| abstract |
An acoustic apparatus and method for microscopic imaging and spectroscopy. The apparatus includes a plurality of devices for exciting an object of interest so that acoustic waves are propagated from the object. These devices include lasers, x-ray sources, microwave generators, ultraviolet sources, and electric current generators. The acoustic waves propagated from the object of interest are detected and the object of interest and the acoustic wave detector are moved with respect to each other in a raster scanning pattern. The magnitude of the detected acoustic waves and the corresponding raster pattern of the object are recorded so that a visual image of the object can be obtained. In addition, the frequency of the exciting electromagnetic radiation that excites the object can be varied so that both the absorption spectra and the Raman frequency mode of the object can be determined. |