Devices that cooperate with ultrasound probes for muscoskeletal evaluations and related systems and methods

Abstract

Adaptors for ultrasound probes can have an adaptor body can have an open lower end that allows a distal end of the ultrasound probe to extend therethrough to contact skin of a patient. The adaptor can include a plurality of spaced apart resilient members held by the adaptor body that, in operation, are able to change in length such that the resilient members translate from a first longer length to a second shorter length when the probe applies compressive force to the target tissue.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system for providing data for evaluating soft tissue, comprising:
 a circuit that (i) obtains force measurements from an adaptor releasably attached to an ultrasound probe that defines forces applied by an ultrasound probe to obtain respective compressed tissue ultrasound images, a force measurement synchronized with a corresponding ultrasound image; (ii) calculates stress using the force measurement and a patient-contact surface area of a distal end of the ultrasound probe; (iii) segments obtained ultrasound images to identify a change in length between a baseline length of the target tissue to a length associated with the compressed target tissue; (iv) calculates strain based on the baseline length and change in length; and (v) calculates Young's Modulus using the calculated stress and strain.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit attaches the force measurements as metadata with image data of the ultrasound images for electronic storage in a PACS. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit is in communication with a display and provides a color-coded overlay of tissue stiffness of the target tissue to a display based on the calculated Modulus. 
     
     
         4 . A method of evaluating muscoskeletal tissue, comprising:
 manually pressing an ultrasound probe against skin of a patient to obtain ultrasound images of compressed target tissue, the ultrasound probe having a distal end with a patient contact surface having a surface area;   obtaining an ultrasound image of the compressed target tissue;   electronically obtaining a force measurement from an adaptor releasably attached to the ultrasound probe;   electronically calculating stress using the force measurement and the probe distal end surface area;   electronically segmenting the obtained ultrasound image to identify a change in length between a baseline length of the target tissue to a length associated with the compressed target tissue;   electronically calculating strain based on the baseline length and change in length;   electronically calculating Young's Modulus using the calculated stress and strain; and   electronically providing the calculated Modulus to a display.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising synchronizing the force measurement with the corresponding ultrasound image and attaching the force measurement as metadata with image data of the ultrasound image for electronic storage in a PACS. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising generating a color-coded overlay of tissue stiffness of the target tissue. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the target tissue is associated with a rotator cuff of the patient. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising repeating the steps at a second point in time and comparing at least one of the calculated Modulus, stress and/or strain to monitor disease progress. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the adaptor is attached to an external distal end portion of the ultrasound probe, and wherein the adaptor has an open frame body with upper and lower substantially rigid members, the adaptor frame body holding a plurality of spaced apart upwardly extending rods, with opposing end portions thereof attached to the upper and lower substantially rigid members, at least one coil spring surrounding each rod and residing between the upper and lower substantially rigid members, wherein the at least one force sensor comprises an elongate flex sensor that extends substantially parallel to and adjacent the at least one coil spring of at least one of the rods, and wherein, in response to the manually pressing step and before the obtaining step, the method further comprises translating the lower member toward the upper member thereby compressing the coil springs toward the upper member in response to inward compression of the target tissue by the ultrasound probe.