Three-dimensional shear wave imaging based on full-field laser speckle contrast imaging with one-dimensional mechanical scanning

The high imaging resolution and motion sensitivity of optical-based shear wave detection has made it an attractive technique in biomechanics studies with potential for improving the capabilities of shear wave elasticity imaging. In this study we implemented laser speckle contrast imaging for two-dimensional (X-Z) tracking of transient shear wave propagation in agarose phantoms. The mechanical disturbances induced by the propagation of the shear wave caused temporal and spatial fluctuations in the local speckle pattern, which manifested as local blurring. By mechanically moving the sample in the third dimension (Y), and performing two-dimensional shear wave imaging at every scan position, the three-dimensional shear wave velocity distribution of the phantom could be reconstructed. Based on comparisons with the reference shear wave velocity measurements obtained using a commercial ultrasound shear wave imaging system, the developed system can estimate the shear wave velocity with an error of less than 6% for homogeneous phantoms with shear moduli ranging from 1.52 kPa to 7.99 kPa. The imaging sensitivity of our system makes it capable of measuring small variations in shear modulus; the estimated standard deviation of the shear modulus was found to be less than 0.07 kPa. A submillimeter spatial resolution for three-dimensional shear wave imaging has been achieved, as demonstrated by the ability to detect a 1-mm-thick stiff plate embedded inside heterogeneous agarose phantoms.