MEASURING ANISOTROPIC MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF TISSUE

摘要

A device and method for measuring the anisotropic mechanical properties of tissue is provided. The device comprises a flexural resonator driven by a transducer to oscillate at a plurality of angles of oscillation while in contact with a tissue to be analyzed. The resonance frequencies and resonance peak widths for the flexural resonator are measured at each of the plurality of angles of oscillation. Based on these values and the free state resonance frequency of the oscillating flexural resonator, anisotropic mechanical properties of the tissue are derived. A pressure normalizing element is utilized to ensure secure and standardized contact between the flexural resonator and the tissue during the measurements. The method of the present invention provides for determining these anisotropic mechanical properties by measuring the free state resonance frequency of the flexural resonator, measuring the resonance frequencies and resonance peak widths for the resonator at a pluality of angles of oscillation while in contact with a tissue, calculating the mechanical properties corresponding to each of the angles of oscillation, and displaying these values in a useful manner. The method may be implemented as software by a microprocessor.