1. An acoustic Doppler system comprising:
an acoustic subsystem controller operatively connected to a plurality of acoustic transceivers;
a first of the plurality of acoustic transceivers, operating at a first acoustic frequency, which is operatively connected to a first group of at least one transducer; and
a second of the plurality of acoustic transceivers, operating at a second acoustic frequency, which is operatively connected to a second group of at least one transducer;
wherein the acoustic subsystem controller comprises a digital circuit configured to sample analog signals received from the first group of at least one transducer and the second group of at least one transducer, the digital circuit sampling the analog signals in pairs having a pair-wise sampling frequency that is four times the operating frequency of the one of the plurality of acoustic transceivers operatively connected to a sampled transducer.
2. The acoustic Doppler system of claim 1, wherein the digital circuit samples the analog signals received from the sampled transducer with a periodic delay between sampling pairs, the delay being an integer number of periods of the operating frequency of the one of the plurality of the acoustic transceivers.
3. The acoustic Doppler system of claim 1, wherein the acoustic subsystem further comprises a multiplexor adapted to switch an analog channel sampled by the digital circuit between multiple analog channels, each of the multiple analog channels being associated with an individual transducer.
4. The acoustic Doppler system of claim 1, wherein the acoustic subsystem controller is adapted to selectively operate each acoustic transceiver in the plurality of acoustic transceivers independently of the others of the plurality of acoustic transceivers.
5. The acoustic Doppler system of claim 4, wherein the acoustic subsystem controller is adapted to selectively operate each acoustic transceiver in the plurality of acoustic transceivers one at a time, in groups, and simultaneously.
6. An acoustic Doppler system comprising:
an acoustic subsystem controller mounted on an aquatic sensor platform and operatively connected to a plurality of acoustic transceivers;
a first of the plurality of acoustic transceivers, operating at a first acoustic frequency, which is operatively connected to a first multi-element transducer array adapted to measure three dimensional motion within a first volume of aquatic environment; and
a second of the plurality of acoustic transceivers, operating at a second and different acoustic frequency, which is operatively connected to a first transducer adapted to measure range to an object within a volume of aquatic environment angularly coincident with the first volume;
wherein the acoustic subsystem controller is adapted to selectively operate each of the first and second acoustic transceivers and to sample analog signals received by the first multi-element transducer array in a sampling pair, the members of the sampling pair being separated by one quarter of the period of an emitted acoustic wave generated by the associated acoustic transceiver.
7. The acoustic Doppler system of claim 6, further comprising:
a third of the plurality of acoustic transceivers, operating at a third and different acoustic frequency, which is operatively connected to a second multi-element transducer array adapted to measure three dimensional motion within a volume of aquatic environment angularly coincident with the first volume;
wherein the acoustic subsystem controller is further adapted to selectively operate the third acoustic transceiver and to sample analog signals received by the second multi-element transducer array in the sampling pair.
8. An acoustic Doppler system comprising:
an acoustic subsystem controller mounted on an aquatic sensor platform and operatively connected to a plurality of acoustic transceivers;
a first of the plurality of acoustic transceivers, operating at a first acoustic frequency, which is operatively connected to a first multi-element transducer array adapted to measure three dimensional motion within a first volume of aquatic environment; and
a second of the plurality of acoustic transceivers, operating at a second and different acoustic frequency, which is operatively connected to a first transducer adapted to measure range to an object within a volume of aquatic environment angularly non-coincident with the first volume;
wherein the acoustic subsystem controller is adapted to selectively operate each of the first and second acoustic transceivers and to sample analog signals received by the first multi-element transducer array in a sampling pair, the members of the sampling pair being separated by one quarter of the period of an emitted acoustic wave generated by the associated acoustic transceiver.
9. A method of sampling acoustic Doppler signals received from a plurality of acoustic transceivers, wherein a first of the plurality of acoustic transceivers, operating at a first acoustic frequency, is operatively connected to a first group of at least one transducer, and a second of the plurality of acoustic transceivers, operating at a second and different acoustic frequency, is operatively connected to a second group of at least one transducer; the method comprising the steps of:
a.) sampling an analog signal received from a sampled transducer in the first group of at least one transducer, the sample comprising a pair of values taken with a pair-wise sampling frequency that is four times the operating frequency of the first of the plurality of acoustic transceivers;
b.) sampling an analog signal received from a sampled transducer in the first group of at least one transducer, the sample comprising a pair of values taken with a pair-wise sampling frequency that is four times the operating frequency of the second of the plurality of acoustic transceivers;
c.) processing the pairs of values as components of Doppler velocity estimates, the members of the pairs representing the cosine and sine components of a Doppler-shift signal.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:
d.) sampling the analog signals received from the sampled transducer with a periodic delay between sampling pairs, the delay being an integer number of periods of the operating frequency of the one of the plurality of the acoustic transceivers operatively connected to the sampled transducer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for improving skin scar colour matching comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an agent that positively modulates \u03b22-adrenergic receptor conformation, or receptor activity, or activation thereof, to a subject in need thereof.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein scar hyperpigmentation is reduced.
3. (canceled)
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the subject has or is at risk of hyperpigmentation.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the subject is selected as being at risk of hyperpigmentation on the basis of one or more of the following factors:
(a) the subject has previously developed hyperpigmentation of a scar;
(b) the subject tans readily on exposure to sunshine or ultraviolet (UV) radiation, rather than burning;
(c) the subject has a non-Caucasian racial origin; or
(d) the subject’s skin colour (for example in an area that is not tanned) is considered to be darker than that typical of a naturally fair-haired Caucasian person.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the subject is selected as being at risk of hyperpigmentation because they are at least predominantly of Chinese, black African, Asian or Southern European racial origin, andor if their skin type is Fitzpatrick Scale Type III, IV, V or VI.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the agent that positively modulates \u03b22-AR is a \u03b22-adrenergic receptor agonist.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the \u03b22-adrenergic receptor agonist is one or more of Levosalbutamol, Isoproterenol \u03b21 and \u03b22), Metaproterenol, Terbutaline, Isoetarine, pirbuterol, procaterol, ritodrine, epinephrine, fenoterol, butoxamine, salbutamol, clenbuterol, formoterol, or salmeterol.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the agent is Salbutamol.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the subject exhibits a scar arising from one or more of penetrating wounds or non-penetrating wounds formed as a result of physical insult or injury iatragenesis or genetic susceptibility.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the agent is administered topically or systemically.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the wound is shielded from UV radiation.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the agent is incorporated into a plaster, bandage, wound dressing or other occlusive, protective product used in standard wound care, or into a pharmaceutically acceptable transdermal patch, or into a gel of hydrocolloid or other suitable composition.
14. An anti-scar hyperpigmentation composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an agent, which positively modulates \u03b22-AR conformation, or receptor activity, or activation thereof, and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle.
15. A method for treating or preventing melanocytic lesions andor melanoma in a subject comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an agent that positively modulates \u03b22-adrenergic receptor conformation, or receptor activity, or activation thereof, to a subject in need thereof.
16. (canceled)
17. The method of claim 10, wherein said physical insult or injury comprises a graze, an abrasion, a surgical incision, a burn, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation results from eczema, psoriasis or acne.
19. The composition of claim 14, further comprising a UV absorbing agent.