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This paper demonstrates the feasibility of in vivo quantitative mapping of liver viscoelasticity using the concept of supersonic shear wave imaging. This technique is based on the combination of a radiation force induced in tissues by focused ultrasonic beams and a very high frame rate ultrasound imaging sequence capable of catching in real time the transient propagation of resulting shear waves. The local shear wave velocity is recovered using a dedicated time-of-flight estimation technique and enables the 2-D quantitative mapping of shear elasticity. This imaging modality is performed using a conventional ultrasound probe during a standard intercostal ultrasonographic examination. Three supersonic shear imaging (SSI) sequences are applied successively in the left, middle and right parts of the 2-D ultrasonographic image. Resulting shear elasticity images in the three regions are concatenated to provide the …