Speed-of-sound and attenuation-of-sound images by scanning acoustic microscopy v1

A scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) imaging system calculates the speed of sound (SOS) and attenuation of sound (AOS) through sections and plots the values for each area as a color dot on the screen to create histological images. Because the harder and more viscous tissue shows faster SOS and greater AOS, respectively, SAM can provide data on the elasticity and viscosity of tissues and lesions. Areas with greater SOS and AOS correspond to those with higher concentrations of collagen or other fibers. SAM offers the following benefits: (1) images are acquired in only a few minutes without staining, (2) repeated observations following the same section are possible, (3) the same slide as light microscopy (approximately 10 µm thick) is available with comparable high resolution, (4) digitized SOS and AOS data are statistically comparable among different lesions. This SAM imaging system provides comparable data about not only the mechanical structure but also the functional alterations of organs or lesions.