Piston device for magnetic resonance elastography and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016287130-A1
Application number	US-201615086163-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Apr 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are piston actuator devices and their uses for magnetic resonance elastography (MRE).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A non-metallic magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) actuator comprising
a non-metallic body having an open end and a closed end; a non-metallic piston disposed within the body, the piston having an end that protrudes from the open end of the body and an opposite end; a restorative device that connects the closed end of the body to the opposite end of the piston and that produces a restoring force on the piston when the piston is displaced relative to the body; a first non-metallic connector on the body that provides the body with a connection to an air, hydraulic or mechanical source of pressure that vibrates the piston; and a non-metallic interface located on the end of the piston that protrudes from the body, where the interface provides a contact area with a subject.

2 . The actuator of claim 1 , further comprising a second non-metallic connector on the body that provides connection with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device.

3 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the restorative device is a spring, foam or rubber restorative device.

4 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein any one or more of the body, piston, restorative device, first connector, interface and second connector are made of plastic.

5 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the interface is made of rubber.

6 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the piston is acoustically coupled to a device that provides a vibratory signal to vibrate the piston.

7 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the piston vibrates at a frequency of 20-200 Hz.

8 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the piston vibrates with an amplitude of 10-350 microns, or 10-150 microns, or 100-150 microns.

9 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is dimensioned and configured for vibrating against bone.

10 . The actuator of claim 9 , wherein the actuator is dimensioned and configured for imaging the brain or cartilage in the arm or leg.

11 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is dimensioned and configured for vibrating against soft tissue.

12 . The actuator of claim 11 , wherein the actuator is dimensioned and configured for imaging the liver or kidney.

13 . A method of producing a shear wave in a tissue for magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), the method comprising applying the interface of the actuator of claim 1 to skin overlying the tissue to be imaged and vibrating the piston.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the actuator is placed on skin overlying soft tissue.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the actuator is placed on skin overlying bone, such as cheekbone, skull, pelvic bone or spinal veterbrae.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein one actuator is positioned on one side of a subject or tissue to be imaged and a second actuator is positioned on an opposite side of the subject or tissue, and the two actuators are operated out of phase with each other.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein one actuator is positioned on skin overlying the left cheekbone and a second actuator is positioned overlying the right cheekbone.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the shear wave produced in the tissue has an amplitude of 10-20 microns.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the actuator produces 40-60 microns of brain motion.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein vibrations are applied to the tissue for 1-15 minutes.

21 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the method is used for diagnosis and/or prognosis of disease, such as cancer, hydrocephalus, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, liver cirrhosis, or liver fibrosis.

Assignees

• Albert Einstein College Medicine Inc

Inventors

• Wagshul Mark Elliot

Classifications

• A61B5/055 Primary

  involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging · CPC title

• A61B5/4064

  Evaluating the brain (for intracranial pressure A61B5/031; for cerebral blood gases A61B5/14553; using EEG A61B5/369) · CPC title

• G01R33/56358

  Elastography · CPC title

• A61B5/4088

  Diagnosing of monitoring cognitive diseases, e.g. Alzheimer, prion diseases or dementia · CPC title

• A61B5/4244

  liver · CPC title