Investigation of physical properties of an object
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- applying to an object acoustic vibration localized in two or three dimensions in a plurality of regions in the object simultaneously but with different frequencies in each region;
simultaneously illuminating the object with an illuminating electromagnetic wave that has a frequency in a range extending down from 30 THz, the vibration direction of the acoustic vibration having a component parallel to the propagation direction of the illuminating electromagnetic wave so that the acoustic vibration of the object in each of the plurality of regions generates a scattered electromagnetic wave including Doppler components shifted from the frequency of the illuminating electromagnetic wave by frequencies of the acoustic vibration and multiples thereof;
receiving the scattered electromagnetic wave generated in each of the plurality of regions,deriving from the received, scattered electromagnetic wave data representing at least one characteristic of the Doppler components in respect of each region; and
storing the derived data in respect of each region as image data representing an image.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An imaging system for an object such as human or animal tissue uses scattering of an illuminating electromagnetic wave by acoustic vibrations to generate a scattered electromagnetic wave including Doppler components shifted from the frequency of the illuminating electromagnetic wave by frequencies of the acoustic vibration and multiples thereof. An acoustic transducer apparatus applies acoustic vibrations localized in two or three dimensions in a plurality of regions. A transmitter simultaneously illuminates the object with an illuminating electromagnetic wave that has a frequency in the range from 100 MHz to 100 GHz, the vibration direction of the acoustic vibration having a component parallel to the propagation direction of the illuminating electromagnetic wave. A receiver receives the scattered electromagnetic wave. A signal processing apparatus derives characteristics of the Doppler components, and stores image data representing the derived characteristic.
31 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
applying to an object acoustic vibration localized in two or three dimensions in a plurality of regions in the object simultaneously but with different frequencies in each region; simultaneously illuminating the object with an illuminating electromagnetic wave that has a frequency in a range extending down from 30 THz, the vibration direction of the acoustic vibration having a component parallel to the propagation direction of the illuminating electromagnetic wave so that the acoustic vibration of the object in each of the plurality of regions generates a scattered electromagnetic wave including Doppler components shifted from the frequency of the illuminating electromagnetic wave by frequencies of the acoustic vibration and multiples thereof; receiving the scattered electromagnetic wave generated in each of the plurality of regions, deriving from the received, scattered electromagnetic wave data representing at least one characteristic of the Doppler components in respect of each region; and storing the derived data in respect of each region as image data representing an image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A system comprising:
-
an acoustic transducer apparatus including a drive circuit driving an array of transducers arranged to apply to an object acoustic vibration localized in two or three dimensions in a plurality of regions in the object simultaneously but with different frequencies in each region; a transmitter arrangement including a transmitter antenna and a radio frequency source arranged to illuminate the object with an illuminating electromagnetic wave having a frequency in a range extending down from 30 THz simultaneously with the application of acoustic vibration, the vibration direction of the acoustic vibration having a component parallel to the propagation direction of the illuminating electromagnetic wave so that the acoustic vibration of the object in each of the plurality of regions generates a scattered electromagnetic wave including Doppler components shifted from the frequency of the illuminating electromagnetic wave by frequencies of the acoustic vibration and multiples thereof; a receiver arrangement including a receiver antenna arranged to receive the scattered electromagnetic wave generated in each of the plurality of regions; a signal processing apparatus arranged to derive, from the received scattered electromagnetic wave generated in respect of each region, data representing at least one characteristic of the Doppler components in respect of each region and arranged to store the derived data in respect of each region as image data representing and image. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A system comprising:
-
an acoustic transducer apparatus including a drive circuit driving an array of transducers arranged to apply to an object acoustic vibration localized in two or three dimensions in a plurality of regions in the object simultaneously but with different frequencies in each region; a transmitter arrangement including a common antenna and a radio frequency source arranged to illuminate the object with an illuminating electromagnetic wave having a frequency in a range extending down from 30 THz simultaneously with the application of acoustic vibration, the vibration direction of the acoustic vibration having a component parallel to the propagation direction of the illuminating electromagnetic wave so that the acoustic vibration of the object in each of the plurality of regions generates a scattered electromagnetic wave including Doppler components shifted from the frequency of the illuminating electromagnetic wave by frequencies of the acoustic vibration and multiples thereof, the common antenna arranged to receive the scattered electromagnetic wave generated in each of the plurality of regions; a signal processing apparatus arranged to derive, from the received scattered electromagnetic wave generated in respect of each region, data representing at least one characteristic of the Doppler components in respect of each region and arranged to store the derived data in respect of each region as image data representing an image. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification