A Simulation Study on the Investigation of Thermal Effects associated With Acoustic Radiation Force Shear Wave Interference Patterns Generation in the Liver Tissue

The mechanical map of liver tissue like stiffness is important as much as its anatomical image for clinical purposes as staging the liver fibrosis. Acoustic radiation force (ARF) based elastography is an imaging modality which can generate shear waves in the liver. As the ultrasound waves pass through different layered tissues, their mechanical energy turned into heat energy because of attenuation and absorption mechanisms. The ultrasonic exposure time and focal intensity are two crucial factors in the generated heat. In this simulation study we show the safety of using ARF for shear wave generation in the liver tissue.