Ultrasound-Stimulated Vibro-Acoustic Spectrography

TLDR

The study presents an ultrasound method using radiation force to image a material’s acoustic response to mechanical excitation. Acoustic energy is emitted from solids and tissues by an oscillatory radiation force generated by interfering focused ultrasound beams, and the method raster‑scans this force over the object while recording amplitude and phase of the emitted sound. The technique revealed resonant frequency spectra, enabled imaging of elastic composition, distinguished tuning‑fork resonances, submillimeter glass spheres, and arterial calcification, and detected nanometer‑scale motions.

Abstract

An ultrasound method based on radiation force is presented for imaging the acoustic response of a material to mechanical excitation. Acoustic energy was emitted from solids and tissues in response to an oscillatory radiation force produced by interfering focused beams of ultrasound. Frequency spectra of ultrasound-stimulated acoustic emission exhibited object resonances. Raster-scanning the radiation force over the object and recording the amplitude and phase of the emitted sound resulted in data from which images related to the elastic compositions of the acoustically emitting objects could be computed. Acoustic emission signals distinguished tuning-fork resonances, submillimeter glass spheres, and calcification in excised arteries and detected object motions on the order of nanometers.