Interactive Pressure Control In Ultrasound Elastography

We report a novel ultrasound elastography system with interactive pressure feedback and tested its feasibility for the improved reliability and reproducibility.The interactive ultrasound elastographic system integrates two compression force sensors, a Google glass. a laptop computer and a clinical ultrasound elastographic system. The force sensors and the ultrasound probe are assembled in a 3D printed mounting bracket for continuous monitoring of compression loads during ultrasound elastography. Both the force measurements and the elastographic maps are acquired and displayed on the laptop computer in real time. The actual compression profile and the computer generated target profile are both projected to the Google glass through wirelessly network to provide intraoperative guidance for the operator. The performance characteristics of such an interactive ultrasound elastographic system is evaluated by six operators on an ultrasound elasticity QA phantom.Following the interactive guidance, an operator is able to generate various compression loading profiles such as square and sinusoid waveforms. Elastography tests on the embedded targets at four different stiffness levels show that interactive elastography is able to differentiate 8 kPa and 14 kPa targets with a p value of 0.013, while freehand elastography yields a p value of 0.107. Reproducibility tests at different compression conditions show that interactive elastography yields a lower coefficients of variability (CV) level among different operators in comparison with freehand compression.Our interactive ultrasound elastography system is able to improve the reliability and reproducibility in ultrasound elastography. Further clinical validation tests are necessary to optimize the engineering design and evaluate its clinical utility in dynamic imaging of suspicious breast lesions.