Professor Stephen McAleavey of the Department of Biomedical Engineering has been awarded a new U.S. Patent. The patent, number 8,225,666, is titledUltrasound Imaging of Tissue Stiffness by Spatially Modulated Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse. The patent details a new ultrasound elastography technique, termed SMURF imaging, that uses acoustic radiation force to quantify tissue stiffness. Tissue stiffness is a known indicator of disease. Thus, this new technology will be useful clinically to noninvasively diagnosis fibrosis, cancerous tumors, vascular diseases, and monitor the progress of ablation therapies. Professor McAleavey is an active member of the Rochester Center for Biomedical Ultrasound (RCBU).