Ultrasound elastography (US-E) is a noninvasive, safe, cost-effective and reliable technique to assess the mechanical properties of soft tissue and provide imaging biomarkers for pathological processes. Many lung diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease are associated with dramatic changes in mechanical properties of lung tissues. Nevertheless, US-E is rarely used to image the lung because it is filled with air. The large difference in acoustic impedance between air and lung tissue results in the reflection of the ultrasound wave at the lung surface and, consequently, the loss of most ultrasound energy. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in US-E applications in evaluating lung diseases. This article provides a comprehensive review of the technological advances of US-E research on lung disease diagnosis. We introduce the basic principles and major techniques of US-E and provide information on various applications in lung disease assessment. Finally, the potential applications of US-E to the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia is discussed.

中文翻译：

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用于肺部疾病评估的超声弹性成像

超声弹性成像（US-E）是一种无创、安全、经济高效且可靠的技术，用于评估软组织的机械性能并为病理过程提供成像生物标志物。许多肺部疾病，如急性呼吸窘迫综合征、慢性阻塞性肺病和间质性肺病，都与肺组织机械特性的巨大变化有关。然而，US-E 很少用于对肺部进行成像，因为肺部充满了空气。空气和肺组织之间声阻抗的巨大差异导致超声波在肺表面反射，从而损失大部分超声能量。近年来，人们对 US-E 在评估肺部疾病方面的应用越来越感兴趣。本文对US-E肺部疾病诊断研究的技术进展进行了全面综述。我们介绍了 US-E 的基本原理和主要技术，并提供了有关肺部疾病评估中各种应用的信息。最后，讨论了 US-E 在诊断 COVID-19 肺炎中的潜在应用。