Generation of ultrasound radiation force with the use of time reversal acoustics principles

Abstract

There are numerous medical applications of ultrasound radiation force (RF) which could be made more effective using the time reversal acoustics (TRA) principles. This paper gives an overview of research into physical and technical bases of RF generation in heterogeneous biological media using TRA focusing systems. A custom-designed compact multichannel TRA system for receiving, digitizing, storing, time reversing, and transmitting acoustic signals in a wide frequency range from 0.01 to 10 MHz has been developed and extensively tested in model systems and ex vivo tissues and bones. Shear strain and shear waves remotely induced in soft tissues and bones by radiation force were detected using various acoustical and optical means. Experimental studies fully confirmed the feasibility of TRA generation of RF and demonstrated several advantages over conventional means of remotely inducing shear stress in biological media. These advantages include a possibility to create highly localized (close to diffraction limit) shear stress in heterogeneous media stir focused ultrasound beam in 3-D volume using very simple hardware. [Work supported by NIH grant.]