Investigation of body structures
First Claim
1. An apparatus for investigation of a body structure having a configuration or physical characteristic that changes over time, the apparatus comprising:
- a radiation delivery arrangement arranged to direct pulsed radiation toward the body structure, wherein the radiation is pulsed at a pulse modulation frequency;
a detector arrangement for detecting acoustic oscillations set up in the body resultant from the incident pulsed radiation and arranged to produce an output signal representative of one or more parameters of the acoustic oscillations;
a control system arranged to control operation of the radiation delivery arrangement, the control system including a processor arranged to process the detector output signals;
wherein the pulse modulation frequency of the pulsed radiation is changed over a predetermined range of modulation frequencies and the processor determines a structure resonant frequency of the body structure from the detector output signals, andwherein the pulsed radiation is of a preselected spectral wavelength profile matching an absorption characteristic of the body structure or a medium related to the body structure, andwherein the processor further determines the structure resonant frequency as a result of analyzing a time difference between the detected acoustic oscillations and resonant frequencies predicted for the body structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pulsed radiation beam is directed toward a body structure having a configuration or physical characteristic that changes over time, the radiation being pulsed at a pulse modulation frequency. A detector detects acoustic oscillations set up in the body resultant from the incident pulsed radiation and produces an output signal representative of one or more parameters of the acoustic oscillations. A control system controls operation of the radiation delivery and a processor to process the detector output signal. The pulse modulation frequency of the pulsed radiation is changed over a predetermined range of modulation frequencies and the processor determines the structure resonant frequency from the detector output.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An apparatus for investigation of a body structure having a configuration or physical characteristic that changes over time, the apparatus comprising:
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a radiation delivery arrangement arranged to direct pulsed radiation toward the body structure, wherein the radiation is pulsed at a pulse modulation frequency; a detector arrangement for detecting acoustic oscillations set up in the body resultant from the incident pulsed radiation and arranged to produce an output signal representative of one or more parameters of the acoustic oscillations; a control system arranged to control operation of the radiation delivery arrangement, the control system including a processor arranged to process the detector output signals; wherein the pulse modulation frequency of the pulsed radiation is changed over a predetermined range of modulation frequencies and the processor determines a structure resonant frequency of the body structure from the detector output signals, and wherein the pulsed radiation is of a preselected spectral wavelength profile matching an absorption characteristic of the body structure or a medium related to the body structure, and wherein the processor further determines the structure resonant frequency as a result of analyzing a time difference between the detected acoustic oscillations and resonant frequencies predicted for the body structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of investigating a body structure having a configuration or physical characteristic that changes over time, the method comprising the acts of:
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directing pulsed radiation toward the body structure, wherein the radiation is pulsed at a pulse modulation frequency; detecting acoustic oscillations set up in the body resultant from the incident pulsed radiation and producing an output signal representative of one or more parameters of the acoustic oscillations; matching a preselected spectral wavelength profile of the pulsed radiation to an absorption characteristic of the body structure or a medium related to the body structure; adjusting the pulse modulation frequency of the pulsed radiation is over a predetermined range of modulation frequencies; and from analyzing a time difference between the detected acoustic oscillations and resonant frequencies predicted for the body structure, determining a structure resonant frequency of the body structure.
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10. A system enabling investigation of a body structure having a configuration or physical characteristic that changes over time, the system comprising means for determining resonant frequency of the body structure by analyzing data representative of:
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output signals from a detector arrangement for detecting acoustic oscillations set up in the body structure resultant from pulsed radiation directed toward the body structure, and the variation of a pulse modulation frequency of the pulsed radiation over a predetermined range of modulation frequencies, wherein the pulsed modulation frequency is of a preselected spectral wavelength profile matching an absorption characteristic of the body structure or a medium related to the body structure, and wherein the means for determining determines the resonant frequency as a result of analyzing a time difference between the detected acoustic oscillations and resonant frequencies predicted for the structure.
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Specification