Implementation of vibro-acoustography on a clinical ultrasound system

Vibro-acoustography (VA) is an ultrasound-based imaging modality that uses two ultrasound beams of slightly different frequencies to produce images based on the acoustic response due to harmonic ultrasound radiation force excitation at the difference frequency between the two ultrasound frequencies. VA has demonstrated feasibility and usefulness in imaging of breast and prostate tissue. However, previous studies have been performed either in controlled water tank settings or using a prototype breast scanner equipped with a water tank. In order to make VA more accessible and relevant to clinical use, we report here on the implementation of VA on a General Electric Vivid 7 ultrasound scanner. In this paper, we will describe software and hardware modifications that were performed to make VA functional on this system. We will discuss aperture definition for the two ultrasound beams and beamforming using a linear array transducer. Experimental results from beam measurements and phantom imaging studies will be shown. The implementation of VA provides a step towards clinical translation of this imaging modality for applications in various organs including breast and prostate.