Patent Application
20130051178
Embodiments of the invention relate in general to methods and apparatus for ultrasonic generation of shear waves and in particular for generation and resonant amplification of shear waves in biological tissues.
Acoustic imaging and medical therapy are generally carried out using ultrasound waves, referred to as longitudinal or compression ultrasound waves, in which material in the medium supporting the wave propagation oscillate parallel to the direction of propagation. Acoustic waves in which material in a medium supporting oscillate perpendicular to a direction of propagation of the waves are referred to as transverse, or shear, waves. Shear waves are not supported in fluids, such as gases and liquids, in which forces that bind molecules in the material are very weak and as a result viscosity is very small. Shear waves are supported in living tissue, but because living tissue has relatively low elasticity and high attenuation coefficient the waves are weak and strongly attenuated and do not propagate far from where they are generated.
Shear waves are used to determine characteristics of a tissue in an imaging procedure referred to as Shear Wave Elasticity Imaging (SWEI). In SWEI, shear waves are generated in a tissue region, typically by radiation force produced by conventional longitudinal waves focused to the tissue region. Shear stress generated by the radiation force propagates as shear waves. The region is imaged with conventional longitudinal ultrasound to sense characteristics of the shear waves. The velocity and attenuation rate of the sensed shear waves are used to provide a map of shear modulus and/or shear viscosity as a function of position in the tissue region. The “shear map” is usable to image and detect lesions, such as cancerous lesions, in the region. Generation of radiation force by an acoustic beam is discussed in an article “The Acoustic Radiation Force” by G. R. Torr; Am J Phys. 52(5), May 1984.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,731 to Sarvazyan et. al. and US Patent Application No. 2005/0252295 to Fink et al. describe imaging tissue for medical purposes using acoustic shear waves. US Patent Application No 20090099483 to Rybyanets describes a transducer for generating and rotating an intensity pattern of ultrasound comprising a plurality of elements independently excitable to radiate acoustic energy; and a controller that simultaneously excites some of the elements while leaving at least one element dormant and changes which element is dormant to change the intensity pattern. An article entitled “Supersonic Shear Imaging: A new Technique for Soft Tissue Elasticity Mapping” by Bercoff et al, IEEE Transaction on Ultrasonic, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, Vol. 51, No 4 April 2004 pp 396-409, describes generating and imaging a shear wave “supersonic boom” to map tissue elasticity. The shear wave supersonic boom is generated by successively focusing an ultrasound beam at increasing depths in a tissue volume so that a focal region of the beam moves to successively increasing depths in the tissue at a speed greater than the speed of acoustic shear waves in the tissue. The radiation force associated with the focal region functions as a source of shear waves that moves with a speed greater than the speed of the shear waves in the tissue to produce the shear wave supersonic boom.
An aspect of some embodiments of the invention (referred to hereinafter simply as “embodiments”) relates to providing a method of generating and resonantly amplifying an acoustic shear wave in a region of a material by exciting a cyclically morphing pattern of focal regions of longitudinal ultrasonic wave intensity in the region. In a cyclically morphing pattern of focal regions, focal regions cyclically appear at different locations. A radiation force generated by the longitudinal ultrasound in each focal region contributes to generating the shear wave. A distance between adjacent locations of focal regions in the pattern and a frequency of the acoustic shear wave are determined to provide constructive interference and resonant amplification of the acoustic shear wave at each focal region. In resonant amplification of a shear wave, a radiation force is repeatedly applied in phase with the shear wave to a region of material in which the shear wave propagates, to amplify the shear wave.
According to an aspect of some embodiments, the cyclical rate of change of the focal region pattern and spacing between locations of the focal regions is such that an acoustic focal region in the pattern appears to move with a velocity substantially equal to a speed of propagation of the shear wave to provide resonant shear wave amplification. In an embodiment, a focal region in the pattern moves continuously between the locations. In an embodiment, the focal region is moved “discontinuously” between locations. The focal region is removed from a first location and recreated at a second adjacent location without appearing at intervening locations. A distance “D” between the first and second locations and a time lapse “τ” between movement from one to the other of locations are such that the focal region appears to move between the first and second locations with a speed “D/τ” equal to a speed of propagation of the shear wave.
In some embodiments of the invention, the distance between adjacent locations of focal regions is determined to be substantially equal to an integer multiple of a wavelength of the generated acoustic shear wave. In some embodiments, the distance between adjacent locations of focal regions is determined to be substantially equal to an odd integer multiple of a half wavelength of the generated acoustic shear wave. The distance between adjacent locations of focal regions is also determined to be small enough so that attenuation of the acoustic shear wave over the distance does not prevent acceptable resonant amplification of the shear wave.
