Noninvasive measurement of elastic properties of living tissue

The new approach builds upon the theory, that the elasticity of a sample is dependent on the velocity of sound waves propagating in the material. In technical mechanics, this relationship is well known. A model, describing the mechanical behaviour of biological tissue is developed. It takes non-linear mechanical tissue properties into account. The quantification of a relation, appropriate for the determination of the elastic material properties by non-invasive measurements of the sound speed is discussed on the basis of the experimentally derived data and the biophysical considerations.