The influence of viscosity on the shear strain remotely induced by focused ultrasound in viscoelastic media

Shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI), an emerging acoustic technology for medical diagnostics, is based on remote generation of shear waves in tissue by radiation force in the focal region of an ultrasonic beam. In this study, the feasibility of Doppler ultrasonic technique to visualize the remotely induced shear waves was demonstrated. The generation of shear displacement in the focal region of a pulsed 1-MHz ultrasound beam with pulse duration of approximately about 2 ms and intensity levels on the order of 145 W/cm2, and consequent propagation of shear wave in tissue-mimicking and muscle tissue in vitro, were measured. The analysis of temporal behavior of shear displacement within the focal plane allowed estimation of shear wave velocities. The velocities were 4 and 7 m/s in hard phantom and tissue containing phantom, respectively. The measured shear displacements on the order of micrometers in gel-based phantoms are in reasonable agreement with theoretical estimates derived from an earlier developed model of shear wave generation by radiation force of focused ultrasound. The study revealed significant dependence of shear strain on the medium viscosity. The complex oscillatory character of shear strain relaxation in viscoelastic phantom and muscle tissue in vitro was observed.