title: Estimates of echo correlation and measurement bias in acoustic radiation force impulse imaging.
abstract: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is a novel imaging modality in which pulses from a diagnostic ultrasound scanner are used to displace tissue and track its motion. The region displaced has lateral and elevational dimensions of similar scale to the ultrasound beams used to track the motion. Therefore, there is a range of tissue displacements present within the tracking beam, leading to decorrelation of the echo signal. Expressions are derived for the expected value of the displacement estimate and the cross-correlation at the expected displacement. Numerical simulations confirm the analytical model.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA. mcaleave@duke.edu
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McAleavey
authors.forename: Kathryn R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Nightingale
authors.forename: Gregg E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Trahey
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004548:Elasticity; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009038:Motion; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D033081:Shear Strength; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods