3-dimensional imaging by acoustic warping and defocusing

1. A method for determining the position of a scattering structure in three-dimensional (3-D) space using information from a two-dimensional (2-D) image, the method comprising acts of:

using a characterized sensor array to emit a signal from the sensor array into an object of interest to generate at least one 2-D representation of the object of interest, the 2-D representation comprising a plurality of x and y coordinate pairs and at least one candidate scattering structure, the candidate scattering structure comprising a shape defined by at least one pair of x and y coordinates; and

comparing the at least one pair of x and y coordinates of the candidate scattering structure shape with a first coordinate-dependent response function to assign an x, y, and z position of a scattering structure in 3-D space.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the candidate scattering structure comprises a shape defined by pairs of x and y coordinates, and wherein the act of comparing includes comparing the pairs of x and y coordinates of the candidate scattering structure shape with the first coordinate-dependent response function to assign the x, y, and z position of a scattering structure in 3-D space.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an act of using a second coordinate-dependent response function to assign an x, y, and z position of a second scattering structure in 3-D space, wherein the first coordinate response function represents the first scattering structure comprised of a first material and the second coordinate-dependent response function represents a second scattering structure comprised of a second material.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the act of comparing the at least one pair of x and y coordinates of the candidate scattering structure shape with a coordinate-dependent response function comprises using at least one of the coordinate-dependent response functions to relate a candidate scattering structure view with a scattering structure size.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first coordinate-dependent response function is a look-up table comprising a plurality of relationships relating x and y coordinate pairs of a candidate scattering structure with an x, y, and z position in 3-D) space, and wherein the act of comparing the at least one pair of x and y coordinates of the candidate scattering structure shape with a first coordinate-dependent response function comprises using the first coordinate-dependent response function to relate x and y coordinate pairs of a candidate scattering structure with an x, y, and z position in 3-D space.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the act of using a characterized sensor array, the signal emitted by the characterized sensor array is an asymmetric signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises a scattering structure registration process, the scattering structure registration process comprising:

using the characterized sensor array to emit a signal from the sensor array into a known material to capture at least one 2-D first image shape of a scattering structure of known size in at least one location in 3-D space haying a first x, y, and z positional information, wherein the scattering structure resides substantially within the known material such that an at least one image of the scattering structure of known size is outside the region of focus of the characterized sensor array;

recording the first image shape and the first x, y, and z positional information of the scattering structure in 3-D space in a coordinate-dependent look-up table;

adjusting the position of the characterized sensor array with respect to the known material;

capturing at least one 2-D second image shape of a scattering structure of known size in at least one location in 3-D space having a second x, y, and z positional information, wherein the scattering structure resides substantially within the known material such that an at least one image of the scattering structure of known size is within the region of focus of the characterized sensor array; and

recording the second image shape and the second x, y, and z positional information of the scattering structure in 3-D space in a coordinate-dependent look-up table.