Abstract: This invention relates to diagnostic and screening medical ultrasound in general and to ultrasound-stimulated detection and location, Image-based Dynamic Ultrasound Spectrography, Acoustic Radiation Force Imaging, and similar modalities in particular. In this invention, an ultrasound signal is emitted into tissue and the resulting radiation force induces localized lower frequency oscillations, which are then received by various acoustic sensors and analyzed to determine certain features or characteristics of the interrogated region. The sensors can be arranged in the form of a ring, in any random arrangements, or positioned in specifically chosen locations. An ultrasonic imaging and excitation transducer generates certain stimulating signals which are received by the breast tissues and which, if they contact a microcalcification, other target, or any region with sharply different mechanical and visco-elastic properties, will result in reflected, demodulated, or re-radiated signals.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for detecting and locating a target using phase information obtained from an array of microphones or other sensors.

Abstract: A method for detecting a target or targets in a medium. The method incorporates generating beams of ultrasonic wave energy each having a modulation envelope and causing each beam of wave energy to impact a target region having a multiplicity of targets and demodulating each signal generated by vibration of each target caused by the interaction of a respective ultrasound wave energy beam having a modulation envelope with each of the targets and receiving each demodulated signal from each target by a multiplicity of sensors. Thereafter, each time-of-flight of each demodulated signal from each of the targets to each of the multiplicity of sensors is computed to determine the location of a respective target.