Time-Aligned Plane Wave Compounding Methods for High-Frame-Rate Shear Wave Elastography: Experimental Validation and...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Ultrasound Technology

Background:

• Shear wave elastography (SWE) quantifies tissue mechanical properties using ultrasound.
• Coherent plane wave compounding improves signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) but reduces effective pulse repetition frequency (PRF_e).
• Maintaining high SNR and PRF_e is vital for characterizing dispersive tissues, such as arteries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel method for SWE measurements that achieves high SNR while preserving a high PRF_e.
• To enable accurate characterization of dispersive tissues using conventional clinical ultrasound scanners.
• To enhance the accuracy and bandwidth of SWE measurements, particularly for arterial stiffness.

Main Methods:

• A time alignment process using interpolation is applied to data from angled plane wave transmissions.
• Time-aligned data are compounded to enhance SNR and achieve higher frame rates.
• The method was tested on tissue-mimicking phantoms with varying stiffness and an arterial phantom.

Main Results:

• The proposed method achieved 58% and 36% increases in spatial and temporal bandwidth, respectively, compared to traditional plane wave compounding.
• Significant improvements in phase velocity accuracy and bandwidth were observed in dispersive arterial phantom measurements.
• The technique successfully maintained high SNR and PRF_e for quantitative tissue characterization.

Conclusions:

• The developed time alignment method offers superior performance for shear wave elastography.
• This approach enhances the accuracy of mechanical property measurements, especially in dispersive tissues like arteries.
• The method is compatible with conventional clinical ultrasound systems, paving the way for improved diagnostic capabilities.