{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,9]],"date-time":"2026-01-09T14:10:33Z","timestamp":1767967833412,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,11]],"date-time":"2017-09-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1505088000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>A novel torsional wave sensor designed to characterize mechanical properties of soft tissues is presented in this work. Elastography is a widely used technique since the 1990s to map tissue stiffness. Moreover, quantitative elastography uses the velocity of shear waves to achieve the shear stiffness. This technique exhibits significant limitations caused by the difficulty of the separation between longitudinal and shear waves and the pressure applied while measuring. To overcome these drawbacks, the proposed torsional wave sensor can isolate a pure shear wave, avoiding the possibility of multiple wave interference. It comprises a rotational actuator disk and a piezoceramic receiver ring circumferentially aligned. Both allow the transmission of shear waves that interact with the tissue before being received. Experimental tests are performed using tissue mimicking phantoms and cervical tissues. One contribution is a sensor sensitivity study that has been conducted to evaluate the robustness of the new proposed torsional wave elastography (TWE) technique. The variables object of the study are both the applied pressure and the angle of incidence sensor\u2013phantom. The other contribution consists of a cervical tissue characterization. To this end, three rheological models have fit the experimental data and a static independent testing method has been performed. The proposed methodology permits the reconstruction of the mechanical constants from the propagated shear wave, providing a proof of principle and warranting further studies to confirm the validity of the results.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s17092078","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,11]],"date-time":"2017-09-11T10:28:46Z","timestamp":1505125726000},"page":"2078","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":27,"title":["Performance Study of a Torsional Wave Sensor and Cervical Tissue Characterization"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Antonio","family":"Callejas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Structural Mechanics, University of Granada, 18071 Granada , Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2981-0539","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio","family":"Gomez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 7JE London, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5542-1588","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juan","family":"Melchor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Structural Mechanics, University of Granada, 18071 Granada , Spain"},{"name":"Biosanitary Research Institute, 18012 Granada, Spain"}]},{"given":"Miguel","family":"Riveiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Structural Mechanics, University of Granada, 18071 Granada , Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3519-9254","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paloma","family":"Mass\u00f3","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Structural Mechanics, University of Granada, 18071 Granada , Spain"},{"name":"Biosanitary Research Institute, 18012 Granada, Spain"}]},{"given":"Jorge","family":"Torres","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Structural Mechanics, University of Granada, 18071 Granada , Spain"}]},{"given":"Modesto","family":"L\u00f3pez-L\u00f3pez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Applied Physics, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain"}]},{"given":"Guillermo","family":"Rus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Structural Mechanics, University of Granada, 18071 Granada , Spain"},{"name":"Biosanitary Research Institute, 18012 Granada, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Berghella, V. (2007). Post-term pregnancy. Obstetric Evidence Based Guidelines, Informa.","DOI":"10.3109\/9780203931639"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"396","DOI":"10.1109\/TUFFC.2004.1295425","article-title":"Supersonic shear imaging: A new technique for soft tissue elasticity mapping","volume":"51","author":"Bercoff","year":"2004","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s10396-015-0619-3","article-title":"Quantitative cervical elastography during pregnancy: Influence of setting features on strain calculation","volume":"42","author":"Fruscalzo","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Med. Ultrason."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.1002\/uog.12383","article-title":"Quantitative imaging of the cervix: Setting the bar","volume":"41","author":"Feltovich","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ultrasound Obstet. Gynecol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1541","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbiomech.2015.02.038","article-title":"Challenging the in-vivo assessment of biomechanical properties of the uterine cervix: A critical analysis of ultrasound based quasi-static procedures","volume":"48","author":"Maurer","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Biomech."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"612","DOI":"10.1002\/uog.12320","article-title":"Quantitative cervical elastography in pregnancy","volume":"40","author":"Fruscalzo","year":"2012","journal-title":"Ultrasound Obstet. Gynecol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0033-1335205","article-title":"EFSUMB Guidelines and Recommendations on the Clinical Use of Ultrasound Elastography. Part 1: Basic Principles and Technology","volume":"34","author":"Bamber","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ultraschall Med."