Patent ID: 8602994

Claim:
A ultrasound system for measuring a mechanical property of a subject, the ultrasound system comprising: at least one ultrasound transducer configured to apply ultrasonic energy to a subject and to detect echo signals received therefrom; a signal generator configured to generate an excitation signal composed of combinations of orthogonal basis functions, each orthogonal basis function having a corresponding frequency component; an ultrasound controller coupled to the at least one ultrasound transducer and the signal generator, and configured to: direct the at least one ultrasound transducer, using the generated excitation signal, to apply ultrasonic vibration pulses to a vibration origin in the subject in order to impart a vibratory motion thereto, the imparted vibratory motion including each of the corresponding frequency components; direct the at least one ultrasound transducer to apply ultrasonic detection pulses to at least one motion detection point, and to detect echo signals therefrom; a processor coupled to the at least one ultrasound transducer and configured to: receive the detected echo signals from the at least one ultrasound transducer; determine, from the received echo signals, a signal indicative of vibratory motion imparted to the subject; estimate at least one of a phase value and an amplitude value of the determined signal indicative of vibratory motion; and calculate, using the estimated at least one of a phase value and an amplitude value, a mechanical property of the subject.