Chapter 3 - Retrospective history and medical applications

Abstract

Mechanical imaging and tactile imaging, as the medical imaging modalities, provide elasticity maps for the tissue or organ under investigation. They differ from ultrasound and magnetic resonance elastography in a fundamental aspect by evaluating soft-tissue mechanical structure using stress data rather than dynamic or static strain data. These techniques closely mimic manual palpation because an imaging probe with a pressure sensor array attached to its tip acts as a palpating finger. Both of them are intrinsically three-dimensional (3D) imaging modalities because the surface stress patterns obtained at different levels of tissue compression are defined by the 3D mechanical structure of the tissue. This chapter presents a retrospective history and the biomechanical basis of mechanical/tactile imaging and its applications in breast cancer, the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions, the visualization and evaluation of prostate conditions, and the first experience with myofascial trigger point and vaginal tactile imaging.