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ultrasmedbio.2007.07.003","article-title":"Characterization of cysts using differential correlation coefficient values from two dimensional breast elastography: Preliminary study","volume":"34","author":"Booi","year":"2008","journal-title":"Ultrasound Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ultrasmedbio.2008.08.018","article-title":"Quantitative viscoelasticity mapping of human liver using supersonic shear imaging: Preliminary in vivo feasibility study","volume":"35","author":"Muller","year":"2009","journal-title":"Ultrasound Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"Peralta, L.M. (2015). Feasibility of Using Ultrasonic Shear Waves to Assess Cervical Remodelling during the Gestation Period. [Ph.D. Thesis, Civil Engineering, Universidad de Granada]."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1177\/016173460602800401","article-title":"Frame rate considerations for real-time abdominal acoustic radiation force transient imaging","volume":"28","author":"Fahey","year":"2006","journal-title":"Ultrason. Imaging"},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"551","article-title":"On the thermal effects associated with radiation force imaging of soft tissue","volume":"51","author":"Palmeri","year":"2007","journal-title":"Ultraschall Med."},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"Walden, A., and Howarth, T. (1994). Torsional Shear Wave Transducer. (5,321,333 A), U.S. Patent."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8161","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/60\/20\/8161","article-title":"Generation of remote adaptive torsional shear waves with an octagonal phased array to enhance displacements and reduce variability of shear wave speeds: Comparison with quasi-plane shear wavefronts","volume":"60","author":"Ouared","year":"2015","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1950","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ultras.2014.05.001","article-title":"Torsional ultrasonic transducer computational design optimization","volume":"54","author":"Melchor","year":"2014","journal-title":"Ultrasonics"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"395","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0035-1553325","article-title":"Transient elastography to assess the cervical ripening during pregnancy: A preliminary study","volume":"38","author":"Peralta","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ultraschall Med. Eur. J. Ultrasound"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3734","DOI":"10.1121\/1.1815075","article-title":"Measurement of viscoelastic properties of homogeneous soft solid using transient elastography: An inverse problem approach","volume":"116","author":"Catheline","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Acoust. Soc. Am."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1109\/TUFFC.2009.1005","article-title":"Shear wave dispersion ultrasound vibrometry (SDUV) for measuring tissue elasticity and viscosity","volume":"56","author":"Chen","year":"2009","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3579","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/54\/11\/020","article-title":"Quantitative viscoelastic parameters measured by harmonic motion imaging","volume":"54","author":"Vappou","year":"2009","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Orescanin, M., Qayyum, M., Toohey, K., and Insana, M. (2009, January 20\u201323). Complex shear modulus of thermally-damaged liver. Proceedings of the 2009 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), Rome, Italy.","DOI":"10.1109\/ULTSYM.2009.5441919"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1617","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ultrasmedbio.2007.04.012","article-title":"Congruence of imaging estimators and mechanical measurements of viscoelatic properties of soft tissues","volume":"33","author":"Zhang","year":"2007","journal-title":"Ultrasound Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"652","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2009.02.040","article-title":"The impact of aging and gender on brain viscoelasticity","volume":"46","author":"Sack","year":"2009","journal-title":"NeuroImage"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3557","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/55\/12\/019","article-title":"Estimation of the viscoelastic properties of vessel walls using a computational model Doppler ultrasound","volume":"55","author":"Balocco","year":"2010","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1358","DOI":"10.1109\/TUFFC.2010.1555","article-title":"Shear modulus estimation with vibrating needle stimulation","volume":"57","author":"Orescanin","year":"2010","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gennisson, J., Muller, M., Ami, O., Kohl, V., Gabor, P., Musset, D., and Tanter, M. (2011, January 18\u201321). Shear wave elastography in obstetrics: Quantification of cervix elasticity and uterine contraction. Proceedings of the 2011 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), Orlando, FL, USA.","DOI":"10.1109\/ULTSYM.2011.0519"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Peralta, L., Mourier, E., Richard, C., Charpigny, G., Larcher, T., Ait-Belkacem, D., Balla, N., Brasselet, S., Tanter, M., and Muller, M. (2015). In Vivo Evaluation of Cervical Stiffness Evolution during Induced Ripening Using Shear Wave Elastography, Histology and 2 Photon Excitation Microscopy: Insight from an Animal Model. PLoS ONE, 10.