In an embodiment, the locations of the focal regions are substantially coplanar. Optionally, the plane of the locations of the focal regions (“focal plane”) is substantially perpendicular to a direction along which the longitudinal ultrasound waves that generate the focal regions are propagated. The shear wave generated by radiation force and amplified as a result of superposition of shear waves from different properly distanced and electrically excited focal zones therefore moves substantially laterally with respect to direction of propagation of the longitudinal waves, in the focal plane.
According to an aspect of some embodiments of the invention, the cyclical rate of change of the pattern and spacing of the locations of the focal regions is such that acoustic focal regions in the pattern appear to move with a velocity greater than the speed of propagation of the shear wave. As a result, an acoustic shear wave generated by the morphing pattern comprises a relatively narrow supersonic shock wave-front in which shear wave intensity is amplified.
According to an aspect of some embodiments of the invention, the pattern of focal regions is rotated to produce a shear wave. Shear waves produced by the rotating pattern are characterized by a wave-front that propagates in a spiral shape away from the pattern.
According to an aspect of some embodiments of the invention, a focal region of a longitudinal ultrasound wave in a material is moved continuously with a velocity substantially equal to a velocity of an acoustic shear wave in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of propagation of the longitudinal ultrasound to generate an amplified shear wave.
An aspect of some embodiments of the invention relates to providing a method of generating an acoustic shear wave in a region of a material by generating a stationary pattern of focal regions of longitudinal ultrasonic wave intensity in the region that provides for resonant amplification of shear waves generated at each focal region. In a stationary pattern, all focal regions appear simultaneously, and each time they appear, they appear in a same pattern of locations.
In an embodiment, the focal regions in the stationary pattern are substantially coplanar and the distance between adjacent focal regions is determined to be substantially equal to an integer multiple of the wavelength of shear waves generated by the focal regions. The distance between adjacent focal regions is also determined to be small enough so that attenuation of the acoustic shear wave over the distance is not so large as to prevent acceptable resonant amplification of the shear wave.
Any of various ultrasound transducers and methods may be used to produce a pattern of ultrasound focal regions that generate shear waves, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. By way of example, an ultrasound transducer used to generate the pattern may be an annular or sectored focusing transducer, or any of various phased array configurations, such as for example a linear, two or three dimensional phased array of piezoelectric elements. In an embodiment, the distance between locations of focal regions in the focal region pattern and the motion of the focal regions are determined by configuration and frequency and/or phase of excitation of an ultrasound transducer and/or elements thereof used to generate the ultrasound pattern of focal regions. In some embodiments, the motion of a focal region in the pattern is provided, at least in part, by physical motion of an ultrasound transducer. Optionally, a desired frequency of the shear wave is determined by repeatedly exciting the pattern in bursts at a burst repetition frequency substantially equal to the desired frequency of the shear wave. In an embodiment, the pattern is generated by exciting the transducer to generate longitudinal ultrasound waves at a plurality of different frequencies, and the frequency of the shear wave is determined by a beat frequency between the frequencies of the longitudinal waves.
In an embodiment, there is provided an apparatus for generating resonantly amplified ultrasound shear waves in biological tissue, comprising a plurality of transducer elements independently excitable to radiate ultrasound energy to generate a pattern of focal regions, each focal region having associated therewith a radiation force that generates a respective shear wave and a controller configured to control the element excitation such as to generate a pattern of focal regions which appear cyclically at different switching positions and to create resonant amplification of shear waves.
In an embodiment, the region of material in which the shear wave is generated is a biological tissue, such as a tissue region of a patient to provide a diagnostic and/or therapeutic and/or cosmetic procedure for the patient. Optionally, the shear wave is used for Shear Wave Elasticity Imaging (SWEI) of the tissue region. According to an aspect of some embodiments of the invention, the shear wave is used to carry out lithotripsy, tissue ablation and lysis of fat cells for cosmetic removal of adipose tissue.
Non-limiting examples of embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to figures attached hereto and listed following this paragraph. Identical structures, elements or parts that appear in more than one figure are generally labeled with a same numeral in all the figures in which they appear. Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are chosen for convenience and clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale.
