A fast tissue stiffness-dependent elastography for HIFU-induced lesions inspection

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Ultrasound Technology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Monitoring High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) induced lesions in quasi-real time is crucial for effective treatment.
• Traditional elastography methods can be computationally intensive, limiting real-time application during HIFU procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fast, correlation-based elastographic algorithm for quasi-real-time monitoring of HIFU-induced lesions.
• To enhance the time efficiency of elastography for HIFU treatment guidance and monitoring.

Main Methods:

• A novel stiffness-dependent displacement estimation (SdDE) algorithm was developed, utilizing local tissue uniformity under HIFU.
• The key parameter (threshold for densifying displacement points) was optimized using simulations on a wedge-inclusion model.
• Performance was evaluated through simulations, phantom experiments, and in vitro experiments on bovine livers.

Main Results:

• The SdDE algorithm demonstrated a significant improvement in speed, being approximately one order of magnitude faster than traditional methods.
• Optimized SdDE achieved comparable or superior performance in signal-to-noise ratio (SNRe), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNRe), and axial resolution (AR).
• In vitro experiments confirmed the enhanced time efficiency with real tissue and radio frequency (RF) signals.

Conclusions:

• The developed SdDE algorithm offers a substantial increase in speed for HIFU lesion monitoring using elastography.
• SdDE shows potential for dynamic or near real-time guidance and monitoring during HIFU treatments.
• This advancement could improve the precision and safety of HIFU therapies.