Imaging and Evaluating the Elastic Properties of Biological Tissues

It is well known that changes in elasticity of soft tissues are often related to pathology. Physicians traditionally use sound as a diagnostic tool, for example, by tapping on the patient's body. Vibro-acoustography implements the same concept but in micro-scale, and in a way that can be applied to living tissues. This method uses a small point-like tapping force that vibrates a region within the body, while a sensitive microphone is used to listen to the "sound" of the vibrating region.