Locally regularized strain field estimation for freehand elastography

This paper focuses on strain estimation methods in ultrasound elastography. We recently developed a 2D locally regularized strain estimation algorithm, whose performance was assessed with simulations and experimental data, but in the case of a well controlled medium deformation. In this study, we investigate the robustness of our algorithm to image tissue deformation during freehand scanning. Results on an elastography dedicated phantom and biological tissue ex vivo demonstrate the ability of our algorithm to provide good-quality strain maps, even in more complex loading conditions.