Selective disruption of neoplastic cells via resonant harmonic excitation

A method of performing oncotripsy comprising:

• identifying an area of an organism having target tissue comprising target cells and an adjacent area of off-target tissue comprising off-target cells;
• determining, using an elastography imaging modality, mechanical properties of the target cells and the off-target cells;
• selecting an ultrasound frequency and a pulse duration that critically disrupts membranes of the target cells but not the off-target cells via harmonic excitation, wherein the mechanical properties of the target cells and the off-target cells are used to select the frequency and the pulse duration;
• subjecting at least one region of the organism containing the target cells to a low intensity focused ultrasound transduction tuned to the selected frequency and the selected pulse duration to induce target cell permeabilization or lysis;
• and
• assessing the target cell permeabilization or the lysis of the target cells in the at least one region of the organism using the elastography imaging modality by determining mechanical properties of the target cells and the off-target cells.