METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR EVALUATING MECHANICAL ANISOTROPY FOR BREAST CANCER SCREENING AND MONITORING RESPONSE TO THERAPY

摘要

A method for evaluating mechanical anisotropy of a material sample to determine a characteristic of the sample includes interrogating a material sample a plurality of times. Each interrogation includes: applying a force having a direction, having a coronal plane normal to the direction of the force, and having an oval or other profile with long and short axes within the coronal plane, the long axis being oriented at a specified angle from a reference direction within the coronal plane; and measuring displacement of the material sample resulting from application of the force. The interrogations are taken at different angles of orientation within the coronal plane and different portions of the material sample are interrogated. For each measurement one or more parameters are calculated for the respective angle of orientation. A degree of anisotropy of the one or more parameters is determined and used to evaluate a characteristic of the material sample.