Displacement measurement method and apparatus, strain measurement method and apparatus elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus, and the elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus-based treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides elastic constant and visco elastic constant measurement apparatus etc. for measuring in the ROI in living tissues elastic constants such as shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, Lame constants, etc., visco elastic constants such as visco shear modulus, visco Poisson's ratio, visco Lame constants, etc. and density even if there exist another mechanical sources and uncontrollable mechanical sources in the object. The elastic constant and visco elastic constant measurement apparatus is equipped with means of data storing 2 (storage of deformation data measured in the ROI 7 etc.) and means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants 1 (calculator of shear modulus etc. at arbitrary point in the ROI from measured strain tensor data etc.), the means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants numerically determines elastic constants etc. from the first order partial differential equations relating elastic constants etc. and strain tensor etc.

1 . The stated displacement measurement methods for measuring local displacement vector or local displacement vector components from the phases of the ultrasound echo signals acquired from the target as the responses to more than one time transmitted ultrasound.  
     
     
         2 . The displacement measurement methods of  claim 1  that further include means of thinning out acquired ultrasound echo signals in each direction.  
     
     
         3 . The displacement measurement methods of  claim 1  that further include means of sine-modulation of transmitted beams' amplitudes in scan direction.  
     
     
         4 . The displacement measurement methods of  claim 1  that further include both means of beam steering and sine-modulation of transmitted beams' amplitudes in scan direction.  
     
     
         5 . The displacement measurement methods of  claim 1  that further include means of utilizing at least one of ultrasound echo basic wave components and ultrasound echo harmonic wave components as ultrasound echo signals.  
     
     
         6 . The displacement measurement apparatus equipped with the following means: 
 displacement (strain) sensor (transducer to transmit ultrasounds to the target, and detect echo signals generated in the target),    relative position controller and relative direction controller between the sensor and the target,    means of transmitting/receiving (transmitter of driving signals to the sensor, and receiver of the echo signals detected at the sensor),    means of data processing (controller of the driving signals of the means of transmitting, and processor of the received echo signals of means of receiving), and    means of data storing (storage of echo signals, measured deformation data);    wherein the means of data processing also measures the local displacement vector or the local displacement vector components utilizing the stated displacement measurement methods from the phases of the ultrasound echo signals acquired from the target as the responses to more than one time transmitted ultrasound.    
     
     
         7 . The strain tensor measurement apparatus equipped with the displacement measurement apparatus of  claim 6 , and the means of data processing can also yield strain tensor components by spatial differential filtering with suitable cut off frequency in spatial domain or frequency domain the measured 3D, or 2D displacement vector components, or measured 1D direction displacement component in the 3D, 2D, or 1D ROI, and the means of data processing can also yield strain rate tensor components, acceleration vector components, or velocity vector components by time differential filtering with suitable cut off frequency in time domain or frequency domain the measured time series of displacement components, or strain components.  
     
     
         8 . The stated strain tensor measurement methods for directly measuring the local strain tensor or the local strain tensor components from the phases of the ultrasound echo signals acquired from the target as the responses to more than one time transmitted ultrasound.  
     
     
         9 . The strain tensor measurement methods of  claim 8  that further include means of sine-modulation of transmitted beams' amplitudes in scan direction.  
     
     
         10 . The strain tensor measurement methods of  claim 8  that further include both means of beam steering and sine-modulation of transmitted beams' amplitudes in scan direction.  
     
     
         11 . The strain tensor measurement methods of  claim 8  that further include means of utilizing at least one of ultrasound echo basic wave components and ultrasound echo harmonic wave components as ultrasound echo signals.  
     
     
         12 . The strain tensor measurement apparatus equipped with the following means: 
 displacement (strain) sensor (transducer to transmit ultrasounds to the target, and detect echo signals generated in the target),    relative position controller and relative direction controller between the sensor and the target,    means of transmitting/receiving (transmitter of driving signals to the sensor, and receiver of the echo signals detected at the sensor),    means of data processing (controller of the driving signals of the means of transmitting, and processor of the received echo signals of means of receiving), and    means of data storing (storage of echo signals, measured deformation data;    wherein the means of data processing also directly measures the local strain tensor or the local strain tensor components utilizing the stated direct strain measurement methods from the phases of the ultrasound echo signals acquired from the target as the responses to more than one time transmitted ultrasound.    
     
     
         13 . The strain tensor measurement apparatus equipped with the strain measurement apparatus of  claim 12 , and the means of data processing can also yield strain rate tensor components by time differential filtering with suitable cut off frequency in time domain or frequency domain the measured time series of 3D, or 2D strain tensor components, or measured 1D direction strain component in the 3D, 2D, or 1D ROI.  
     
