Non-imaging low frequency ultrasonic testing and diagnostic evaluation system

Abstract

Disclosed are non-imaging low frequency ultrasound apparatus and methods that extend the range of ultrasonic applications to medical testing and diagnostics. More particularly, apparatus and methods for generating, transmitting and receiving low frequency ultrasound through a test body can be used to generate non-imaging medical mapping of ultrasound signals and medical diagnostics. Typically frequencies below 1 MHz are generated by a low frequency non-imaging wide aperture transmitting transducer and received by multiple low frequency small aperture receiving transducers and processed via improved signal processing to evaluate and map the ultrasound interactions for detecting and characterizing clinical conditions in test objects.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A non-imaging low frequency ultrasonic evaluation system, the system comprising:
 a transmitting transducer for transmitting a wavefront of a test wavelength, wherein the transmitting transducer comprises an aperture that has a width that is a multiple of the test wavelength;   a receiving transducer wherein the receiving transducer comprises an aperture that has a width that is a fraction of the test wavelength;   an analog signal processor and digitizer; and   a microprocessor adapted to receive, store and display data obtained via the receiving transducer.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer are independently selected from no contact air-coupled transducers, water jet transducers, contact transducers, immersion piezoelectric transducers, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer are of different types. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the transmitting transducer aperture has a width of about 2 to about 10 times the test wavelength. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the transmitting transducer aperture has a width of about 5 times the test wavelength. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the transmitting transducer is adapted to project r.f. gated impulse low frequency ultrasonic waterfronts. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the receiving transducer comprises an aperture that has a width that is less than about 30% of the test wavelength. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the receiving transducer comprises a plurality of receiving transducers. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the receiving transducer is configured as a bi-static system. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the receiving transducer is configured as a mono-static system. 
     
     
         21 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A method of evaluating a test object via non-imaging low frequency ultrasound, the method comprising:
 projecting a low frequency ultrasonic wavefront into a test object;   receiving ultrasonic signals that have been modified front the projected wavefront by one or more of the test object and significant feature thereof that cause one or more of frequency change, ultrasonic wavefront distortion, signal attenuation, signal scattering, or other change to the projected ultrasonic wavefront;   performing data analysis on the received modified ultrasonic signals; and   mapping the signals as a graphical representation of the data.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the projected ultrasonic wavefront is planar. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the projected low frequency ultrasonic wavefront has a frequency of less than 1 MHz. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the projected low frequency ultrasonic wavefront has a frequency of about 20 kHz to about 1 MHz. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the projected low frequency ultrasonic wavefront is a single frequency about two to five wavelengths which is generated normal to a transmitting transducer generating the wavefront. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the projected ultrasonic wavefront comprises r.f gated impulses. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the r.f gated impulses comprise two or more low frequency wavelengths. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the projected ultrasonic wavefront is a non-focused wavefront. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the wavefront is generated by a transmitting transducer comprising an aperture that has a width that is a multiple of the test wavelength. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the ultrasonic signals are received by one or more receiving transducers comprising an aperture that has a width that is a fraction of the test wavelength. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the one or more receiving transducers are selected from mono-static or hi-static configurations. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the test object is selected from a living organism, a dead organism, living tissue, non-living tissue, functioning tissue, malfunctioning tissue, or nonfunctioning tissue, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 35 , where the test object is a human or animal. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 35 , where the test object is a human or animal body system. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the test object is a human or animal body part. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the human or animal body part is selected from the head, torso, internal organs, bone, and breast.