Acoustic transducer 20 optionally comprises an even number of identical sectors 22 or “transducer elements” each having an “external” electrode (not shown), referred to as a “sector electrode” on an exterior, convex surface 24 of the transducer that substantially covers the sector area. By way of example, in
The sector electrode of each sector 22 is coupled to a suitable power supply (not shown). A controller 23 is controllable to apply an AC voltage between the sector electrode and the common electrode to excite the sector to generate ultrasound waves independently of excitation of the other sectors. The controller is further configured to control the element excitation such as to generate a pattern of focal regions which appear cyclically at different switching positions and to create resonant amplification of shear waves. Although not shown in other figures, it is to be understood that a controller such as controller 23 is used in every embodiments described herein.
In an embodiment of the invention, the sectors in a same first half of cap transducer 20 are excited by bursts of same frequency, in phase, alternating “excitation” voltage. The frequency of the excitation voltage is represented by “fL” and a repetition frequency of the burst excitation is represented by “v”. Sectors 22 in a second half of the cap transducer are also excited simultaneously with excitation of sectors 22 in the first half of the cap transducer at burst repetition frequency v and frequency fL, but with the phase of the excitation voltage 180° out-of-phase with the excitation voltage of sectors 22 in the first half of the cap transducer.
For convenience of presentation, sectors 22 in the first half, also referred to as the “0° half” of cap transducer 20, are un-shaded and arbitrarily assigned a relative phase of 0°. Some of the sectors in the 0° half of cap transducer 20 are labeled with excitation voltage frequency “fL” and “0°”. Sectors 22 in the second half, also referred to as the “180° half”, of the cap transducer are 180° out-of-phase with the 0° sectors. Some of the sectors in the 180° half are shown shaded and labeled with frequency fL and 180°. Sectors 22 in the 0° and 180° halves are also referred to as 0° and 180° sectors respectively.
The excitation configuration of sectors 22 shown in
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, focal regions 42 are rotated about axis 28 at an angular frequency ω by rotating the 0° and 180° halves of cap transducer 20 about axis 28 with an angular velocity ω radians/s and an angular frequency (or rotation frequency) ω/2π. Optionally, 0° and 180° halves are rotated by switching a 180° sector adjacent to the 0° half of cap transducer 20 to excitation at 0° (i.e. in phase with excitation of the 0° sectors) so that it becomes a 0° sector, and switching a 0° sector that is adjacent to the 180° half of cap transducer to excitation at 180° so that it becomes a 180° sector.
To provide rotation at angular frequency ω/2π, switching for a cap transducer comprising N sectors is done at a switching frequency equal to Nω/2π, where N is a number of sectors in the cap transducer. For cap transducer 20 shown in
For biological animal tissue, the radiation force F generated by ultrasound incident on a region of the tissue is generally assumed to be proportional to an amount of energy absorbed from the ultrasound by the region. If the tissue at the location is characterized by an ultrasound absorption coefficient α, and if the intensity of incident ultrasound at the location is “I”, then F can be written as F=2αI/c, where c is the velocity of longitudinal ultrasound waves at the location. I is relatively very large in focal regions 42, and as a result, radiation forces in these regions are also relatively very large. In
As a focal region 42 is rotated about axis 28, at each switching position 46 of the focal region, radiation force 48 repeatedly displaces tissue in a direction of arrow 48 at a repetition frequency equal to the burst frequency v of excitation of sectors 22. The cyclical strain of tissue in a focal region 42 caused by the changing radiation force generates shear waves having frequency fS equal to the burst frequency v. These shear waves propagate away laterally in the focal plane from the position of the focal region. Shear waves generated at, and propagating away, from each of switching positions 46 when a focal region 42 occupies the switching position are indicated by arcs 49 and referred to as “shear waves 49”.
Shear waves 49 interfere constructively to generate a spiral shaped acoustic shear wave front 50 (“Mach spiral”) which propagates outward from focal zone 102. The pitch of the spiral, or the number of turns of the spiral per unit distance along a given radial direction from a center about which the spiral winds, decreases with the radial distance. That is, the distance between adjacent turns of the spiral increases with the radial distance. The pitch increases with increasing angular velocity ω.
