Design of a resonator device for in vivo measurement of regional tissue viscoelasticity

The mechanical properties of tissues are essential in diagnosing medical pathologies, with the tissue's viscoelastic properties being of particular interest. However, current technology is inadequate in its capability to measure accurately the viscoelastic properties of living tissues, thus limiting progress in the medical field. To overcome the limitations of the current technology, this paper develops the design of a new mechanical resonator device to measure the viscoelastic properties of tissues. The device will be minimally invasive and measure quantitatively the localized properties of tissues in a living state. To achieve the design of the resonator, extensive modeling and analysis of biological tissues are performed. The resonator system is modeled using both analytical lumped-mass models and finite element models. Simulations validate the resonator as an effective measurement technique for viscoelastic tissue properties.