Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

The overall aim of this research is to develop and refine a new type of medical ultrasound imaging method. A relatively low-cost, portable ultrasound machine forms the basis of the new imaging method, but incorporates new tools to perform real-time computation and display of tissue properties not normally visible in regular ultrasound.The specific objective of this research is to develop a system called "vibro-elastography" that can determine mechanical properties of tissue based on measuring tissue motion in response to an external vibration. A specialized ultrasound hand-held probe will be designed that will acquire three-dimensional images of tissue while, at the same time, it vibrates the tissue with low-frequency motion similar to that experienced by one's hand on a sub-woofer speaker. The acquired ultrasound images will be processed to generate accurate motion estimates. Based on motion estimates, tissue mechanical parameters such as elasticity, viscosity and density will be computed.The first step is the design and implementation of inexpensive hardware additions to the ultrasound probe to produce accurate control of tissue vibrations. Real-time methods of computing images of mechanical properties of tissue will then be developed in order to enable their display during normal ultrasound examinations. These computational tools will eventually enable the techniques developed in the laboratory to be transformed into devices that can be easily adopted into clinical practice. This research could lead to new and improved ultrasound machines that would have a significant impact on many clinical areas. These include diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis of cancer, segmentation of organs based on mechanical properties, image guidance for biopsies and anaesthesia, brachytherapy treatment planning and needle insertion simulators.