It is noted that for any pair of switching positions 46, focal regions 42 generate shear waves 49 that interfere constructively at the center of tissue region 100. If a period between switching times (i.e. 1/fS), is equal to a multiple of a period of shear waves 49, shear waves generated at all the switching positions constructively interfere at the center of focal region 100 and produce a relatively intense acoustic shear field at the center.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, distance D, longitudinal ultrasound wave frequency fL, burst frequency v and angular velocity ω are matched to provide resonant amplification of shears waves 49. Resonant amplification of shear waves 49 occurs if the magnitude of an apparent velocity VA with which focal regions 42 move as they rotate around axis 28 is substantially equal to the magnitude of velocity VS of shear waves 49. VA is substantially equal to ωD/2. Since D is a function of radius of curvature Rc, aperture Ac and phase difference φ between the two halves of cap transducer 20 as well as wavelength λL of longitudinal waves radiated by the cap transducer, VA can be written |VA|=ωD(Ac,Rc,λL,φ)/2 to explicitly exhibit the dependence of D on transducer geometry and longitudinal wavelength λL. The VS of shear waves in animal tissue is a function of frequency of the shear waves. Since, as noted above, the frequency fS of shear waves generated by radiation force 48 is equal to burst frequency v, VS may be written |VS(v)| to explicitly show the dependence of the shear velocity on its frequency (dispersion) and thereby on the burst frequency of longitudinal ultrasound waves 40. A condition for resonant amplification of shear waves 49, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, may therefore be expressed as:
|VA|=ωD(Ac,Rc,λL,φ)/2=|VS(v)|
By way of a numerical example, for a phase difference φ=180°, as shown in
It is noted that whereas in
At time t1 and position P1, radiation force 48 generates an acoustic shear wave 49 which propagates to the right (clockwise in
Amplification may be modeled as a geometrical series. Let shear wave 49 generated at switching position P1 have an arbitrary amplitude equal to 1. Let the amplitude of a shear wave that propagates between switching times tn and t(n+1) from position Pn to position P(n+1) be attenuated by a factor “r”. If the shear wave has an amplitude A at Pn, its amplitude is rA when it reaches P(n+1). Then, the shear wave that started out at time t1 at switching position P1 is amplified by a factor An=(1−r−(n+1))/(1−r) at a nth switching position of focal region 42. The amplification tends asymptotically to a value A∞=1/(1−r). Assume that a shear wave in tissue region 100 attenuates with an attenuation coefficient α per wavelength λS of the distance traveled by the shear wave, and that the distance between switching positions Pn and P(n+1) is equal to nλS. Then r=e−(αnλS) and asymptotic value A∞ may be written A∞=1/(1−e−(αnλS)). By way of numerical examples, if r is equal to 0.75, A∞=4. If r is equal to 0.5, A∞=2.
It is noted that resonant amplification of shear waves in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, such as illustrated in
For example, a longitudinal ultrasound focal region created by longitudinal ultrasound of a frequency fL has a lateral extent W˜λL (equal essentially to the ellipsoid minor axis). The radiation force produced at the focal region has a similar lateral extent and decreases from a maximum substantially in the middle of the focal region to zero at a radial distance λL/2 from the middle. The radiation force has a lateral extent equal to about ½ of the wavelength λS of the shear wave that it generates. Therefore, if the frequency of the shear wave is fS, to provide resonant amplification of the shear wave, the focal region should be moved in the direction of propagation of the shear wave with a speed VS(fS)=2WfS. If, for example, the focal region is generated by exciting an ultrasound transducer with two frequencies f1 and f2, so that the frequency fS of the shear wave is equal to a beat frequency v=|f1−f2| between the excitation frequencies, then the condition for resonant amplification becomes VS(v)=2Wv.
It is noted that focal region 222 can relatively easily be made to traverse linear trajectory 225 at a velocity substantially faster than 0.5 m/s and substantially faster than the velocity of shear waves that it generates. For example if v=|f1−f2|=10 kHz, the focal region moves with a velocity of 50 m/s and shear waves 226 propagate with a velocity of 1.64 m/s. For these velocities, the focal region moves “supersonically” with a Mach number equal to 50/1.64=30.5 and generates a shear shock wavefront. This, embodiments of the invention provide supersonic shear waves.
Shear wave generation and resonant amplification by rotating focal regions or translating focal regions, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, provides shear waves having substantially enhanced intensity. The intense shear waves can be advantageous not only for imaging tissue, but also for delivering and coupling acoustic energy to a region of tissue to perform a diagnostic and/or therapeutic and/or cosmetic procedure on a patient's tissue. For example, for same intensity acoustic waves, tissue is generally more susceptible to disruption and/or destruction by acoustic shear waves than by ultrasonic longitudinal waves. As a result, for many types of procedures such as lithotripsy, tissue ablation and lysis, shear waves in accordance with an embodiment of the invention can be advantageous.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, sectors 122 in a first pair of opposite sectors are excited in phase with a first signal at a first frequency “f1” to radiate longitudinal ultrasound at the first frequency to focal zone 102. Sectors 122 in a second pair of sectors are excited in phase with a second signal at a second frequency “f2”, different from f1, to radiate longitudinal ultrasound at the second frequency to the focal zone. More generally, odd numbered sectors of the N sectors can be excited in phase with signals at first frequency f1 and even numbered sectors of the N sectors can be excited in phase with signals at second frequency f2, different from f1. Optionally, the first and second signals are continuously applied to their respective associated pairs of sectors. Dashed lines 140 schematically represent ultrasound radiated by sectors 122 to focal zone 102.
