Patent ID: 8659975

Claim:
A method for measuring a mechanical property of a subject, the steps comprising: a) applying, with an ultrasonic transducer and during a time period having a duration ΔT , an ultrasonic vibration pulse to a vibration origin in a subject in order to impart harmonic motion at a prescribed frequency to the subject; b) applying, with the ultrasonic transducer and following the time period, a plurality of ultrasonic detection pulses to a motion detection point in the subject with a pulse repetition period (PRP) smaller than ΔT , thereby resulting in non-uniform temporal sampling of the harmonic motion; c) receiving, with the ultrasonic transducer, echo signals from the motion detection point; d) detecting, in the received echo signals, a signal indicative of the harmonic motion at the prescribed frequency; e) determining at least one of a phase and an amplitude of the detected signal; and f) calculating a mechanical property of the subject using the measured at least one of a phase and an amplitude of the detected signal.