Strain Imaging Using a Rectilinear 2-D Array: Preliminary Results

Ultrasound-based strain imaging is an imaging technique that detects variations in tissue stiffness. To date, such techniques have largely been done in two dimensions (azimuth and axial) using 1-D linear or phased arrays. With 2-D arrays, 3-D strain imaging could improve the detection of stiffer malignant tumors by reducing out-of-plane decorrelation noise, reducing user-dependence of the imaging process and providing additional clinically significant data about the tumor such as the three-dimensional shape and volume of the tumor. In this paper, we describe our initial efforts in 3-D elasticity imaging where 2 orthogonal strain images of a gelatin phantoms with a 6 mm diameter stiff cylindrical agar inclusion have been acquired using a 4 cm x 4 cm 2-D array.