Non-identifiability of the Rayleigh damping material model in magnetic resonance elastography

Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is an emerging imaging modality for quantifying soft tissue elasticity deduced from displacement measurements within the tissue obtained by phase sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques. MRE has potential to detect a range of pathologies, diseases and cancer formations, especially tumors. The mechanical model commonly used in MRE is linear viscoelasticity (VE). An alternative Rayleigh damping (RD) model for soft tissue attenuation is used with a subspace-based nonlinear inversion (SNLI) algorithm to reconstruct viscoelastic properties, energy attenuation mechanisms and concomitant damping behavior of the tissue-simulating phantoms. This research performs a thorough evaluation of the RD model in MRE focusing on unique identification of RD parameters, μIμI and ρIρI. Results show the non-identifiability of the RD model at a single input frequency based on a structural analysis with a series of supporting experimental phantom results. The estimated real shear modulus values (μRμR) were substantially correct in characterising various material types and correlated well with the expected stiffness contrast of the physical phantoms. However, estimated RD parameters displayed consistent poor reconstruction accuracy leading to unpredictable trends in parameter behaviour. To overcome this issue, two alternative approaches were developed: (1) simultaneous multi-frequency inversion; and (2) parametric-based reconstruction. Overall, the RD model estimates the real shear shear modulus (μRμR) well, but identifying damping parameters (μIμI and ρIρI) is not possible without an alternative approach

On an inverse problem from magnetic resonance elastic imaging

The imaging problem of elastography is an inverse problem. The nature of an inverse problem is that it is ill-conditioned. We consider properties of the mathematical map which describes how the elastic properties of the tissue being reconstructed vary with the field measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This map is a nonlinear mapping, and our interest is in proving certain conditioning and regularity results for this operator which occurs implicitly in this problem of imaging in elastography. In this treatment we consider the tissue to be linearly elastic, isotropic, and spatially heterogeneous. We determine the conditioning of this problem of function reconstruction, in particular for the stiffness function. We further examine the conditioning when determining both stiffness and density. We examine the Frechet derivative of the nonlinear mapping, which enables us to describe the properties of how the field affects the individual maps to the stiffness and density functions. We illustrate how use of the implicit function theorem can considerably simplify the analysis of Frechet differentiability and regularity properties of this underlying operator. We present new results which show that the stiffness map is mildly ill-posed, whereas the density map suffers from medium ill-conditioning. Computational work has been done previously to study the sensitivity of these maps, but our work here is analytical. The validity of the Newton-Kantorovich and optimization methods for the computational solution of this inverse problem is directly linked to the Frechet differentiability of the appropriate nonlinear operator, which we justify

Viscoelasticity Imaging of Biological Tissues and Single Cells Using Shear Wave Propagation

Changes in biomechanical properties of biological soft tissues are often associated with physiological dysfunctions. Since biological soft tissues are hydrated, viscoelasticity is likely suitable to represent its solid-like behavior using elasticity and fluid-like behavior using viscosity. Shear wave elastography is a non-invasive imaging technology invented for clinical applications that has shown promise to characterize various tissue viscoelasticity. It is based on measuring and analyzing velocities and attenuations of propagated shear waves. In this review, principles and technical developments of shear wave elastography for viscoelasticity characterization from organ to cellular levels are presented, and different imaging modalities used to track shear wave propagation are described. At a macroscopic scale, techniques for inducing shear waves using an external mechanical vibration, an acoustic radiation pressure or a Lorentz force are reviewed along with imaging approaches proposed to track shear wave propagation, namely ultrasound, magnetic resonance, optical, and photoacoustic means. Then, approaches for theoretical modeling and tracking of shear waves are detailed. Following it, some examples of applications to characterize the viscoelasticity of various organs are given. At a microscopic scale, a novel cellular shear wave elastography method using an external vibration and optical microscopy is illustrated. Finally, current limitations and future directions in shear wave elastography are presented