Patent ID: 6979292

Claim:
A method for diagnosing breast cancer in humans that comprises the steps of: a. Bringing a diagnostic probe in touch with breast tissue, said diagnostic probe further comprises an ultrasound imaging elements and photo-acoustic illumination and detection elements, b. Illuminating said breast tissue with short duration light pulses having wavelengths that lie in the absorption spectral bands of hemoglobin, to generate photoacoustic signals, c. detecting said photoacoustic signal using ultrasound transducers to determine the distribution of blood (vascularization) of breast tissue, d. generating and detecting an ultrasound image of the morphology of said human breast tissue, using ultrasound transducers that are co-registered with said photo-acoustic detection transducers used in the detection of said photo acoustic signals; and e. Overlaying said photo acoustic vascularization image over said ultrasound morphology image to generate a combined image of the vascular distribution in different morphological structures in the breast, said morphological structure are the lesions of interest.