Acoustic microscope system and method for measuring an object disposed in a medium

An acoustic microscope system comprising:

• a container configured to hold a medium with an object to be measured disposed in the medium, wherein the container has a first side and a second side, wherein the first side and the second side form opposite sides of the container configured to hold the medium there between;
• an acoustic probe comprising a compressional wave transducer disposed on the first side of the container and configured to carry out operations of:
• generating compressional waves, at a compressional wave frequency into the medium, traveling along an acoustic axis to interact with the object disposed along the acoustic axis, wherein the acoustic axis is directed from the first side of the container towards the second side of the container, and
• obtaining a measurement of the compressional waves having interacted with the object along the acoustic axis;
• a shear wave source comprising at least one shear wave element disposed on the second side of the container, opposite the acoustic probe and laterally offset with respect to the acoustic axis from the acoustic probe through the object, wherein the at least one shear wave element is configured to generate shear waves at a shear wave frequency into the medium traveling along a secondary axis that intersects with the acoustic axis at the object with a non-zero angle, wherein the shear waves are configured to cause shear wave oscillations that are directed transverse to the secondary axis and that are at least partially directed along the acoustic axis for further interacting with the object to cause a change in the measurement of the compressional waves having interacted with the object;
• and
• a processor configured to determine a measurement of the object based on the change in the measurement of the compressional waves having interacted with the object as a function of the generation of the shear waves interacting with the object.