Ultrasonic surface acoustic wave elastography: A review of basic theories, technical developments, and medical applications

Abstract

Physiological and pathological changes in tissues often cause changes in tissue mechanical properties, making tissue elastography an effective modality in medical imaging. Among the existing elastography methods, ultrasound elastography is of great interest due to the inherent advantages of ultrasound imaging technology, such as low cost, portability, safety, and wide availability. However, most current ultrasound elastography methods are based on the bulk shear wave; they can image deep tissues but cannot image superficial tissues. To address this challenge, ultrasonic elastography methods based on surface acoustic waves have been proposed. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of ultrasound-based surface acoustic wave elastography techniques, including their theoretical foundations, technical implementations, and existing medical applications. The goal is to provide a concise summary of the state-of-the-art of this field, hoping to offer a reliable reference for the further development of these techniques and foster the expansion of their medical applications.

Keywords: Rayleigh wave; Scholte wave; crawling wave; shear wave; surface acoustics wave; ultrasound elastography.