Calibration of multiple aperture ultrasound probes
First Claim
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1. A method of calibrating an ultrasound probe, comprising the steps of:
- securing an ultrasound probe relative to an object, the probe containing an array of ultrasound transducer elements;
retrieving first transducer element position data defining a position of each transducer element of a first group of transducer elements relative to a common coordinate system;
imaging the object with the first group of transducer elements to obtain a reference image, wherein with the first group of transducer elements imaging is dependent on the first transducer element position data;
retrieving second transducer element position data defining a position of each transducer element of a second group of transducer elements relative to the common coordinate system, the second group of elements including elements not within the first group of elements;
imaging the object with the second group of transducer elements to obtain a test image, wherein imaging with the second group of transducer elements is dependent on the second position data;
quantifying a first error between the reference image and the test image; and
iteratively optimizing the second transducer element position data until the first error is at a minimum.
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Abstract
The quality of ping-based ultrasound imaging is dependent on the accuracy of information describing the precise acoustic position of transmitting and receiving transducer elements. Improving the quality of transducer element position data can substantially improve the quality of ping-based ultrasound images, particularly those obtained using a multiple aperture ultrasound imaging probe, i.e., a probe with a total aperture greater than any anticipated maximum coherent aperture width. Various systems and methods for calibrating element position data for a probe are described.
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17 Claims
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1. A method of calibrating an ultrasound probe, comprising the steps of:
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securing an ultrasound probe relative to an object, the probe containing an array of ultrasound transducer elements; retrieving first transducer element position data defining a position of each transducer element of a first group of transducer elements relative to a common coordinate system; imaging the object with the first group of transducer elements to obtain a reference image, wherein with the first group of transducer elements imaging is dependent on the first transducer element position data; retrieving second transducer element position data defining a position of each transducer element of a second group of transducer elements relative to the common coordinate system, the second group of elements including elements not within the first group of elements; imaging the object with the second group of transducer elements to obtain a test image, wherein imaging with the second group of transducer elements is dependent on the second position data; quantifying a first error between the reference image and the test image; and iteratively optimizing the second transducer element position data until the first error is at a minimum. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification