Patent ID: 8043217
Filing Date: 2011-10-25
Classification: A61B,G01N,G16H

Abstract:
1. A non-invasive method to identify physical and structural characteristics of a portion of a human body, comprising: a. setting a time of origin in a time scheme of the non-invasive method; b. generating a first pulse from a trigger at a first point in time of the time scheme, which first pulse is sent to simultaneously trigger first and second function generators, the first function generator transmitting a first fixed frequency having a defined time width to an ultrasonic transducer, the second function generator transmitting a first chirp of modulated frequencies having the defined time width to the ultrasonic transducer wherein the modulated frequencies are created from modulating a fixed frequency equivalent to the first fixed frequency and swept frequencies having a first center frequency with a first bandwidth, the ultrasonic transducer generating an acoustic energy to impact and excite the portion of the human body, using at least one detector to detect a signal of response frequencies from the portion of the human body excited by the acoustic energy and analyzing the detected signal at the end of the defined time width; c. generating a second pulse from the trigger which is sent to simultaneously trigger the first and second function generators at a second point in time of the time scheme, the first function generator transmitting a second fixed frequency having a defined time width to the ultrasonic transducer, the second function generator transmitting a second chirp of modulated frequencies having the defined time width to the ultrasonic transducer wherein the modulated frequencies are created from modulating a fixed frequency equivalent to the second fixed frequency and swept frequencies having a second center frequency with a second bandwidth and the defined time width, the ultrasonic transducer generating an acoustic energy to impact and excite the portion of the human body, using at least one detector to detect a signal of response frequencies from the portion of the human body excited by the acoustic energy and analyzing the detected signal at the end of the defined time width; d. generating a third pulse from the trigger which is sent to simultaneously trigger the first and second function generators at a third point in time of the time scheme, wherein the first function generator transmits a third fixed frequency having the defined time width to the ultrasonic transducer, the second function generator transmits a third chirp of modulated frequencies having the defined time width to the ultrasonic transducer wherein the modulated frequencies are created from modulating a fixed frequency equivalent to the third frequency and swept frequencies having a third center frequency with a third bandwidth and the defined time width, the ultrasonic transducer generating an acoustic energy to impact and excite the portion of the human body, using at least one detector to detect a signal of response frequencies of the portion of the human body excited by the acoustic energy and analyzing the detected signal at the end of the defined time width; and e comparing the response frequencies of the detected signals to predetermine known frequencies to determine information about the physical and structural characteristics of the portion of the human body.