖而通用的方法。该方法消除了数值模拟中对特定模型的适应性要求，从而为探索和理解不同异质组织类型中固有的不同粘弹性行为提供了灵活性，为超声 SWE 在诊断目的中的应用做出了重要贡献。
