Patent 5524636 Issued on June 11, 1996. Estimated Expiration Date: June 11, 2013. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
600/587, Measuring anatomical characteristic or force applied to or exerted by body73/787, Stress or strain history of a specimen without application of a load73/818Compressional
An apparatus and method for imaging a portion of the body tissue comprises support for a portion of the tissue, and a force applying member that tends to deform the tissue relative to a reference position, while at the same time a pressure pattern distribution is generated indicating areas of greater pressure which are a function of the amount of deformation and localized portions of the tissue being deformed.
Other References
R. M. Lerner et al., Sono-Elasticity: Medical Elasticity Images Derived From Ultrasound Signals in Mechanically Vibrated Targets, Acoustical Imaging, vol. 16, 317 (1988)
L. S. Wilson et al., Ultrasonic Measurement of Small Displacements and Deformations of Tissue, Ultrasonic Imaging 4, 71-82 (1982)
Kumasaka, Glen, Diagnostic Considerations in Transrectal Ultrasonic Imaging of the Prostate Gland, The Use of Transrectal Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Management of Prostate Cancer, pp. 57-71, 1987
Watanabe, Hiroki, Historical Perspectives on the Use of Transrectal Sonography of the Prostate, The Use of Transrectal Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Management of Prostate Cancer, pp. 5-13, 1987
Huben, Robert, The U.S.A. Experience: Diagnosis and Follow-up of Prostate Malignancy By Transrectal Ultrasound, The Use of Transrectal Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Management of Prostate Cancer, pp. 153-159, 1987
McLeary, Richard, Future Developments in Ultrasonic Imaging of the Prostate, The Use of Transrectal Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Management of Prostate Cancer, pp. 209-211, 1987
Yamakoshi, Yoshiki et al., Ultrasonic Imaging of Internal Vibration of Soft Tissue under Forced Vibration, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control. vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 45-53, Mar. 1990
Ophir, J. et al., A Transaxial Compression Technique (Tact) for Localized Pulse-Echo Estimation of Sound Speed in Biological Tissues, Ultrasonic Imaging 12, 35-46 (1990)
Ophir, J. et al., Elastography: A Quantitative Method for Imaging the Elasticity of Biological Tissues, Ultrasonic Imaging 13, 111-134 (1991)
Tanouchi, J. et al., Visualization of Local Elasticity of Artery to Evaluate Arteriosclerosis with Digital Subtraction Echography (DSE) Preliminary Study, pp. 190-191
Ishihara, K., High-Speed Digital Subtraction Echography: Principle and Preliminary Application to Arteriosclerosis, Arrhythmia and Blood Flow Visualization, 1990 Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 1473-1476
Gentle, C. R., Mammobarography: A Possible Method of Mass Breast Screening, Journal Biomed. Eng. 1988, vol. 10, Apr., p. 124
Krouskop, T. A. et al., A Pulsed Doppler Ultrasonic System for Making Noninvasive Measurements of the Mechanical Properties of Soft Tissue, Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development vol. 24, No. 2, 1987, pp. 1-8
Martin, June, Transrectal Ultrasound: A New Screening Tool for Prostate Cancer, American Journal of Nursing, Feb. 1991, p. 69
Chodak, Gerald, Transrectal Ultrasonography: Is it Ready for Routine Use?, Jama, May 13, 1988, vol. 259, No. 18, pp. 2744-2745
Diagnostic and Therpeutic Technology Assessment (DATTA), Jama, May 13, 1988, vol. 259, No. 16, pp. 2757-2758
Pipe, James et al., Method for Measuring Three-Dimensional Motion with Tagged MR Imaging, Radiology 1991; 181:591-595
Lerner, Robert et al., "Sonoelasticity" Images Derived From Ultrasound Signals in Mechanically Vibrated Tissues, Ultrasound in Med. & Biol. vol. 16, No. 3, 1990, pp. 231-239
Parker, K. J. et al., Tissue Response to Mechanical Vibrations for "Sonoelasticity Imaging", Ultrasound in Med. & Biol., vol. 16, No. 3, 1990, pp. 241-246
Yamashita et al., Tissue Characterization from Ultrasonic Imaging of Movement and Deformation, 1990 Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 1371-1375
Tristam et al., Application of Fourier Analysis to Clinical Study of Patterns of Tissue Movement, Ultrasound in Med. & Biol. vol. 14, No. 8, pp. 695-707, 1988
Tristam et al., Ultrasonic Study of In Vivo Kinetic Characteristics of Human Tissues, Ultrasound in Med. & Biol. vol. 12, No. 12, pp. 927-937, 1986
Dickinson et al., Measurement of Soft Tissue Motion Using Correlation Between A-Scans, Ultrasound in Med. & Biol. vol. 8, p. 263, 1982
Diagnositc and Therpeutic Technology Assessment (DATTA), Jama, Mar. 16, 1990, vol. 263, No. 11, pp. 1563-156
June 11, 2013. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
