Tissue Identification Based on Evoked Vibration Signatures with Ultrasound Examination: A Novel Method of Ultrasound Analysis

Objective: Ultrasound is a rapid and noninvasive method to examine anatomies, as sound waves penetrate tissue layers and the reflected waves are analyzed to identify structures. Ultrasound analysis, however, requires extensive training and experience, and the process can be subjective and inexact. We discovered that tissues not only reflect the probing ultrasound waves, but also absorb some of these waves and vibrate according to the inherent tissue structural integrity and density, thus exhibiting a unique signature. We now report that this unique signature can be used as an objective method of identifying tissues during ultrasound examination. Methods: While ultrasound examination is in progress, a portable dynamic signal analyzer is placed adjacent to the examined tissue to record its vibration signatures. Signatures are stored in a database and analyzed via algorithm to define unique signatures. Results: Different tissue types are examined by ultrasound, and the recorded signatures are interpreted based on time, amplitude, dampening, and frequency analysis via either single or multiple degrees of freedom. Each tissue type exhibits unique vibration signatures based on its tissue structure and integrity. Conclusion: We devised a method to record the vibration signatures seen under ultrasound stimulation, and these characteristic signatures can be used as a novel method of identifying tissues being examined with ultrasound.