Viscoelasticity characterization of rheumatism based on x-ray induced acoustic computed tomography

Abstract

Elasticity and viscosity are fundamental mechanical properties of biological tissues, reflecting functional integrity and pathological states in bone disorders. Here, we introduce an approach using x-ray-induced acoustic computed tomography (XACT) to concurrently assess the elastic and viscous properties of rheumatic tissues. We explored how these properties modulate x-ray-induced acoustic (XA) signals and used simulated XACT imaging to visualize rheumatic and healthy bone tissues. Viscoelastic properties were quantified by analyzing the rise and decay times of XA displacement. The resulting XACT images showed high concordance with conventional CT scans, and extensive analysis revealed distinct differences between rheumatic and normal bone tissues. This method expands the applications of XACT and holds significant promise for clinical diagnostics in bone pathologies.