Real-time three dimensional acoustoelectronic imaging and characterization of objects

US6672165B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center · US

Inventors

• John D. G. Rather · Grosse Pointe, US
• H. John Caulfield · Huntsville, US
• Richard D. Doolittle · Bethesda, US
• Glenn W. Zeiders · Marblehead, US
• Gregory W. Auner · Livonia, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 25, 2002
• Grant date: Jan 6, 2004
• Expiry date: Mar 29, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S128/916
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An acoustoelectronic method and apparatus for generating real-time three-dimensional images of an object and characterizing such object are provided. The object is insonified with an incident acoustic signal derived from an electrical signal. Acoustic signals scattered from the object are collected by an acoustic receiver, which generates analog electrical signals that are subsequently converted to digital electronic signals. The digital electronic signals are used in both direct-imaging and holographic methods to produce a three-dimensional representation of the object from which images and characterizations can be generated.