Ultrasound imaging through time-domain diffraction tomography

Time-domain diffraction tomography, a technique for imaging with acoustic (and other) fields in which a medium parameter, such as density, can be mapped from scatter data collected from one pulse, is discussed. When Born approximations hold, the technique provides an exact inversion of the acoustical scattering equations. Computer simulation of the time-domain diffraction tomography equations indicates that under ideal conditions, and when the Born approximation is valid, the method can reconstruct maps of parameter variations. However, when data are collected from an incident pulse whose bandwidth is limited, the reconstruction is no longer perfect. A simple question is derived that characterizes the performance of time-domain diffraction tomography, and the limitations are explained as the effect of a spatial filter that eliminates some of the spatial frequencies. Relations between the object parameters, pulse bandwidth, and reconstruction accuracy are investigated with numerical experiments.