Rajiv Chopra1,2, Ali Punjani1, Arvin Arani1,2, Anthony Chau1, Donald Plewes1,2
1Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 2Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The purpose of this study was to evaluate intrcavitary pneumatic actuators for use in prostate MR elastography. Prototype transrectal actuators were built and characterised using a scanning laser vibrometer and MRE experiments in a gel phantom. Vibrometer characterization revealed a resonance in the frequency response of the actuators, and a different performance in air and water. The actuators produced shear wave propagation at 390 and 780 Hz that was visualized with MRE in the gel, and accurate estimates of the underlying stiffness of the material were obtained. This method has promise for prostate MR elastography.