Patent · US Expired

Acoustic imaging device

US5305752A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
2References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 1, 1992
Grant dateApr 26, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 1, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B8/13
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An acoustic imaging device is disclosed which utilizes mathematical inversion of scattered acoustic wave information to produce an image. A preferred embodiment of the device consists of a ring of acoustic transducers which encircle a medium to be imaged. The medium is sequentially insonified by each transducer with subsequent reception of the scattered waves by the remaining transducers. Explicit mathematical inversion of the scattered wave data using a remap algorithm results in a two-dimensional map of the scattering potential of the medium. Sound speed and density maps can be obtained from a map of the scattering potential. This device is utilizable for imaging of human tissue in vivo and in vitro, and for nondestructive evaluation of materials.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.