In Vivo Determination of the Complex Elastic Moduli of Cetacean Head Tissue

The primary technical objective is to remotely generate and detect mid-frequency elastic waves within the body of a living cetacean and to use the measured propagation parameters of these waves to obtain the complex elastic moduli by inversion. A further technical objective is to extract moduli in this manner for intracranial tissues. This objective carries considerably more technical risk since both the wave-generating ultrasound and the probe ultrasound will be attenuated, distorted and scattered by the passage through the skull. The final objective is to develop a prototype portable version of the technology and use it to perform examinations of stranded animals. Data collected with this system is envisioned to serve two purposes: 1) provide basic knowledge of in-vivo elastic properties, which is non-existent for marine mammals, and 2) provide a potential basis for non-invasive diagnostics of tissue pathologies, both naturally occurring or otherwise induced.