Patent ID: 6168572
Filing Date: 2001-01-02
Classification: A61B,G01N,G10K

Abstract:
A probe for examining viscoelasticity and anisotropy in more than one direction of an area of an external layer of a living or artificial tissue, comprising: an assembly including at least one group of piezoelectric spaced-apart transducers, each having a surface contact making edge, wherein one of said transducers operates as a transmitter and at least one other transducer operates as a receiver for measurements taken when said surface contact making edge of said transducers contact the surface of an area of the tissue to be examined, and wherein said assembly is movable both axially, as well as angularly; means for effecting the controlled axial movement of said assembly to a position in which said surface contact making edges of said transducers contact said area of tissue and to a position in which said surface contact making edges of said transducers do not contact said area of tissue; means for controlling the contact pressure to be exerted by the transducers on the surface of an area of tissue to be examined, and means for effecting angular movement of said assembly at a selected axial displacement at which said surface contact making edges of said transducers do not contact the surface of the tissue and thereby do not apply pressure on the tissue surface prior to taking a subsequent measurement on said tissue.