We have developed a prototype imaging apparatus and are currently finishing work on the reconstruction algorithms for looking at tissue directivity functions through scatter imaging and tissue compressibility and density through UCT. We are in the process of performing software computer simulations.

Our work for the near future will be:

• to test the imaging setup with tissue-mimicking materials, called phantoms. Various mixtures of agar powder with isopropyl alcohol and materials such as glass beads and graphite powder make excellent ultrasound phantoms
• after testing is complete, to use the imaging setup to study UCT and tissue directivity imaging with excised tissue samples