Systems and methods for harmonic shear wave detection using low frame rate ultrasound, or a three-dimensional (3D) volumetric scan, are provided. As one example, spurious motion sources, such as intrinsic tissue motion and waves that are not at the incident wave harmonic frequency, are removed based on a scanning sequence in which repeated acquisitions from a given subvolume occur closely in time so as to render effects of the spurious motions negligible. As another example, sampling frequency and center frequency are selected such that the spurious motion signal spectra do not overlap with aliased shear wave motion spectra, such that the spurious motions can be filtered.

The invention relates to an ultrasonic method for estimating a nonlinear shear wave elasticity of a medium, the method comprising the following steps: A1. a first collection step in which a first set comprising one shear wave elasticity data point of the medium is collected at a first level of deformation applied to the medium, A2. a second collection step in which a second set comprising one shear wave elasticity data point of the medium is collected at a second level of deformation applied to the medium different to the first level, A3. a deformation estimation step in which the difference of deformation between the first and the second level of deformation is estimated, B1. a calculation step in which a gradient between at least two data points respectively belonging to the first and the second set is calculated as a function of the difference of deformation between the first and the second level of deformation, B2. an elasticity estimation step in which the nonlinear shear wave elasticity of the medium is estimated as a function of the gradient.

Disclosed are a system and a method for ultrasound elastography and a method for dynamically processing frames in real time. The system includes an elasticity processing apparatus having an elasticity information detecting module for extracting elasticity information representing the elasticity of a target to be detected; a quality parameter calculating module for calculating at least a quality parameter reflecting quality of each elasticity image corresponding to the elasticity information; and a frame processing module for determining whether to output corresponding elasticity image based on the quality parameter of each elasticity image. When calculating a strain of consecutive images, the parameter reflecting the quality of each image is also computed, through which, the current elasticity image is determined whether to be displayed, thus avoiding the situation that colors of acquired successive elasticity images may vary greatly due to large difference existing in stress.

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.

This method, for determining the local intensity (I.sub.0) of an acoustic field propagating in a target region of a soft solid, at a position located within said target region, includes at least the following steps: determining (102) a value of an ultrasound attenuation coefficient (α) of the soft body in the target region; determining (104) a value of the shear modulus (μ) of the soft body in the target region; determining (106) a value of the speed of sound (c) in the target region of the soft body; and building (110), with the values determined in steps a), b) and c), a viscoelastic model (M) of a steady-state displacement induced by an acoustic field having a time invariant shape or a viscoelastic model of a difference between two steady-state displacements induced by an acoustic field having a time invariant shape. Moreover, this method also includes the following steps: applying (112) to the target region the acoustic field emitted by an ultrasound source, for a duration such that the acoustic field induces a steady-state localized deformation (Formula (I)) of the soft body in the target region; measuring (114) at least one steady state displacement induced by the acoustic field at a given position in the target region; and computing (116) the amplitude of the intensity of the acoustic field at said given position by inverting the viscoelastic model (M) at said given position, for the displacement(s) measured at step f).

A shear wave elastography method for imaging an observation field in an anisotropic medium, including an initial ultrasonic acquisition step during which initial physical parameters are acquired in at least one region of interest; a spatial characterization step during which a set of spatial characteristics of the anisotropic medium is determined on the basis of the initial physical parameter; an excitation substep during which an shear wave is generated inside the anisotropic medium on the basis of the set of spatial characteristics; and an observation substep during which the propagation of the shear wave is observed simultaneously at a multitude of points in the observation field.

Various methods and systems are provided for ultrasound imaging. In one embodiment, a method comprises acquiring, with an ultrasound transducer of a scanning apparatus during an ultrasound scan of a patient, an ultrasound image, detecting, with an artificial intelligence model, a region of interest within the ultrasound image including a possible tumor, acquiring, with the ultrasound transducer, an elastic image of tissue within the region of interest, and displaying, with a display device, the elastic image. In this way, shear wave elastography may be automatically targeted to a region of interest, thereby reducing the processing load for the analysis and enabling a higher elasticity imaging frame rate for three-dimensional ultrasound imaging.

Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate obtaining two dimensional (2D) ultrasound images, using two or more ultrasound imaging modes or modalities, to generate 2D multi-parametric ultrasound (mpUS) images and/or to generate a three-dimensional (3D) mpUS image. The different ultrasound imaging modes acquire images in a common frame of reference during a single procedure to facilitate their registration. The mpUS images (i.e., 2D or 3D) may be used for enhanced and/or automated detection of one or more suspicious regions. After identifying one or more suspicious regions, the mpUS images may be utilized with a real-time image to guide biopsy or therapy the region(s). All these processes may be performed in a single medical procedure.

Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate obtaining two dimensional (2D) ultrasound images, using two or more ultrasound imaging modes or modalities, to generate 2D multi-parametric ultrasound (mpUS) images and/or to generate a three-dimensional (3D) mpUS image. The different ultrasound imaging modes acquire images in a common frame of reference during a single procedure to facilitate their registration. The mpUS images (i.e., 2D or 3D) may be used for enhanced and/or automated detection of one or more suspicious regions. After identifying one or more suspicious regions, the mpUS images may be utilized with a real-time image to guide biopsy or therapy the region(s). All these processes may be performed in a single medical procedure.

An ultrasonic method for quantifying the nonlinear shear wave elasticity of a medium, the method comprising the following steps: A1.—collecting a temporal succession of shear wave elasticity data from the medium, A2.—applying, to the medium, a deformation that successively changes according to a predetermined sequence of deformations, during the collection of the shear waves, A3.—observing the actual evolution of deformation, and B.—quantifying the nonlinear elasticity of the medium depending on the temporal succession of data and the evolution of deformation.