Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining the percent volume of fat in an organ (advantageously, the liver) of a living subject. Radiation (advantageously shear waves of known frequency and amplitude) is directed into the liver. The speed with which the radiation propagates within the liver, and the attenuation of the amplitude of the radiation caused by the liver, are measured. From these measured quantities, the percent volume of fat in the liver can be determined. The determination can be carried out by calculation, or by using a nomogram.

Abstract: The wave number and phase velocity (shear wave speed) of ultrasound energy within an organ of interest are calculated using a herein-disclosed phase gradient calculation method. This calculation method is less sensitive to imperfections in the reverberant field distribution and requires a smaller support window, relative to earlier calculation methods based on autocorrelation. Applications are shown in simulations, phantoms, and in vivo liver.

Abstract: An ultrasound study in which the reflected echoes are analyzed to determine a physical characteristic of scatterers within the volume of interest, the acoustic attenuation within the volume of interest, and the echo amplitude. These data are used to diagnose the disease state and the progression of disease.

Abstract: A method of forming an image of a region of interest using a pulse-echo imaging device is described. The method includes the steps of generating a pulse using the pulse-echo imaging device, causing the pulse to be incident on the region of interest to generate a reflected echo, receiving the reflected echo in the pulse-echo imaging device, comparing a measure of frequency content of the reflected echo to the transmitted pulse, and frequency shifted replicas of the transmitted pulse, wherein each is associated with a unique label, selecting a label based on the comparison, and generating an image incorporating the selected label.

Abstract: An ultrasound study in which the reflected echoes are analyzed to determine a physical characteristic of scatterers within the volume of interest, the acoustic attenuation within the volume of interest, and the echo amplitude. These data are used to diagnose the disease state and the progression of disease.

Abstract: Within the field of elastography, a new approach analyzes the limiting case of shear waves established as a reverberant field. In this framework, it is assumed that a distribution of shear waves exists, oriented across all directions in 3D (e.g. 2D space+time). The simultaneous multi-frequency application of reverberant shear wave fields can be accomplished by applying an array of external sources that can be excited by multiple frequencies within a bandwidth, for example 50, 100, 150, . . . 500 Hz, all contributing to the shear wave field produced in the liver or other target organ. This enables the analysis of the dispersion of shear wave speed as it increases with frequency, indicating the viscoelastic and lossy nature of the tissue under study. Furthermore, dispersion images can be created and displayed alongside the shear wave speed images.

Abstract: a) A Gabor domain optical coherence microscopy (GD-OCM) system providing high resolution of structural and motion imaging of objects such as tissues is combined with the use of reverberant shear wave fields (RevSW) or longitudinal shear waves (LSW) and two novel mechanical excitation sources: a coaxial coverslip excitation (CCE) and a multiple pronged excitation (MPE) sources providing structured and controlled mechanical excitation in tissues and leading to accurate derivation of elastographic properties. Alternatively, general optical computed tomography (OCT) is combined with RevSW or LWC in the object to derive elastographic properties. The embodiments include (a) GD-OCM with RevSW; (b) GD-OCM with LSW; (c) General OCT with RevSW; and General OCT with LSW.

Abstract: Within the field of elastography, a new approach analyzes the limiting case of shear waves established as a reverberant field. In this framework, it is assumed that a distribution of shear waves exists, oriented across all directions in 3D (e.g 2D space+time). The simultaneous multi-frequency application of reverberant shear wave fields can be accomplished by applying an array of external sources that can be excited by multiple frequencies within a bandwidth, for example 50, 100, 150, . . . 500 Hz, all contributing to the shear wave field produced in the liver or other target organ. This enables the analysis of the dispersion of shear wave speed as it increases with frequency, indicating the viscoelastic and lossy nature of the tissue under study. Furthermore, dispersion images can be created and displayed alongside the shear wave speed images.

Abstract: Within the field of elastography, a new approach analyzes the limiting case of shear waves established as a reverberant field. In this framework, it is assumed that a distribution of shear waves exists, oriented across all directions in 3D (e.g. 2D space+time). The simultaneous multi-frequency application of reverberant shear wave fields can be accomplished by applying an array of external sources that can be excited by multiple frequencies within a bandwidth, for example 50, 100, 150, . . . 500 Hz, all contributing to the shear wave field produced in the liver or other target organ. This enables the analysis of the dispersion of shear wave speed as it increases with frequency, indicating the viscoelastic and lossy nature of the tissue under study. Furthermore, dispersion images can be created and displayed alongside the shear wave speed images.

Abstract: The wave number and phase velocity (shear wave speed) of ultrasound energy within an organ of interest are calculated using a herein-disclosed phase gradient calculation method. This calculation method is less sensitive to imperfections in the reverberant field distribution and requires a smaller support window, relative to earlier calculation methods based on autocorrelation. Applications are shown in simulations, phantoms, and in vivo liver.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining the percent volume of fat in an organ (advantageously, the liver) of a living subject. Radiation (advantageously shear waves of known frequency and amplitude) is directed into the liver. The speed with which the radiation propagates within the liver, and the attenuation of the amplitude of the radiation caused by the liver, are measured. From these measured quantities, the percent volume of fat in the liver can be determined. The determination can be carried out by calculation, or by using a nomogram.

Abstract: An ultrasound study in which the reflected echoes are analyzed to determine a physical characteristic of scatterers within the volume of interest, the acoustic attenuation within the volume of interest, and the echo amplitude. These data are used to diagnose the disease state and the progression of disease.

Abstract: a) A Gabor domain optical coherence microscopy (GD-OCM) system providing high resolution of structural and motion imaging of objects such as tissues is combined with the use of reverberant shear wave fields (RevSW) or longitudinal shear waves (LSW) and two novel mechanical excitation sources: a coaxial coverslip excitation (CCE) and a multiple pronged excitation (MPE) sources providing structured and controlled mechanical excitation in tissues and leading to accurate derivation of elastographic properties. Alternatively, general optical computed tomography (OCT) is combined with RevSW or LWC in the object to derive elastographic properties. The embodiments include (a) GD-OCM with RevSW; (b) GD-OCM with LSW; (c) General OCT with RevSW; and General OCT with LSW.

Abstract: A method of forming an image of a region of interest using a pulse-echo imaging device is described. The method includes the steps of transmitting a pulse, discriminating an echo of the pulse by comparison to a plurality of Hermite polynomials, and determining a color for display based on the comparison. A system for forming an image of a region of interest is also described. The system includes a pulse-echo imaging device for transmitting a pulse and a control unit in communication with the pulse-echo imaging device. The control unit is configured to discriminate an echo of the pulse by comparison to a plurality of Hermite polynomials and determine a color for display based on the comparison.

Abstract: Within the field of elastography, a new approach analyzes the limiting case of shear waves established as a reverberant field. In this framework, it is assumed that a distribution of shear waves exists, oriented across all directions in 3D (e.g. 2D space+time). The simultaneous multi-frequency application of reverberant shear wave fields can be accomplished by applying an array of external sources that can be excited by multiple frequencies within a bandwidth, for example 50, 100, 150, . . . 500 Hz, all contributing to the shear wave field produced in the liver or other target organ. This enables the analysis of the dispersion of shear wave speed as it increases with frequency, indicating the viscoelastic and lossy nature of the tissue under study. Furthermore, dispersion images can be created and displayed alongside the shear wave speed images.

Abstract: A method of forming an image of a region of interest using a pulse-echo imaging device is described. The method includes the steps of generating a pulse using the pulse-echo imaging device, causing the pulse to be incident on the region of interest to generate a reflected echo, receiving the reflected echo in the pulse-echo imaging device, comparing a measure of frequency content of the reflected echo to the transmitted pulse, and frequency shifted replicas of the transmitted pulse, wherein each is associated with a unique label, selecting a label based on the comparison, and generating an image incorporating the selected label.

Abstract: Systems and methods of pulse-echo imaging using stabilized symmetric pulses are described. The systems and methods are based on the development of a class of symmetric, i.e., two sided, functions that can be designed and utilized as stabilized pulses. Stabilized pulses are pulses having stable inverse filters, and have previously only been established for asymmetric functions. The systems and methods described herein can be used for super-resolution pulse-echo imaging, for example super-resolution ultrasound imaging.

Abstract: A method of forming an image of a region of interest using a pulse-echo imaging device is described. The method includes the steps of transmitting a pulse, discriminating an echo of the pulse by comparison to a plurality of Hermite polynomials, and determining a color for display based on the comparison. A system for forming an image of a region of interest is also described. The system includes a pulse-echo imaging device for transmitting a pulse and a control unit in communication with the pulse-echo imaging device. The control unit is configured to discriminate an echo of the pulse by comparison to a plurality of Hermite polynomials and determine a color for display based on the comparison.

Abstract: In ultrasound B-scan imaging or other pulse-echo imaging, an inverse filter solution eliminates both the speckle phenomenon and the poor resolution dependency on the pulse length and width to produce SURUS (super-resolution ultrasound) images. The pulse shapes have stable inverses, derived by use of the standard Z-transform and related properties.

Abstract: Systems and methods of pulse-echo imaging using stabilized symmetric pulses are described. The systems and methods are based on the development of a class of symmetric, i.e., two sided, functions that can be designed and utilized as stabilized pulses. Stabilized pulses are pulses having stable inverse filters, and have previously only been established for asymmetric functions. The systems and methods described herein can be used for super-resolution pulse-echo imaging, for example super-resolution ultrasound imaging.