| CPC A61B 8/085 (2013.01) [A61B 8/463 (2013.01); A61B 8/485 (2013.01); G01S 7/52022 (2013.01); G01S 7/52042 (2013.01); G01S 7/52073 (2013.01)] | 22 Claims | 

| 
               1. An ultrasonic method for quantifying the nonlinear shear wave elasticity of a medium, the method comprising: 
            collecting a temporal succession of shear wave elasticity data from the medium, 
                applying a variable external pressure to successively change a deformation of the medium according to a predetermined sequence of deformations during the collection of shear waves, 
                observing the evolution of real deformation, 
                quantifying the nonlinear elasticity of the medium as a function of the temporal succession of data and the evolution of deformation; and 
                determining a malignant nature of the medium based on the quantified nonlinear elasticity of the medium. 
               |