RECONFIGURABLE MEDICAL ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCER ARRAYS WITH PREPROCESSING
First Claim
1. A method of ultrasound imaging, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting ultrasound pulses from transmit elements of a transducer array towards a region of interest of a subject;
receiving ultrasound echoes that have been reflected from the region of interest of the subject at a first predetermined number of receiving elements of the transducer array, the ultrasound echoes being converted into the first predetermined number of channel signals;
preprocessing the channel signals to generate preprocessed channel signals; and
connecting the preprocessed channel signals into a second predetermined number of output channel signals, the second predetermined number being smaller than the first predetermined number.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The embodiments of the probe include a preprocessing unit that is directly connected to a first predetermined number of the receiving elements for preprocessing the channel signals to generate preprocessed channel signals as well as a switch unit that is connected to the preprocessing unit for connecting the preprocessed channel signals into a predetermined number of output channel signals. In the above embodiments, the second predetermined number is smaller than the first predetermined number. In addition, the embodiments of the probe also include an analog-to-digital converter connected to the switch unit for converting the output channel signals into digital signals, and a dynamic range of the analog-to-digital converter is related to a ratio between the second predetermined number and the first predetermined number.
7 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method of ultrasound imaging, comprising the steps of:
-
transmitting ultrasound pulses from transmit elements of a transducer array towards a region of interest of a subject; receiving ultrasound echoes that have been reflected from the region of interest of the subject at a first predetermined number of receiving elements of the transducer array, the ultrasound echoes being converted into the first predetermined number of channel signals; preprocessing the channel signals to generate preprocessed channel signals; and connecting the preprocessed channel signals into a second predetermined number of output channel signals, the second predetermined number being smaller than the first predetermined number. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A system for ultrasound imaging, comprising:
-
a transducer array for transmitting ultrasound pulses from transmit elements towards a region of interest of a subject, said transducer array also receiving ultrasound echoes that have been reflected from the region of interest of the subject at a first predetermined number of receiving elements of the transducer array, the ultrasound echoes being converted into the first predetermined number of channel signals; a preprocessing unit connected to said receiving elements for preprocessing the channel signals to generate preprocessed channel signals; and a switch unit connected to said preprocessing unit for connecting the preprocessed channel signals into a second predetermined number of output channel signals, the second predetermined number being smaller than the first predetermined number. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A system for ultrasound imaging, comprising:
-
a transducer array for transmitting ultrasound pulses from transmit elements towards a region of interest of a subject, said transducer array also receiving ultrasound echoes that have been reflected from the region of interest of the subject at a first predetermined number of receiving elements of the transducer array, the ultrasound echoes being converted into the first predetermined number of channel signals; a preprocessing unit connected to said receiving elements for preprocessing the channel signals to generate preprocessed channel signals; a switch unit connected to said preprocessing unit for connecting the preprocessed channel signals into a second predetermined number of output channel signals, the second predetermined number being smaller than the first predetermined number; and an analog-to-digital converter connected to said switch unit for converting the output channel signals into digital signals, a dynamic range of said analog-to-digital converter being related to a ratio between the second predetermined number and the first predetermined number.
-
-
22. A system for ultrasound imaging, comprising:
-
a transducer array for transmitting ultrasound pulses from transmit elements towards a region of interest of a subject, said transducer array also receiving ultrasound echoes that have been reflected from the region of interest of the subject at a first predetermined number of receiving elements of the transducer array, the ultrasound echoes being converted into the first predetermined number of channel signals; a switch unit connected to said transducer array for connecting the channel signals into a second predetermined number of output channel signals, the second predetermined number being smaller than the first predetermined number; and an analog-to-digital converter connected to said switch unit for converting the output channel signals into digital signals, a dynamic range of said analog-to-digital converter being related to a ratio between the second predetermined number and the first predetermined number.
-
-
23. A method of ultrasound imaging, comprising the steps of:
-
transmitting ultrasound pulses from transmit elements of a transducer array towards a region of interest of a subject; receiving ultrasound echoes that have been reflected from the region of interest of the subject at a first predetermined number of receiving elements of the transducer array, the ultrasound echoes being converted into the first predetermined number of channel signals; connecting the channel signals into a second predetermined number of output channel signals, the second predetermined number being smaller than the first predetermined number; and converting the output channel signals into digital signals, a dynamic range of said analog-to-digital converter being related to a ratio between the second predetermined number and the first predetermined number.
-
Specification