Patent ID: 7713199

Claim:
A method for harmonic reception with ultrasound, the method comprising: generating, with an element having transducer layers stacked along a range dimension, an acoustic signal having at least separate first and second different frequency bands in response to a broadband electrical signal, the generating being without waveform shaping providing the first and second different frequency bands, the acoustic signal generated by a first set of the transducer layers of the element, the first set being one or more of the transducer layers; receiving an electrical signal at a harmonic and harmonic interaction frequency of the first and second frequency bands, the harmonic and harmonic interaction frequency bands being different, the harmonic interaction frequency being a combination of the first and second frequency bands such that the electrical signal is responsive to the acoustic signal at both the first and second frequency bands, the receiving being performed with a second set of the transducer layers, the second set being one or more of the transducer layers and different than the first set; and imaging as a function of the electrical signal.