Generation of separate density and compressibility images in tissue

A method is suggested for reconstructing separate images of the variations in density and compressibility in the same tissue sample. The two long, rectangular transducer elements. As in diffraction tomography, 180 degrees access around the region of interest is required. This approach differs from conventional diffraction tomography, however, in that no transducer arrays are required and broadband illumination is used. A flat transducer, assumed long relative to the extent of the object, is used as a source of broadband, plane-wave illumination, and as a receiver of the backscattered sound. A second transducer, oriented at a different angle with respect to the first, issued as a receiver only. The two transducers are rotated together 180 degrees around the object, and the scattered sound is recorded at the plane-wave spectrum of the object directly, and provides sufficient information to reconstruct independent images of the variations in both the density and compressibility of the scattering medium. Image resolution is limited by the bandwidth of the illuminating sound.