METHOD FOR USING A TRANSRECTAL PROBE TO MECHANICALLY IMAGE THE PROSTATE GLAND

New methods and devices for measuring geometrical and mechanical parameters of body tissues and providing mechanical imaging (MI) of the tissues based on these parameters are described in applicant's parent U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/607,645 and 07/994,109. In essence, a pressure sensing array is used to measure the surface stress pattern on soft tissues, and the pattern of mechanical stress and the changes in the pattern as a function of the applied pressure, the position of the array and time are processed to construct an image of the internal structure of the tissues. The detected parameters and processed image provide sensitive information useful in the detection and diagnosis of soft tissue pathologies such and breast and prostate tumors. In accordance with the present invention, pressure and position data are acquired by pressing a transrectal probe on soft tissue overlying the prostate. The pattern of pressure responses is determined and conveniently is represented as a superposition of Chebyshev polynomial functions. A three-dimensional mechanical model of the prostate is reconstructed using finite element analysis, and a three-dimensional image is formed by deforming the image of an ideal prostate to conform to the calculated model. Regions of irregularity can be indicated on the image.