System and method for measuring sound velocity of internal tissue in an object being investigated

摘要

A system and method for measuring the sound velocity of the internal tissue within an object to be investigated. First and second pulses of ultrasonic energy are transmitted along a common, steered transmitting beam into the object by a first subarray of transducer elements that are a distinct part of an array of transducer elements. The echoes of the first and second pulses return to the transducer array along a first and a second parallel steered receiving beams, activated by a second and third subarrays of transducer. The system measures the propagation times for the first and second pulses to leave and return to the array. The average sound velocity of the internal tissue of the object can be determined from the measured propagation times and the known geometric characteristics of the array, subarray, and steered angles, without the measurement being adversely affected by a fat or muscle layer covering the internal tissue.