     
         14 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus equipped with the following means: 
 means of data storing (storage of at least one of strain tensor data, strain rate tensor data, acceleration vector data, elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density measured in the ROI set in the target), and    means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants (calculator of at least one of elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density of arbitrary point in the ROI from at least one of the measured strain tensor data, strain rate tensor data, or acceleration vector data);    wherein the means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants numerically determines at least one of the elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density from the first order partial differential equations relating at least one of the elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density to at least one of the strain tensor data, strain rate tensor data, acceleration vector data.    
     
     
         15 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus equipped with the following means: 
 means of data storing (storage of at least one of strain tensor data, strain rate tensor data, acceleration vector data, elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density measured in the ROI including lesions),    means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants (calculator of at least one of elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density of arbitrary point in the ROI from at least one of the measured strain tensor data, strain rate tensor data, or acceleration vector data), and    means of output of degeneration information on parts including the lesions (output means of degeneration information based on calculated at least one of the elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density);    wherein the means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants numerically determines at least one of the elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or the density from the first order partial differential equations relating at least one of the elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density to at least one of the strain tensor data, strain rate tensor data, acceleration vector data.    
     
     
         16 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 15 , in which means of output outputs degeneration information by comparing calculated elastic constants, visco elastic constants, density with set in advance those values.  
     
     
         17 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 14 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes at least one of predicted in advance or set in advance the elastic constants, visco elastic constants, density as the coefficients of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         18 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 15 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes at least one of predicted in advance or set in advance the elastic constants, visco elastic constants, density as the coefficients of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         19 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 16 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes at least one of predicted in advance or set in advance the elastic constants, visco elastic constants, density as the coefficients of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         20 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 14 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes at least one of measured in advance or set in advance the reference elastic constants, reference visco elastic constants, reference density as the initial conditions of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         21 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 15 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes at least one of measured in advance or set in advance the reference elastic constants, reference visco elastic constants, reference density as the initial conditions of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         22 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 16 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes at least one of measured in advance or set in advance the reference elastic constants, reference visco elastic constants, reference density as the initial conditions of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         23 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 17 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes at least one of measured in advance or set in advance the reference elastic constants, reference visco elastic constants, reference density as the initial conditions of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         24 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 18 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes at least one of measured in advance or set in advance the reference elastic constants, reference visco elastic constants, reference density as the initial conditions of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         25 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 19 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes at least one of measured in advance or set in advance the reference elastic constants, reference visco elastic constants, reference density as the initial conditions of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         26 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 14 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         27 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 15 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         28 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 16 , in which means of calculating elastic-and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         29 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 17 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         30 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 18 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         31 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 19 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         32 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 20 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         33 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 21 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         34 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 22 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         35 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 23 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         36 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 24 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         37 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus of  claim 25 , in which means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants utilizes regularized algebraic equations together with finite difference method or finite element method as numerical solution of the prescribed first order partial differential equations.  
     
     
         38 . The elasticity and visco-elasticity constants measurement apparatus-based treatment apparatus equipped with the following means: 
 treatment transducer arrayed with more than one oscillator,    means (circuit) of treatment transmitting (transmitter of driving signals to each oscillator of the treatment transducer array),    diagnosis transducer arrayed with more than one oscillator,    means (circuit) of diagnosis transmitting (transmitter of driving signals to each oscillator of the diagnosis transducer array),    means (circuit) of receiving (receiver of the echo signals detected at the oscillators of the transducers and matcher of the echo signals based on their phases),    means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants (calculator of at least one of elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density from the matched echo signals),    means of output of degeneration information on parts including the lesions (output means of degeneration information based on calculated at least one of the elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density),    controller of the means (circuit) of treatment transmitting, means (circuit) of diagnosis transmitting, means (circuit) of receiving, and means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants, and    the input means of commands and conditions into the controller, wherein;    the controller is not only equipped with functions for controlling the means (circuit) of diagnosis transmitting and means (circuit) of receiving based on the commands and the conditions, but also with functions for deforming the ROI in the target based on the commands and the conditions, and for controlling the means (circuit) of treatment transmitting to control the treatment ultrasound beam transmitted from the treatment transducer based on the commands and the conditions, and    the means of calculating elastic and visco elastic constants obtains the matched echo signals in the ROI based on the commands given from the controller, and calculates at least one of strain tensor data, strain rate tensor data, or acceleration vector data in the ROI, and subsequently calculates from one of these deformation data at least one of elastic constants, visco elastic constants, or density in the ROI.