Radiated ultrasound 140 generates a pattern 142 of ultrasound intensity focal regions which comprises a “central” focal region 144 and four “peripheral” focal regions 146. In the general case of a transducer with N sectors, the pattern will have one central and N peripheral focal regions. The distance between central focal region 144 and each of peripheral regions 146 is represented by a dashed line 150. Adjacent peripheral focal regions 146 are separated by a distance represented by a dashed line 151. Pattern 142 repeatedly morphs through a cycle in which the intensity of ultrasound in central focal region 144 increases and decreases, while the intensity of ultrasound in peripheral focal regions 146 respectively decreases and increases. The cycle repeats at a frequency “v” equal to a difference between the first and second frequencies f1 and f2.
In
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the geometry of cap transducer 120, the excitation frequencies of sectors 122, and thereby the frequency of ultrasound 140 radiated to focal zone 102 to produce pattern 142 are determined so that shear waves 149 generated by radiation force 147 interfere constructively and are amplified resonantly. When pattern 142 is configured to provide resonant shear wave amplification, the pattern, as noted above, may be referred to as a “virtual resonator” and the resonance it provides may be referred to as “virtual resonance”.
The geometry of cap transducer 120 and frequencies f1 and f2 determine distances 150 and 151. The frequency fS of shear waves 149 generated at each focal region is equal to v=|f1−f2|. Since radiation force 145 is 180° out-of-phase with radiation forces 147, to provide resonant amplification between shear waves 149 generated at focal region 144 and peripheral focal regions 146, distance 150 is advantageously equal to (n+½)λS where n is an integer and λS is the wavelength of shear waves 149 in tissue 100 for frequency fS=v. For resonant amplification between shear waves 149 generated at peripheral focal regions 146, distance 151 or twice distance 150 is advantageously equal to nλS since radiation forces 147 are in phase. Note that for the abovementioned resonant amplification conditions, conditions for resonant amplification between shear waves 149 produced at the peripheral focal regions is generally not obtained simultaneously with conditions for resonant amplification between shear waves produced at central focal region 144 and peripheral regions 146.
By way of a numerical example of generation and resonant amplification of shear waves 149, assume that cap transducer 120 has an aperture equal to 85 mm and a radius of curvature equal to about 54 mm, and that frequencies of excitation f1 and f2, as shown in
By way of another numerical example, if f1 and f2 are equal to 1.0 MHz and 0.995 MHz, fS is equal to 5 kHz, VS(v) is equal to about 1.16 m/s and λS is equal to about 0.23 mm. Distance 151 is still equal to about 1.5 mm and distance 150 is equal to 1.05 mm, i.e. to about 4.5 λS As a result, there is resonant amplification between shear waves produced at central focal region 144 and shear waves produced at peripheral focal regions 146.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the geometry of cap transducer 120, the frequency of the excitation voltage and the burst repetition frequency are determined so that conditions for resonant amplification of shear waves 166 are obtained. Resonant amplification is obtained for distances 170 equal to nλS or for diagonal distance 171 equal to nλS.
In the description and claims of the present application, each of the verbs, “comprise” “include” and “have”, and conjugates thereof, are used to indicate that the object or objects of the verb are not necessarily a complete listing of components, elements or parts of the subject or subjects of the verb.
All patents, patent applications and publications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification, to the same extent as if each individual patent, patent application or publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art.
Descriptions of embodiments of the invention in the present application are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The described embodiments comprise different features, not all of which are required in all embodiments of the invention. Some embodiments utilize only some of the features or possible combinations of the features. Variations of embodiments of the invention that are described, and embodiments of the invention comprising different combinations of features noted in the described embodiments, will occur to persons of the art. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/330,449 filed May 3, 2010 and titled “SUPERSONIC SHEAR WAVES”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB11/51917 | 4/30/2011 | WO | 00 | 11/2/2012 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61330449 | May 2010 | US |
