Key points:
- A new ultrasound technique uses sound waves to measure the level of tension in human tissue.
- The idea sprouted from a railroad project the university was working on.
- The developed technique is the first capable of measuring tension for any soft tissue, and could lead to ultrasounds that more easily give diagnoses.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield have developed a new ultrasound technique that could help quickly diagnose abnormal tissue, scarring and cancer.
Current techniques aren’t usually enough to diagnose whether tissues are abnormal. The new method, developed by Artur Gower, can measure the level of tension in human tissue for the first time. Tension is created in all living tissues; measuring it can indicate whether tissue functions correctly or if it is affected by disease.
“What we’ve done in our research is develop a new way of using ultrasound to measure tissue tension level, said Gower, professor at the University of Sheffield. “This level of detail can tell us whether tissues are abnormal or affected by scarring or disease. This technique is the first time ultrasound can be used to measure forces inside the tissue. It could now be used to build new ultrasound machines to diagnose abnormal tissue and disease earlier.”
The researchers harnessed the technique from a rail project at the University of Sheffield, which uses waves to measure tension along railway lines. The method relies on a simple principle: the greater the tension, the faster sound waves propagate. Using this idea, the researchers developed a method that sends two sound waves in different directions. The tension is then related to the speed of the waves by mathematical theories.
For the study, published in Science Advances, the researchers tested the method using isotropic hydrogel. Using an ultrasound transducer to excite and track the shear waves remotely, the team successfully demonstrated the method by imaging uniaxial and bending stresses in an isotropic hydrogel, as well as the passive uniaxial stress in skeletal muscle.
“The experiments indicate that our method will find broad applications, ranging from health monitoring of soft structures and machines to diagnosing diseases that alter stresses in soft tissue,” conclude the researchers.