Ultrasound Elastography Triggering via Doppler Motion Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cardiac elastography measurements using ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) are prone to motion artifacts and biases due to the heart's motion through the cardiac cycle, particularly at end diastole, leading to inaccurate tissue stiffness assessments.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasound imaging system that uses motion data from Doppler imaging to trigger elastography measurements, allowing for acquisition during diastasis when the heart is relatively quiescent, reducing motion-related biases and inaccuracies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If elastography measurements are acquired during cardiac cycle using conventional ECG triggering, then measurements can be obtained at standard cardiac phases, but motion artifacts and biases are introduced due to heart motion and contraction
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary motion assessment using Doppler imaging to identify the quiescent period (diastasis) before triggering elastography measurements. This preliminary action allows the system to select the optimal timing window when cardiac motion is minimal, thereby reducing motion artifacts and improving measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses real-time Doppler velocity data as feedback to dynamically adjust the triggering timing for elastography measurements. By continuously monitoring cardiac motion and providing feedback on the actual quiescent period, the system can adaptively optimize measurement timing to minimize motion artifacts
2Productivity
If elastography measurements are triggered based on ECG features, then cardiac phase timing is standardized, but measurements may be taken during periods of significant cardiac motion when diastasis is not visible on ECG
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces Doppler velocity data as an intermediary parameter between ECG triggering and elastography measurement acquisition. This intermediary provides direct information about actual cardiac motion state, allowing the system to bridge the gap between standardized ECG timing and actual mechanical quiescence, ensuring measurements are taken during true diastasis
3Measurement precision
If motion-based triggering is implemented using Doppler imaging, then measurements can be acquired during true diastasis when heart is quiescent, but system complexity increases due to additional motion processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages the existing Doppler imaging capability, which is a standard feature in most cardiac ultrasound systems, to provide motion assessment for triggering. By making the Doppler-based motion detection multi-functional (serving both diagnostic and triggering purposes), the system avoids adding dedicated complex motion sensing hardware while still achieving accurate motion-based triggering
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables more accurate and reproducible cardiac elastography measurements by minimizing the impact of cardiac motion and contraction-related biases, improving the reliability of tissue stiffness assessments.
Implementation Method 1
Motion mode (e.g., Doppler) imaging may be used to acquire motion data to determine when a portion of a subject, such as the septum of the heart, is at rest
Implementation Method 2
an ultrasound probe configured to transmit at least one ultrasound signals and receive at least one echo signals responsive to the ultrasound signals
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for triggering the acquisition of elastography measurements based on motion data are disclosed. Motion data may be acquired by Doppler mode imaging in some embodiments. The motion data may be used to generate a trigger signal. The trigger signal may be provided to a transmit controller. The transmit controller may cause an ultrasound transducer to acquire elastography measurements responsive to the trigger signal.