Patent ID: 9271654
Filing Date: 2016-03-01
CPC Classification: A61B,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A method of thermoacoustic imaging of an object, the method comprising: pre-calculating, with a processor, a forward model matrix M that represents a relation between (i) absorption of electromagnetic energy within the object and (ii) pressure signals generated in response to said absorption of electromagnetic energy within the object, the forward model matrix M satisfying a forward model matrix equation expressed as p=Mh, wherein h is a vector having a plurality of elements h irradiating, with an electromagnetic enemy source, the object with a quantity of electromagnetic energy; detecting, with at least one acoustic detection element, pressure signals generated in response to said absorption of the quantity of electromagnetic energy within the object; generating a data vector that contains the detected pressure signals; reconstructing an energy deposition image of the object by inverting the forward model matrix equation p=Mh to recover the vector h by either of: outputting via an interface of said processor the energy deposition image to a control device that is configured to perform further data handling of the energy deposition image, said further data handling comprising displaying the energy deposition image.