2. Conventional Imaging Systems
limitations
In conventional imaging systems, the numerical
aperture of the device can be consider to be limited by
the maximum possible incident angle of the incoming
wavefronts.
2
4. How to resolve this problem in
medical imaging?
Our proprietary nanobot system will provide the capability to
generate an ultrasound source from within the patient's
body.
How? Instead of focusing the diffraction orders into an image, we propose a
system to collect the orders, identify which order is which and recombine
the information digitally.
Why? In this manner we can remove the need to have an aperture at all!
4
5. Patient cross section
Patient cross section
of torso
Novel ultrasonic sensor
that wraps around the patient
Region of interest
inside patient
body
Ultrasonic signal emission
by nanobots from target
area
Ultrasonic sensor detects angle of
approach of the incoming waves to
establish the magnitude of each
diffraction order
5
6. Novel ultrasonic sensor
The method of measuring the angle of approach is
determined by the following data:
1. Where the signal was generated in the patient (via data from
the RF interferometer for the nanobots)
1. Time of flight data (higher orders must travel further and so
will arrive at the sensor later than lower orders)
1. Angular momentum of the incoming wavefront (measured
by our novel sensor module). 6
7. Ultrasonic detection principles
UDA - Ultrasonic detection Assembly - can be thought
of as an ultrasonic CCD device. It is composed of four
piezo elements with a rigid column mounted on top.
A
C D
B
In this way the direction of the
incoming wave can be measured by
differences between the four piezo
units A, B, C & D.
7
8. Measurement principles (UDA)
A
C D
B
C D
Direction of wavefront
The difference in strain
measured by the A, B, C & D
piezo cells is proportional to
the direction of the incoming
wave.
8
9. Ultrasonic detection module
UDAs as shown on the previous slide
will be assembled together with rigid
columns of different sizes to achieve
maximum sensitivity to high order
signals (high angle but low energy).
In this way each module can receive
signals at angles greater than 90
degrees to the signal axes.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9
10. Arrangement of sensors
These modules would be mounted inside a suit or other such
substrate where they can be fitted to the shape of the patient.
For example, if a suit similar to a scuba suit was worn and the
inside of the suit were lined with several hundred thousand (or
perhaps million) UDMs, the emitted ultrasonic signal could in
theory be pick up in 360 degrees.
Therefore it is theoretical that the entirety of a patient's body
can be imaged and be in focus simultaneously.
10
11. Advantages of this method
▶ High definition images can be obtained in real time using
ultrasound.
▶ Since the source of the signal can be know accurately, all
reflections normally considered to be noise in conventional
ultrasound diagnostics, can be used as an additional
illumination source (since time-of-flight data and location of
the sources is always known).
▶ Depth of focus is not a consideration since the image will be
constructed digitally by recombining the diffraction orders in a
virtual environment instead of a physical imaging system. 11