Ultrasound Analysis Apparatus Multi-Parameter Tissue Characterization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical imaging diagnostic apparatuses, such as ultrasound diagnostic systems, often rely on single tissue property quantification for diagnosis, which can lead to inaccurate identification of diseases like hepatitis and mild liver cirrhosis, as identical stiffness measurements can be obtained for both conditions.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that generates and displays multiple tissue property parameters, including modulus of elasticity, viscosity coefficient, attenuation rate, normalized local variance, and hepato-renal echo contrast, using radar charts to support more accurate tissue characterization and diagnosis by presenting a comprehensive view of tissue properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple tissue property parameters are measured and displayed, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but device complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments tissue characterization into multiple independent parameter measurements (stiffness, viscosity, attenuation, dispersion) that can be processed and displayed separately. Each parameter is calculated from specific ultrasound signal characteristics, allowing the system to present comprehensive diagnostic information in an organized, manageable format rather than as a single complex metric.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from single-dimensional stiffness measurement to multi-dimensional tissue characterization by adding viscosity, attenuation, and dispersion parameters. This dimensional expansion enables differentiation between disease states (e.g., hepatitis vs. liver cirrhosis) that have similar stiffness values but different tissue property profiles across multiple dimensions.
2Loss of information
If multiple tissue property parameters are calculated and presented, then disease differentiation capability is improved, but information processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional analysis system that simultaneously calculates multiple tissue properties from the same ultrasound dataset. The processing circuitry performs stiffness calculation, viscosity calculation, attenuation calculation, and dispersion calculation in an integrated manner, extracting maximum diagnostic information from a single imaging session without requiring separate examinations for each parameter.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the analytical parameters extracted from ultrasound signals to include not only stiffness (elastic modulus) but also viscosity, attenuation coefficient, and dispersion characteristics. By analyzing different signal properties (amplitude, phase, frequency content, temporal behavior), the system derives multiple tissue parameters that provide complementary diagnostic information for distinguishing between various liver pathologies.
Data Source
AI summary
An analysis apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to obtain quantitative values of a plurality of types of tissue properties relating to a region of interest of a subject, and generate a diagram of the region of interest based on the quantitative values.