Imaging the Mechanical Properties of Soft Tissue/L'imagerie des caractéristiques mécaniques des tissus mous.

弹性成像是一种相对较新的技术，用于成像软组织内的弹性特性分布。弹性成像提供了可视化弹性对比度的能力，比乳腺癌的X射线对比度大10- 100倍，以及组织衰减等复杂特性，独特地能够诊断肝纤维化。 由于不存在用于成像内部弹性值的直接方法，弹性成像依赖于三步方法：首先，机械致动，第二，使用诸如数字、超声或磁共振成像的方法来捕获这种应变模式;最后，通过数学逆问题从测量的应变场重建弹性特性图像。

Elastography is a relatively new technology for imaging the elastic property distribution within soft tissues. Elastography offers the ability to visualize elastic contrast, 10-100X greater than x-ray contrast for breast cancer, as well complex properties such as tissue attenuation, uniquely able to diagnose liver fibrosis. As no direct method for imaging internal elasticity values exists, elastography relies on a three step approach: first, mechanical actuation (e.g. vibration) is applied to the tissue, generating a strain field that is dependent upon the internal elastic structure; second, methods such as digital, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging are used to capture this strain pattern; finally, the elastic property image is reconstructed from the measured strain field by means of a mathematical inverse problem.