The Virtual Touch applications are the first commercially available implementation of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) technology. Virtual Touch Applications include Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging and Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification.

Virtual Touch™ tissue imaging*, available exclusively on the ACUSON S2000™ ultrasound system, implements Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) technology for evaluation of deep tissues not accessible by superficial compression elastography. Virtual Touch Imaging provides a qualitative gray scale map (elastogram) of relative stiffness for a user defined region of interest. Using this method, stiff tissue may be differentiated from soft tissue even if appearing isoechoic using conventional ultrasound imaging.

Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging Technology

A Virtual Touch image is acquired through a series of acoustic push pulse/detection pulse sequences. The process may be summed up into three basic steps:

1. Baseline image is acquired.
2. Acoustic push pulse is transmitted to compress tissue.
3. Detection pulses are used to track the amount of compression.

This process is repeated throughout the region of interest. The resultant image is displayed side-by-side to the corresponding B-mode image for comparison.

Benefits of Virtual Touch Imaging Technology