Abstract: Objective To evaluate the reliability of diagnostic ultrasound-based temperature and elasticity imaging during
radiofrequency ablation (RFA) through ex vivo experiments. Methods Procine liver samples (n=7) were employed for RFA
experiments with exposures of different power intensities (10 and 50w). The RFA process was monitored by a diagnostic
ultrasound imager and the information were postoperatively captured for further temperture and elasticity image analysis.
Infarred themometry was concurrently applied to provide temperatuer change calibation during the RFA process. Results
Results from this study demonstrated that temperature imaging was valid under 10 W RF exposure (r=0.95), but the ablation
zone was no longer consistent with the reference infarred tempetuare distriubtion under high RF exposures. The elstaicity
change could well reflect the ablation zone under a 50 W exposure, whereas under low exposures, the thermal lesion could not
be well detected due to the limited range of temperature elevation and incomplete tissue necrosis. Conclusion Diagnostic
ultrasound-based temperaure and elastogrphy is valid for monitoring thr RFA process. Temperature estimation can well reflect
mild-power RF ablation dynamics, wehreas the elastic-change estimation can can well predict the tissue necrosis. This study
provide advances torward using diagnostic ultrasound to monitor RFAor other thermal-based interventions.