Vorticity visualization: phantom study for a new discriminant parameter in US elastography

Abstract

Ultrasound elastography measures the elastic properties of soft tissues using ultrasound signals. The elastic problem can be analyzed with tensor signal processing. In this work, we propose a new interpretation of elastography through the deformation tensor and its decomposition into both the strain and vorticity tensors. Vorticity gives information about the rotation of the inclusions that might help in the discrimination between malign and benign tumors without using biopsy. Although clinical validation is needed, synthetic experiments present reliable results.