Abstract: An elastography device includes a probe with a single ultrasound transducer; or a plurality of ultrasound transducers, and a low frequency vibrator arranged to induce a displacement of said single ultrasound transducer or plurality of ultrasound transducers towards a tissue. The device is configured to emit a sequence of ultrasound pulses and to acquire echo signals received in response to track how elastic waves, induced by the displacement, travel in the tissue. The device is configured to generate, for one or more of the ultrasound pulses emitted a temporal offset upon emission, and/or a temporal offset upon reception, so that a difference thereof varies as a function of 2·d/vus, where d is the displacement of the single transducer or plurality of ultrasound transducers, and where vus is the speed of ultrasound in said tissue.

Abstract: A system and method for accumulating ultrasound attenuation data for the detection of disease or other conditions. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system generates a number of imaging pulses during an imaging mode. Echo signals received from the imaging pulses are tested against one or more quality metrics. Attenuation data from the echo signals that pass the quality metrics are accumulated and are used to compute a tissue characteristic. In one embodiment the tissue characteristic is a CAP measurement that is related to an amount of fat in a liver.

Abstract: A method for measuring an ultrasonic attenuation parameter guided by harmonic elastography including applying, using a vibrator included in a probe in contact with a viscoelastic medium, of a continuous low frequency vibration, the continuous low frequency vibration generating an elastic wave within the viscoelastic medium and generating, during the propagation of the elastic wave, using an ultrasonic transducer in contact with the viscoelastic medium, a series of ultrasonic acquisitions, the series of ultrasonic acquisitions including groups of ultrasonic acquisitions, the groups of ultrasonic acquisitions being generated with a repetition rate, each group of ultrasonic acquisitions including at least one acquisition; the ultrasonic attenuation parameter being measured from the ultrasonic acquisitions realised during the application of the continuous low frequency vibration.

Abstract: An elastography device includes a probe, to be held against the body of a subject, the probe including a single ultrasound transducer; or a plurality of ultrasound transducers, all ultrasound transducers of the being motionless with respect to each other, and a low frequency vibrator, arranged to induce a displacement of said single ultrasound transducer or plurality of ultrasound transducers towards a tissue to be characterized, and an electronic unit including an electronic circuit, configured to control the single ultrasound transducer or plurality of ultrasound transducers to emit a sequence of ultrasound pulses in the tissue to be characterized, and configured to acquire echo signals received by the single ultrasound transducer or plurality of ultrasound transducers in response to the ultrasound pulses emitted, in order to track how elastic waves travel in the tissue.

Abstract: An elastography device comprising: a probe that comprises a protruding part to be applied against the body of a subject, a low frequency vibrator arranged to move the protruding part, at least one ultrasound emitter and one ultrasound receiver; and an electronic unit. The electronic unit is adapted to alternatively control the elastography device so that it operates (a) in a guidance mode to determine whether the probe is correctly positioned in front of a region of the body to be probed to carry out a measurement of a mechanical property of the probed region and (b) in a measurement. In the guidance mode, the vibrator delivers a plurality of successive probing pulses (PRB), each being a transient, low frequency mechanical pulse, and the electronic unit determines a propagation quality indicator (Q) representative of an aptitude of the probed region to transmit the probing pulse.

Abstract: An elastography device includes a probe with a single ultrasound transducer; or a plurality of ultrasound transducers, and a low frequency vibrator arranged to induce a displacement of said single ultrasound transducer or plurality of ultrasound transducers towards a tissue. The device is configured to emit a sequence of ultrasound pulses and to acquire echo signals received in response to track how elastic waves, induced by the displacement, travel in the tissue. The device is configured to generate, for one or more of the ultrasound pulses emitted a temporal offset upon emission, and/or a temporal offset upon reception, so that a difference thereof varies as a function of 2.d/Vus, where d is the displacement of the single transducer or plurality of ultrasound transducers, and where Vus is the speed of ultrasound in said tissue.

Abstract: A method for measuring a viscoelastic parameter of an organ, includes emitting ultrasonic shots by an ultrasonic transducer; receiving by the transducer and recording the reflected ultrasonic signals; determining a viscoelastic parameter of the organ based on the recorded ultrasonic signals. The ultrasonic shots are formed by K groups of shots, separated temporally, K being greater than or equal to 1. Each K group is formed by the repetition, with a rate of PRF2, of MK blocks of ultrasonic shots, MK being greater than or equal to 1; each MK block is composed of N ultrasonic shots, N being greater than or equal to 1, PRF1 being the rate of emission of the N shots when N is chosen greater than 1; the N ultrasonic shots are distributed over P frequencies, P being between 1 and N, at least two ultrasonic shots belonging to two different blocks having different frequencies.

Abstract: A probe for transient elastography includes a probe casing, at least one ultrasound transducer having a symmetry axis, a vibrator located inside the probe casing, a position sensor coupled to the probe casing, the position sensor being arranged to measure the displacement of the probe, wherein the vibrator is arranged to induce a movement of the probe casing along a predefined axis, the predefined axis being the symmetry axis of the ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound transducer is bound to the probe casing with no motion of the ultrasound transducer with respect to the probe casing, and the probe includes a feedback circuit including the position sensor and a control loop and configured to use the displacement of the probe as a feedback signal and to control the movement of the vibrator inside the probe casing and the shape of a low frequency pulse applied by the probe.

