Method and apparatus to quantify specific material properties of objects using real-time ultrasound burst spectrography technique

Real-time Ultrasound Burst Spectrography (RUBS) is a technique in which a target is stimulated using a specialized ultrasound burst signal delivered by an imaging or non-imaging ultrasound transducer and the frequency spectrum of the resulting response is analyzed and studied. The objective of this method is to interrogate (vibrate) the target and then examine its characteristic response frequency (resonance) peaks, which are unique to its mechanical and material properties (viscosity, elasticity, plasticity, visco-elasticity, etc.). The resonances could deviate from a few Hz to several KHz and the response could be in the form of a narrow peak or a band of frequencies based on the stiffness coefficient of the target material. The primary goal is to develop a reliable and non-invasive ultrasound-based diagnostic device that can be used to identify different diseases or structural abnormalities based on the stationary or dynamic target's response frequency (resonance) to a specialized acoustic excitation.