Selective focusing through target identification and experimental acoustic signature extraction: Numerical experiments

Using transducer arrays and appropriate emission delays allow to focus acoustic waves at a chosen location in a medium. The focusing spatial accuracy depends on the accurate knowledge of its acoustic properties. When those properties are unknown, methods based on the Time-Reversal principle allow accurate focusing. Still, these methods are either intrusive (an active source has to be introduced at the target location first), either blind (the target cannot be selected in the presence of several objects.) The purpose of the present work is to achieve non-invasive accurate focusing on a selected target using inaccurate acoustic properties for the investigated medium. Potential applications are for instance noninvasive surgery based on High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). Numerical experiments are presented and demonstrate accurate focusing on a previously designated target located in an unknown heterogeneous medium.