A novel magnetic resonance elastography transducer concept based on a rotational eccentric mass: preliminary experiences with the gravitational transducer.

Background: Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is used to non-invasively estimate biomechanical tissue properties via the imaging of propagating mechanical shear waves. Several factors including mechanical transducer design, MRI sequence design and viscoelastic reconstruction influence data quality and hence the reliability of the derived biomechanical properties.

Purpose: To design and characterize a novel mechanical MRE transducer concept based on a rotational eccentric mass, coined the gravitational transducer.