Abstract: An array of sonic transducers, useful for medical ultrasonic imaging, has individual sections thereof separately coupled for forming separate beams of sonic energy which converge, respectively, to separate foci along a common axis of the beams. The ratio of the diameter of the radiating aperture of the array relative to a wavelength of the sonic energy is chosen to provide a moderate degree of focusing so that the depth of field at one focus blends with the depth of field of the next focus. Thereby, there is formed a continuous region of substantially uniform intensity of sonic radiation along the common beam axis. Circuitry is provided for selecting one or more specific foci dependent on the bounds of a selected region to be insonified.

Abstract: A system for imaging a subject, such as a human being, in which there has been injected a contrast agent which absorbs radiation of a predetermined frequency. The system utilizes a source of high energy radiation such as X or gamma radiation. The source is a composite of first and second radiating materials each of which is arranged in a predetermined pattern or code, each pattern having both luminous and dark regions. In one embodiment, the luminous regions of one pattern are in registration with the dark regions of the other pattern, these regions being spaced apart in an alternative embodiment. The characteristic frequencies of radiation emitted by the first and second materials are respectively lower and higher than the predetermined absorption frequency. A detector of radiation is positioned relative to the subject and the source such that radiation propagating through the subject is incident upon the detector.