Quantitative Elastography for Cervical Stiffness Assessment during Pregnancy

Figure 1

(a) Strain measurement process: the sequence of drawings (A, B, C, and D) shows one cycle of gentle compression and the subsequent relaxation of the anterior lip of the cervix through the vaginal probe, as previously described. (b) The process of TS calculation is displayed (above a compression and under a relaxation phase): a circular region of interest (ROI) is placed covering the whole thickness of the anterior cervical lip. The strain is then calculated during a compression phase (above: from a time of maximal relaxation, 1, to a time of maximal compression, 2), as well as during a relaxation phase (under: from a time of maximal compression, 2, to the time of the subsequent maximal relaxation, 1). The strain values are indicated as a function of the time during the movement (yellow line on the right).