Virtual Touch Imaging

Virtual Touch™ Imaging   This web-based training provides Ultrasound sonographers and physicians with relevant information to enhance and improve their clinical knowledge of Virtual Touch™ Imaging (VTI) on the ACUSON S2000™ and ACUSON S3000™ ultrasound systems. This module explains the technology and describes what is required to successfully utilize and optimize Virtual Touch imaging.    Course Objectives Describe VTI Technology Identify scanning tecniques used in VTI Perform the workflow used in VTI Upon completion of this course, you should be able to: You should now be able to: Describe VTI technology Identify scanning tecniques used in VTI Perform the workflow used in VTI Image Mode Characteristics Historically, palpation has been widely used as a method to assess the stiffness and elasticity of tissue Changes in tissue stiffness are known to generally correlate with pathological changes Fingertips provide the pressure, sense and interpretation Detect size, location, mobility in an area of interest Palpation has limitations: Deeper depths, smaller lesion sizes Subtle differences in tissue composition Thus it can be difficult to make a diagnosis Now, we use ultrasound to interrogate tissue and provide information about tissue stiffness Strain imaging is an ultrasound imaging technique which provides information about the mechanical properties (stiffness) of tissue Stiffness is relative to the surrounding tissue Basic process is simple: Deform tissue (in a region of interest) with a mechanical force, or stress Compare before and after deformation images to show the tissue displacement Calculate the strain which is the variation in displacement Display the result as an elastogram Strain imaging can help clinicians “see” the relative stiffness of a particular area that they may not be able to feel Manual Force is created by pressure of the user/transducer, patient respiration or cardiac motion (uniform) Traditionally described as elasticity imaging Acoustic Force is created by the ultrasound beam (single pulse) Referred to as Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging Virtual Touch Imaging (VTi):  Siemens Applications and Technologies. Four Strain Imaging Technology Methods in Elasticity Visualization/ Quantification   The transducer should be held steady Patient should be asked to stop breathing and remain motionless during the acquisition. Click the Virtual Touch imaging icon Use the trackball and Next key to adjust the position and size of the ROI box (for the area of interest) - Need image that just has ROI on (before activating VTI) Press Update to start acquisition.   Image Freezes and displays VTI acquisition. Note: System counts down time until probe is cooled. Click the Virtual Touch imaging icon   Use the trackball and Next key to adjust the position and size of the ROI box (for the area of interest) - Need image that just has ROI on (before activating VTI) Double-click Update (displays full screen)   Press Update again to display VTi with color map Image Freezes and displays Color VTi acquisition. Note: System counts down time until probe is cooled.