Efficient ultrasound system for two-dimensional c-scan imaging and related method thereof

• US 20060052697A1
• Filed: 01/15/2004
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation (University of Virginia)
• Original Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation (University of Virginia)
• Inventors: Walker, William F., Hossack, John A., Blalock, Travis N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,402,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8925 the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52085 Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52095 using multiline receive beamforming

Abstract

An ultrasound system and related method for forming 2D C-scan images and/or collecting 3D image data from 2D transducer arrays. The system including in part a 2D transducer array of elements, transmit voltage generation means for each element, a memory buffer with or part of channels for each element, and a receive beamformer. On a time serial or sequential basis, several times for each line of firing, the contents of the per element memory buffer are read into the beamformer with different focusing values for each buffer reading cycle. In this way, the beamformer can calculate beamformed image values for multiple points per line firing cycle—or per each line of signals between the transducer array and receive beamformer.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic imaging system capable of producing C-mode images and/or collecting 3D image data of a target, said system comprising:

a two-dimensional transducer array comprising a plurality of elements that transmits and receives ultrasound signals;

an array of processing channels, wherein said processing channels correspond with said plurality of elements, said processing channels for receiving said receive ultrasound signals;

a storage device for receiving said channel signals for storage; and

a beamforming device that receives stored data in a time serial manner from said storage device more than once per transmit firing event and forms multiple focused image points arranged on a C-scan plane.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said processing channels comprises an amplifier.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said amplifier comprises a pre-amplifier.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said processing channels comprise a converter means for converting said received signal from analog to digital data, said converting means transmits the received signals in digitized data to said storage device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said converting means includes a filter that selectively passes fundamental data.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said converting means comprises a filter that selectively passes harmonic data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said ultrasound signals is a focused signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said ultrasound signals is an unfocused plane wave that transmits signals simultaneously to more than one of said elements.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said transducer array is a piezoelectric array.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said transducer array is a non-piezoelectric array, including but not limited to at least one of electrostatic array, CMUT device, or MEMS device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said beamforming device is in communication with registers for shifting and summing at least some data that it receives.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said storage device accumulates data from successive lines of signals.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage device averages data from successive lines of signals.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising

a scan converter for receiving output from said beamformer;

and

an image display unit and/or image storage unit.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said beamforming device focuses separately each data point of said data that it receives.

16. An ultrasonic imaging method capable of producing C-mode images and/or collecting 3D image data of a target, said method comprising:

transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals;

storing said receive ultrasound data; and

receiving said stored data in a beamforming device in a time serial manner, wherein said data is received and beamformed more than once per transmit firing event and forms multiple focused points arranged on a C-scan plane.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of transmitting ultrasound signals comprises transmitting a focused signal.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of transmitting ultrasound signals comprises transmitting an unfocused plane wave.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of storing said signals further comprises accumulating data for successive lines of signals.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of storing said signals further comprises averaging data for successive lines of signals.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of receiving said serial data further comprises recombining data more than once for successive lines of signals.

22. The method of claim 16,

scanning output from said beamformer;

and

displaying an image of at least a region of the target and/or storing image data of at least a region of the target.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the beamforming comprises at least one of, but is not limited to, FIR filter-based interpolating, mixing to complex basebands, rotating phases, or apodizing.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the beamforming is separately applied for each said stored data.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of receiving said signals comprises receiving data that are stored on different planes.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals is performed on a two-dimensional transducer array.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said two-dimensional transducer array comprises a plurality of elements.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of storing receive ultrasound signals is performed on an array of processing channels.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said array of processing channels comprises a storage device.