Abstract: An automated system for selecting patient breast laterality is provided. A position sensor system using force or image sensors is coupled to a scanning bed or seated-type apparatus. Regardless of the size and weight of the patient, the position of patient at the time of scan will not be centered with respect to the center of the scanner. This relative difference in the position will be sensed as a difference in the transducer signal of an image sensor when comparing the right- and left-hand sides of the field of view or will be sensed as a difference in voltage when comparing the right and left-hand side outputs of a circuit using force or pressure sensor.

Abstract: The speed of sound data corresponding to transmission of ultrasound through a cancerous lesion is different than the speed of sound data corresponding to transmission of ultrasound through a benign lesion. The system can assign a coloration to a speed of sound image according to the speed of sound through the tissue as obtained from quantitative transmission ultrasound. The shape indicative of a lesion can be identified through the reflection data with the type of lesion identifiable by the coloration from the speed of sound data.

Abstract: The speed of sound, attenuation, and reflection data obtained through quantitative Transmission ultrasound (QTUS) differs by body tissue type. Skin, fat, gland, duct and connective tissues can be classified based on the sound, attenuation, and reflection data. The system can assign coloration to breast images to provide a color-coded breast tissue volume based on the output of the classifier.

Abstract: The speed of sound, attenuation, and reflection data obtained through quantitative Transmission ultrasound (QTUS) differs by body tissue type. Skin, fat, gland, duct and connective tissues can be classified based on the sound, attenuation, and reflection data. The system can assign coloration to breast images to provide a color-coded breast tissue volume based on the output of the classifier.

Abstract: An automated system for selecting patient breast laterality is provided. A position sensor system using force or image sensors is coupled to a scanning bed or seated-type apparatus. Regardless of the size and weight of the patient, the position of patient at the time of scan will not be centered with respect to the center of the scanner. This relative difference in the position will be sensed as a difference in the transducer signal of an image sensor when comparing the right- and left-hand sides of the field of view or will be sensed as a difference in voltage when comparing the right and left-hand side outputs of a circuit using force or pressure sensor.

Abstract: The speed of sound data corresponding to transmission of ultrasound through a cancerous lesion is different than the speed of sound data corresponding to transmission of ultrasound through a benign lesion. The system can assign a coloration to a speed of sound image according to the speed of sound through the tissue as obtained from quantitative transmission ultrasound. The shape indicative of a lesion can be identified through the reflection data with the type of lesion identifiable by the coloration from the speed of sound data.

Abstract: A method for quantitative assessment of breast density can include separating breast voxels and exterior voxels from an image of a patient's breast; and for the breast voxels identified in the image, identifying tissue having high speed value from other tissue. The estimated breast density can be calculated based on the percentage of non-skin breast voxels corresponding to fibroglandular tissue density within the breast.

Abstract: Methods and systems for imaging dense anatomical structures are provided. In one aspect, for example, a method for imaging a bone or a joint of a subject can include delivering a transmission ultrasound wave field from a transmission transducer array to a body part of a subject, receiving transmission data from the transmission ultrasound wave field at a transmission receiver array, delivering a reflection ultrasound wave field from a reflection transducer array to the body part of the subject, receiving reflection data from the reflection ultrasound wave field at a reflection receiver array, and generating an image of a bone or joint from at least one of the transmission data or the reflection data.

Abstract: Methods and systems for imaging calcium in a subject are provided. In one aspect a method for imaging one or more micron-sized calcium deposits in a tissue of a subject can include delivering a transmission ultrasound wave field from a transmission transducer array to a body part of a subject, receiving transmission data from the transmission ultrasound wave field at a transmission receiver array, delivering a reflection ultrasound wave field from a reflection transducer array to the body part of the subject, receiving reflection data from the reflection ultrasound wave field at a reflection receiver array, generating speed of sound data from the transmission data, and refraction correcting the reflection data using the speed of sound data to generate a corrected reflection image showing a micron-sized calcium deposit image.