Abstract: A method for measuring an ultrasonic attenuation parameter guided by harmonic elastography including applying, using a vibrator included in a probe in contact with a viscoelastic medium, of a continuous low frequency vibration, the continuous low frequency vibration generating an elastic wave within the viscoelastic medium and generating, during the propagation of the elastic wave, using an ultrasonic transducer in contact with the viscoelastic medium, of a series of ultrasonic acquisitions, the series of ultrasonic acquisitions including groups of ultrasonic acquisitions, the groups of ultrasonic acquisitions being generated with a repetition rate, each group of ultrasonic acquisitions including at least one acquisition; the ultrasonic attenuation parameter being measured from the ultrasonic acquisitions realised during the application of the continuous low frequency vibration.

Abstract: A system and method for accumulating ultrasound attenuation data for the detection of disease or other conditions. In one embodiment, an ultrasound system generates a number of imaging pulses during an imaging mode. Echo signals received from the imaging pulses are tested against one or more quality metrics. Attenuation data from the echo signals that pass the quality metrics are accumulated and are used to compute a tissue characteristic. In one embodiment the tissue characteristic is a CAP measurement that is related to an amount of fat in a liver.

Abstract: A method for measuring a viscoelastic parameter of an organ, includes emitting ultrasonic shots by an ultrasonic transducer; receiving by the transducer and recording the reflected ultrasonic signals; determining a viscoelastic parameter of the organ based on the recorded ultrasonic signals. The ultrasonic shots are formed by K groups of shots, separated temporally, K being greater than or equal to 1. Each K group is formed by the repetition, with a rate of PRF2, of MK blocks of ultrasonic shots, MK being greater than or equal to 1; each MK block is composed of N ultrasonic shots, N being greater than or equal to 1, PRF1 being the rate of emission of the N shots when N is chosen greater than 1; the N ultrasonic shots are distributed over P frequencies, P being between 1 and N, at least two ultrasonic shots belonging to two different blocks having different frequencies.

Abstract: A probe for transient elastography includes a probe casing, at least one ultrasound transducer having a symmetry axis, a vibrator located inside the probe casing, a position sensor coupled to the probe casing, the position sensor being arranged to measure the displacement of the probe, wherein the vibrator is arranged to induce a movement of the probe casing along a predefined axis, the predefined axis being the symmetry axis of the ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound transducer is bound to the probe casing with no motion of the ultrasound transducer with respect to the probe casing, and the probe includes a feedback circuit including the position sensor and a control loop and configured to use the displacement of the probe as a feedback signal and to control the movement of the vibrator inside the probe casing and the shape of a low frequency pulse applied by the probe.

Abstract: A probe (1) for transient elastography comprising a probe casing (PC), at least one ultrasound transducer (US) having a symmetry axis (A), at least a vibrator (VIB), said vibrator (VIB) being located inside the probe casing (PC), a position sensor (POS) coupled to the probe casing (PC), the position sensor (POS) being arranged to measure the displacement of the probe (1), wherein the vibrator (VIB) is arranged to induce a movement of the probe casing (PC) along a predefined axis, the predefined axis being the symmetry axis (A) of the ultrasound transducer (US), the ultrasound transducer is bound to the probe casing (PC) with no motion of the ultrasound transducer (US) with respect to the probe casing (PC), and the probe comprises comprises a feedback circuit comprising the position sensor and a control loop and configured to use the displacement of the probe as a feedback signal and to control the movement of the vibrator inside the probe casing and the shape of a low frequency pulse applied by the probe.

Abstract: A method for determining, in real time, the probability that target biological tissue is opposite an ultrasonic transducer, the method including: transmitting, via an ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic signal into biological tissue; the ultrasonic transducer receiving the transmitted ultrasonic signal which has been backscattered by the biological tissue; calculating at least two instantaneous parameters of the backscattered ultrasonic signal; calculating a predictive value of the presence of an acoustic signature of target biological tissue, the predictive value being calculated via a statistical law using the at least two calculated instantaneous parameters; estimating the probability that the target biological tissue is opposite the ultrasonic transducer, the estimation depending on the calculated predictive value and/or on at least one strength condition based on at least one of the two calculated instantaneous parameters.

Abstract: A method for determining, in real time, the probability that target biological tissue is opposite an ultrasonic transducer, the method including: transmitting, via an ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic signal into biological tissue; the ultrasonic transducer receiving the transmitted ultrasonic signal which has been backscattered by the biological tissue; calculating at least two instantaneous parameters of the backscattered ultrasonic signal; calculating a predictive value of the presence of an acoustic signature of target biological tissue, the predictive value being calculated via a statistical law using the at least two calculated instantaneous parameters; estimating the probability that the target biological tissue is opposite the ultrasonic transducer, the estimation depending on the calculated predictive value and/or on at least one strength condition based on at least one of the two calculated instantaneous parameters.