Patent ID: 8217649

Claim:
A system for use in MR imaging using tissue mechanical resonance, comprising: an external wave generator for generating mechanical waves for transmission through patient anatomy; a spatially selective gradient generator for generating a spatially selective magnetic field for selection of a volume comprising an anatomical region of interest; an RF pulse generator generating an RF pulse for exciting nuclei magnetic moments in a particular volume comprising said anatomical region of interest selected using said spatially selective magnetic field; a motion encoding gradient generator for generating a motion encoding gradient magnetic field concurrently with the acquisition of an MR signal generated in response to the excitation, said motion encoding gradient magnetic field being synchronized with generation of said mechanical waves; and a data processor for processing the MR signal generated in response to the excitation and resulting from excited nuclei responsive to said motion encoding gradient magnetic field, to detect said mechanical waves propagating through said patient anatomy and generate data representing a frequency response to said mechanical waves in said patient anatomy.