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Abdominal ultrasonic scanning systems designed to noninvasively measure liver stiffness (i.e., elastography) as an assessment of the degree of scar tissue accumulation in the liver (i.e., liver fibrosis). These systems are typically an ultrasound probe (e.g., 5 MHz) on which an ultrasonic transducer is mounted with a mechanical vibrator at its tip, an electronic unit with a radiofrequency generator, data processing circuits, appropriate software, and a display. The vibrator delivers a low-frequency wave to the liver; the pulsed Doppler ultrasound echo simultaneously determines the velocity of the wave as a measure of the tissue stiffness, and the results are shown in pressure units (e.g., kilopascals). Liver stiffness ultrasonic systems (also known as elastography systems) are intended to assess liver damage (i.e., cirrhosis of the liver) in patients with chronic liver disease, as an alternative to liver biopsy.
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