US 11,857,373 B2
Multi-frequency harmonic acoustography for target identification and border detection
Warren S. Grundfest, Los Angeles, CA (US); Maie St. John, Los Angeles, CA (US); Ashkan Maccabi, Tarzana, CA (US); George Saddik, Newbury Park, CA (US); and Zachary D. Taylor, Poway, CA (US)
Assigned to THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Oakland, CA (US)
Filed by THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Oakland, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 3, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/373,777.
Application 16/373,777 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2017/053709, filed on Sep. 27, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/404,014, filed on Oct. 4, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/403,776, filed on Oct. 4, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0293789 A1, Sep. 26, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); B06B 1/06 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/485 (2013.01) [A61B 8/085 (2013.01); A61B 8/4494 (2013.01); B06B 1/0622 (2013.01); G01S 7/52038 (2013.01); G01S 15/8913 (2013.01); G01S 15/8922 (2013.01); G01S 15/8952 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); G01S 7/5203 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for performing multi-frequency harmonic acoustography for target identification and border detection within a target tissue, the method comprising:
providing a focused confocal transducer having at least one piezoelectric element;
focusing first and second ultrasonic waves at first and second frequencies from the transducer on the target tissue;
wherein the first and second waves interfere at a focal plane within the target tissue such that the target tissue absorbs energy from the first and second waves and vibrates to emit a third acoustic wave within the target tissue;
detecting the third acoustic wave with a hydrophone; and
analyzing the third acoustic wave to evaluate one or more mechanical properties of the target tissue by analyzing harmonics generated by non-linear properties of the target tissue, wherein a spectral envelope comprising relative strengths of higher harmonics is used to create imaging contrast and unique identifying information associated with the target tissue; and
wherein the one or more mechanical properties of the target tissue are selected from the group consisting of: tissue type, size, location with adjacent tissue or physiologic or disease state.