Chapter 9 - Optical elastography on the microscale

Abstract

This chapter describes the main technology and methods of optical elastography—a suite of techniques that use optical methods to form images on the microscale of the mechanical properties of tissues. Optical elastography has recently shown compelling potential for the microscale characterization of soft tissues and cellular mechanics. Current developments are described in the context of their application, placed in perspective by touching briefly upon the history and likely future directions of the field. This chapter is mainly focused on two optical elastography techniques that have become prominent over the past 5 years: optical coherence elastography and Brillouin microscopy; however, other techniques, such as laser speckle imaging, photoacoustic elastography, and ultrasound-modulated optical tomography are briefly discussed in the context of tissue elasticity imaging.