Systems and methods for elastographic and viscoelastographic imaging

An elastographic and viscoelastographic imaging system comprising:

• (a) a controller;
• (b) one or more inertial driver devices, each device including:
• (i) a driver interface configured to receive a driver signal from the controller, (ii) a resonating surface that is acoustically transmissive, and (iii) an inertial driver mechanically coupled to the resonating surface to generate a resonating displacement thereof;
• (c) a support member configured to position the resonating surface(s) in acoustically transmissive contact with a surface of the target object while vibrationally isolating the one or more inertial driver devices from structures other than the target object;
• (d) an imaging device configured to acquire displacement data within the target object in response to operation of the one or more inertial driver devices;
• and
• (e) a processor configured to estimate at least one viscoelastic parameter of the target object based on the displacement data;
• wherein the imaging device is configured to acquire the displacement data for a plurality of locations that span a three-dimensional region of interest within the target object;
• and
• wherein the processor is configured to generate a three-dimensional output indicative of the at least one viscoelastic parameter for the three-dimensional region of interest.

A method of viscoelastographic imaging of a target object, comprising:

• positioning one or more inertial driver devices so that respective resonating surface(s) are in acoustically transmissive contact with a surface of the target object while vibrationally isolating the one or more inertial driver devices from structures other than the target object;
• generating, by a controller, one or more driver signals for the one or more inertial driver devices;
• operating the one or more inertial driver devices to induce shear waves in the target object;
• acquiring displacement data from an imaging device, wherein the displacement data corresponds to a plurality of locations within the target object that define a three-dimensional region of interest;
• and
• estimating at least one viscoelastic parameter of the target object based on the displacement data, including generating a three-dimensional output indicative of the at least one viscoelastic parameter for the three-dimensional region of interest.