System and method of mapping irregularities of hard tissue

1. A method of mapping irregularities in a surface of a hard tissue within a target, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting from an ultrasonic transducer at a defined location a focused beam of ultrasonic energy towards the surface of the hard tissue at a first oblique angle of incidence;

(b) registering said defined location if and only if an echo-reflection from said surface of the hard tissue is received by said transducer;

(c) defining said location of said transducer in six degrees of freedom;

(d) calculating a set of position co-ordinates for a portion of the surface of the hard tissue causing said echo-reflection;

(e) moving said ultrasonic transducer to a different defined location;

(f) repeating a through e;

(g) repeating steps (a) through (f) with an additional angle at least 20 degrees apart from the previous oblique angle;

(h) determining for each of said set of position co-ordinates for a portion of the surface of the hard tissue causing said echo-reflection at least a portion of a reflection diagram;

(i) further determining for each of said at least a portion of a reflection diagram a degree of normalcy according to a predetermined rule to generate a map of the irregularities in the surface of the tissue;

(j) classifying any of said set of position co-ordinates for a portion of the surface of the hard tissue wherein said at least a portion of a reflection diagram is characterized by a low degree of normalcy according to said predetermined rule as belonging to a surface irregularity; and

(k) compiling at least a portion of said sets of position co-ordinates to generate a map of the irregularities in the surface of the hard tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said repeating includes adjusting said angle of incidence to at least one second angle of incidence.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

(i) controlling, by means of a central processing unit, performance of at least a portion of the method.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said controlling includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of said adjusting and said registering.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said controlling indicates at least one control mechanism selected from the group consisting of mechanical control, selection from an array and electronic control.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

(l) displaying upon a display device at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

(i) data pertaining to said echo-reflection;

(ii) said set of position co-ordinates for said portion of the surface of the hard tissue causing said echo-reflection; and

(iii) at least a portion of said map.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

(l) controlling, by means of a central processing unit, performance of at least a portion of the method.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one item selected from the group consisting of said adjusting and said registering is performed manually by a practitioner of the method.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said map is a two dimensional map.

10. A system for mapping irregularities in a surface of a hard tissue within a target, the system comprising:

(a) at least one ultrasonic transducer:

(i) said at least one transducer positioned at a defined location;

(ii) said at least one transducer capable of transmitting a focused beam of ultrasonic energy towards the surface of the hard tissue at a first angle of incidence;

(iii) said at least one transducer capable of receiving at least a portion of said energy as an echo-reflection from the surface of the hard tissue; and

(iv) said at least one transducer capable of communication with a central processing unit;

(b) a position locator and adjustment mechanism operably connectable to said at least one transducer and designed and constructed;

(i) to be capable of adjusting said angle of incidence between said focused beam and the surface of the hard tissue in response to a command from said central processing unit;

(ii) to be further capable of defining said location of said transducer as a set of position co-ordinates in six degrees of freedom and transmitting said set of co-ordinates to a central processing unit;

(iii) to be further capable of moving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to a series of different defined location;

(c) said central processing unit designed and configured;

(i) to be further capable of receiving said set of position co-ordinates defining said location of said at least one transducer from said position locator and adjustment mechanism;

(ii) to be further capable of calculating an additional set of position co-ordinates for a portion of the surface of the hard tissue causing said echo-reflection;

(iii) to be further capable of compiling a plurality of said sets of position co-ordinates to generate a map of the surface of the hard tissue.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a:

(d) a display device capable of communication with said central processor; said display device designed and constructed to perform at least one function selected from the group consisting of:

(i) display data pertaining to said echo-reflection;

(ii) display said additional set of position co-ordinates for a portion of the surface of the hard tissue causing said echo-reflection; and

(iii) display at least a portion of said map.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein said central processing unit is further designed and constructed to be capable of transmitting a command to said position locator and adjustment mechanism to cause said at least one transducer to move to said series of different defined locations.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said command is selected from the group consisting of a command to a mechanical control, a command to switch to a different transducer of said at least one transducer and a command to an electronic control.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein said position locator and adjustment mechanism is designed and configured to receive input from an operator of the system, said input being selected from the group consisting of a manual position adjustment by an operator of the system and at least one instruction transmitted to said central processing unit by said operator.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein said map is a two dimensional map.