ELASTICITY IMAGING FOR EARLY RENAL PATHOLOGY DETECTION

软组织弹性的变化通常与病理性 流程. 正因为如此，触诊仍然被广泛用于 诊断. 然而，其功效仅限于位于 相对靠近皮肤表面。 量化目标 弹性成像是发展替代，远程触诊，因此， 扩大其范围以包括深部病变。 弹性 可以评估任何连续介质（例如组织）的性质 通过精确测量机械变形， 由施加在表面的力引起的介质。 利用现代医学 成像设备，以精确测量内部运动，应该是 可以估计，甚至图像的内部弹性性能 机关 在与其他成像方式的竞争中，超声有两个 弹性成像的主要优点;它本质上是实时的， 限制常规图像质量的斑点伪影提供了 用于精确跟踪组织运动的出色标记。 弹性可以 因此，通过用超声散斑测量运动来成像 跟踪算法，其次是重建的弹性 分布 虽然一些其它成像系统，特别是真实的- 时间超声，必须用于监测组织运动，弹性 成像代表了一种全新的诊断模式。 到 研究用于医学诊断的定量弹性成像， 研究计划解决肾脏的重要临床问题 炎症和瘢痕形成已经形成。 初步数据支持 肾弹性随肾损伤而改变的假说， 在肾脏问题之前伴随的疤痕是通过传统的 诊断技术，如肾功能的实验室测量。 因此，定量弹性成像可能在检测 并量化疤痕的条件，如肾移植排斥反应， 在排斥难以从功能测量中量化的情况下， 一个人 根据这些研究的结果， 开发一种灵敏的诊断技术 基于允许替代触诊的定量弹性成像 有很深的损伤

Changes in soft tissue elasticity are usually related to pathological processes. Because of this, palpation is still widely used for diagnosis. Its efficacy, however, is limited to abnormalities located relatively close to the skin surface. The goal of quantitative elasticity imaging is to develop surrogate, remote palpation, thus expanding its range to include deep lying lesions. The elastic properties of any continuous medium such as tissue can be assessed through precise measurement of mechanical deformations throughout that medium induced by forces applied at the surface. Using modern medical imaging devices to precisely measure internal motion, it should be possible to estimate and even image elastic properties of internal organs. In competition with other imaging modalities, ultrasound has two major advantages for elasticity imaging; it is inherently real-time and speckle artifacts limiting the quality of conventional images provide excellent markers for accurate tracking of tissue motion. Elasticity can be imaged, therefore, by measuring motion with an ultrasound speckle tracking algorithm, followed by reconstruction of the elasticity distribution. Although some other imaging systems, particularly real- time ultrasound, must be used to monitor tissue motion, elasticity imaging represents a fundamentally new diagnostic modality. To investigate quantitative elasticity imaging for medical diagnosis, a research plan addressing the important clinical problem of renal inflammation and scarring has been formulated. Preliminary data support the hypothesis that kidney elasticity changes with renal damage and concomitant scarring before renal problems are detectable by traditional diagnostic techniques such as laboratory measurements of renal function. Therefore, quantitative elasticity imaging may be valuable in detecting and quantifying scar for conditions such as kidney transplant rejection where rejection is difficult to quantify from functional measurements alone. Based on the results of these studies, it is the long range goal of this research program to develop a sensitive diagnostic technique based on quantitative elasticity imaging permitting surrogate palpation of deep lying lesions.