MR elastography method

A device to determine mechanical parameters of an object to be examined comprising:

• an MR apparatus;
• a mechanical oscillation generator;
• an evaluation unit;
• a generator which determines the variation in time of magnetic gradient fields;
• and
• a control unit which controls the MR apparatus, the generator, the oscillation generator and the evaluation unit.

A computer program for a control unit which acts on an MR apparatus, an oscillation generator and an evaluation unit to carry out the method of determining mechanical parameters of an object to be examined, comprising:

• generating mechanical oscillations in the object to be examined;
• exciting nuclear magnetization in conjunction with a magnetic gradient field which is synchronized with the mechanical oscillations, and receiving the MR signals arising in the object to be examined to form an MR phase image;
• changing a direction of a gradient of the gradient field and/or a phase difference between the mechanical oscillations and the gradient field,
• repeating the generating, exciting, and changing, respectively, a number of times;
• and
• determining an amount and phase of deflection in a three-dimensional zone for three mutually perpendicular directions, and calculating at least one mechanical parameter from the amount and phase of the deflection and from their spatial derivatives in at least a part of the three-dimensional zone.