Method for imaging the mechanical properties of tissue

A method for determining localized properties within a region under study, the method comprising:

• applying a vibration signal to the region under study, the vibration signal simultaneously vibrating a plurality of locations within the region, and having components at a plurality of frequencies;
• concurrently measuring a response to the vibration signal at each of the plurality of locations at each of a plurality of times;
• and,
• from the measured responses determining localized properties of the region wherein determining localized properties of the region comprises determining transfer functions for portions of the region located between the plurality of locations.

An imaging device comprising:

• a vibrator;
• a driver circuit connected to drive the vibrator to generate a vibration signal having components at a plurality of frequencies, the vibration signal capable of simultaneously vibrating a plurality of locations in a region of tissue;
• an imaging system disposed to measure responses comprising at least one of:
• a tissue displacement, a tissue velocity and a tissue acceleration at the plurality of locations at a plurality of times;
• and,
• a data processor connected to receive response data representing the responses, the data processor programmed to compute from the response data localized properties of the region by a process comprising estimating parameters of a parametric model of the region for which the vibration signal would yield the responses at the locations.