Three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging of animal soft tissue

Claim 1

An apparatus for collecting three-dimensional data on the size, shape, location and nature of animal soft tissue organ structures within the animal and reconstructing the data outside the animal to provide a representation of the size, shape, location and nature of the structure in three dimensions which comprises: (a) a first means having: (i) a source transmitting acoustical waves into the tissue; and (ii) a receiver for receiving waves from the tissue and detecting measurable physical characteristics of the waves and the first means producing electronic output signals corresponding to the characteristics of the waves; (b) a second means having: (i) a transmitter means which remains in a known spatial relationship with respect to the source and receiver of the first means, and emits into space a plurality of energy waves from a plurality of discrete points; and (ii) a sensing means which is spaced from the transmitter means and senses each energy wave from each discrete point of the transmitter means in three dimensions known as X, Y and Z and the second means producing electronic output signals corresponding to each wave from the plurality of discrete points; and (c) a computer means electrically coupled to the first and second means receiving the output signals from the first and second means and processing and assembling the data transmitted by the signals and displaying the data in a form for determining one or more of the size, shape, location and nature of the tissue in three dimensions.

Claim 2

An apparatus for collecting three-dimensional data on the size, shape, location and nature of animal soft tissue organ structures within the animal and reconstructing the data outside the animal to provide a representation of the size, shape, location and nature of the structure in three dimensions which comprises: (a) a first means having: (i) a source transmitting acoustical waves into the tissue; and (ii) a receiver for receiving waves from the tissue and detecting measurable physical characteristics of the waves and the first means producing electronic output signals corresponding to the characteristics of the waves; (b) a second means having: (i) a transmitter means which remains in a known spatial relationship with respect to the source and receiver of the first means, and emits into space a plurality of energy waves from a plurality of discrete points; and (ii) a sensing means which is spaced from the transmitter means and senses each energy wave from each discrete point of the transmitter means in three dimensions known as X, Y and Z and the second means producing electronic output signals corresponding to each wave from the plurality of discrete points; and (c) a computer means electrically coupled to the first and second means receiving the output signals from the first and second means and processing and assembling the data transmitted by the signals and displaying the data in a form for determining one or more of the size, shape, location and nature of the tissue in three dimensions.