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Insights into Imaging
Fig. 2 | Insights into Imaging

Fig. 2

From: Quantitative ultrasound imaging of soft biological tissues: a primer for radiologists and medical physicists

Fig. 2

Two types of mechanical waves are used in ultrasound imaging. a Compression waves, also known as longitudinal waves, consist in alternating compressions and dilations of the insonified tissue with the moving wave direction parallel to the direction of the source. As indicated in Fig. 1, compression waves are used in all imaging modes (grayscale, Doppler, strain and shear wave elastography, and QUS). b Shear waves, also known as transverse waves, consist in alternating shearing motion of the insonified tissue with the moving wave direction perpendicular to the direction of the source. This type of wave is used in shear wave elastography to produce the source of motion, whereas compression waves are used for detection and imaging for all imaging modes, including detection of the shear wave in shear wave elastography (see Fig. 1)

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