Abstract: Detecting characteristics of a test subject at a checkpoint. Embodiments may include exposing a single test subject to electromagnetic radiation at a security checkpoint. They may further include determining how the electromagnetic radiation interacts with different portions of the single test subject. They may further include determining different material properties for the different portions of the single test subject by examining how the electromagnetic radiation interacts with the different portions of the single test subject. They may further include providing an indication of the different material properties of the different portions of the single test subject, wherein providing an indication of the different material properties of the different portions of the single test subject comprises distinguishing between different material properties.

Abstract: A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient includes a table configured to receive the patient thereon. The table has an aperture formed therein configured to receive the breast of the patient pendant therethrough and positionable over and into a bath configured to contain a medium. An armature is movably disposable in the bath. The armature carries transducer arrays that are disposable in the bath, and configured to transmit and receive acoustic and/or ultrasound signals. A manual control is operatively coupled to the armature to manually move the armature and thus the transducer arrays within the bath.

Abstract: Methods for imaging the internal structures of an object using an acoustic wave field are provided. In one aspect, for example, a method of imaging internals of a physical object using acoustic waves may include transmitting an acoustic wave field toward the object, receiving a resultant acoustic wave field with a receiver, where the resultant acoustic wave field is in response to the transmitted acoustic wave field reflected from or transmitted through the object, and determining a predicted resultant acoustic wave field derived from a model of the object. The method may also include determining a residual between the predicted resultant acoustic wave field and the resultant acoustic wave field, and back propagating the residual to determine corrections to the model of the object. In another aspect, the above recited steps may be further iterated to successively refine the model of the object over a number of iterations until a predefined condition is reached.

Abstract: A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient includes a table configured to receive the patient thereon. The table has an aperture formed therein configured to receive the breast of the patient pendant therethrough and positionable over and into a bath configured to contain a medium. An armature is movably disposable in the bath. The armature carries transducer arrays that are disposable in the bath, and configured to transmit and receive acoustic and/or ultrasound signals. A manual control is operatively coupled to the armature to manually move the armature and thus the transducer arrays within the bath.

Abstract: Methods for imaging the internal structures of an object using an acoustic wave field are provided. In one aspect, for example, a method of imaging internals of a physical object using acoustic waves may include transmitting an acoustic wave field toward the object, receiving a resultant acoustic wave field with a receiver, where the resultant acoustic wave field is in response to the transmitted acoustic wave field reflected from or transmitted through the object, and determining a predicted resultant acoustic wave field derived from a model of the object. The method may also include determining a residual between the predicted resultant acoustic wave field and the resultant acoustic wave field, and back propagating the residual to determine corrections to the model of the object. In another aspect, the above recited steps may be further iterated to successively refine the model of the object over a number of iterations until a predefined condition is reached.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for rapid real time imaging with wavefield energy using a C.P.U. programmed to process data derived from wavefield energy that has been transmitted and scattered by an object so as to reconstruct a wavefield image of the object. Electronic signals are propagated and are transduced into wavefield energy waves which in turn are propagated toward the object. Detectors detect the wavefield energy waves scattered by the object. The detected wavefield energy waves are then electronically processed and input into a high-speed digital computer which may comprise a C.P.U. and/or a C.P.U. in combination with an array or parallel processor. Data is also prepared and input to the computer representing the incident field and the computer then reconstructs a high-quality image of the object having high spacial resolution and including actual properties of the object.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for rapid real time imaging with wavefield energy by inverse scattering using a C.P.U programmed to process data derived from wavefield energy that has been transmitted and scattered by an object so as to reconstruct a wavefield image of the object. Electronic signals are propagated and are transduced into wavefield energy waves which in turn are propagated toward the object. Detector means detect the wavefield energy waves scattered by the object. The detected wavefield energy waves are then electronically processed and input into a high-speed digital computer which may comprise a C.P.U. and/or a C.P.U in combination with an array or parallel processor.