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0133377"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3683","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/51\/15\/006","article-title":"Frequency-dependent complex modulus of the uterus: Preliminary results","volume":"51","author":"Kiss","year":"2006","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3025","DOI":"10.1007\/s00330-014-3305-8","article-title":"In vivo high-resolution magnetic resonance elastography of the uterine corpus and cervix","volume":"24","author":"Jiang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Eur. Soc. Radiol."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rus, G., Munoz, R., Melchor, J., Molina, R., Callejas, A., Riveiro, M., Mass\u00f3, P., Torres, J., Moreu, G., and Molina, F. (2016, January 18\u201321). Torsion ultrasonic sensor for tissue mechanical characterization. Proceedings of the IEEE International 2016 Ultrasonic Symposium (IUS), Tours, France.","DOI":"10.1109\/ULTSYM.2016.7728405"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Melchor, J., Mu\u00f1oz, R., and Rus, C. (2017). Torsional ultrasound sensor optimization for soft tissue characterization. Sensors, 17.","DOI":"10.3390\/s17061402"},{"key":"ref_31","unstructured":"Taylor, R. (1987). FEAP-Ein Finite Element Analysis Program, Ing.-Gemeinschaft Klee & Wrigges."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"453","DOI":"10.1016\/S0022-460X(02)01234-8","article-title":"Vibration characteristics of piezoelectric torsional transducers","volume":"264","author":"Kim","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Sound Vibr."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7281","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/52\/24\/006","article-title":"Noninvasive assessment of the rheological behaviour of human organs using multifrequency MR elastography: A study of brain and liver viscoelasticity","volume":"52","author":"Klatt","year":"2007","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2781","DOI":"10.1121\/1.1739480","article-title":"Quantifying elasticity and viscosity from measurement of shear wave speed dispersion","volume":"115","author":"Chen","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Acoust. Soc. Am."},{"key":"ref_35","unstructured":"Macosko, C., and Ronald, L. (1994). Rheology: Principles, Measurements and Applications, Wiley-VCH."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"547","DOI":"10.2514\/3.12471","article-title":"Kelvin-voigt vs fractional derivative model as constitutive relations for viscoelastic materials","volume":"33","author":"Eldred","year":"1995","journal-title":"AIAA J."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1133","DOI":"10.1121\/1.3613939","article-title":"Generalized response of a sphere embedded in a viscoelastic medium excited by an ultrasonic radiation force","volume":"130","author":"Urban","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Acoust. Soc. Am."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Amador, C., Kinnick, R., Urban, M., Fatemi, M., and Greenleaf, J. (2015, January 21\u201324). Viscoelastic tissue mimicking phantom validation study with shear wave elasticity imaging and viscoelastic spectroscopy. Proceedings of the 2015 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, Taipei, Taiwan.","DOI":"10.1109\/ULTSYM.2015.0287"},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"Carcione, J. (2001). Wave Fields in Real Media: Wave Propagation in Anisotropic, Anelastic and Porous Media, Elsevier Science."},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"Malkin, A., and Isayev, A.I. (2011). Rheology: Concepts, Methods, and Applications, ChemTec Publishing."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2008","DOI":"10.1121\/1.427947","article-title":"Viscoelastic shear properties of human vocal fold mucosa: Measurement methodology and empirical results","volume":"106","author":"Chan","year":"1999","journal-title":"J. Acoust. Soc. Am."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"055004","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-6041\/11\/5\/055004","article-title":"Ex vivo characterization of a novel tissue-like cross-linked fibrin-agarose hydrogel for tissue engineering applications","volume":"11","author":"Campos","year":"2016","journal-title":"Biomed. Mat."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"636","DOI":"10.1002\/term.466","article-title":"Rheological characterization of human fibrin and fibrin-agarose oral mucosa substitutes generated by tissue engineering","volume":"6","author":"Oliveira","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Tissue Eng. Regen. Med."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.3233\/BIR-16091","article-title":"Viscoelastic properties of normal rat liver measured by ultrasound elastography: Comparison with oscillatory rheometry","volume":"53","author":"Lin","year":"2016","journal-title":"Biorheology"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2123","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.05.014","article-title":"Correlation between classical rheometry and supersonic shear wave imaging in blood clots","volume":"39","author":"Bernal","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ultrasound Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_46","first-page":"168","article-title":"Development of oil-in-gelatin phantoms for viscoelasticity measurement in ultrasound shear wave elastography","volume":"40","author":"Man","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ultrasound Med. Biol."}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/17\/9\/2078\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T18:44:37Z","timestamp":1760208277000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/17\/9\/2078"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,11]]},"references-count":46,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,9]]}},"alternative-id":["s17092078"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s17092078","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,11]]}}}