Ultrasound imaging method and apparatus

• US 5,070,879 A
• Filed: 01/19/1990
• Issued: 12/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: U Systems Inc (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Acoustic Processing Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Herres, Bradley K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis
• Application Number:
  US07/467,335
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660.01, 128/660.08, 128/660.09, 128/660.10, 73/625, 73/626
• US Class Current: 600/444
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8943 co-operating with reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/355 Arcuate movement

Abstract

Ultrasound imaging apparatus has a probe disposed on a longitudinal axis. A linear array of ultrasound transducer elements is arranged along the axis of the probe. The array is alternatively held stationary and oscillated relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a sector. In a first mode, the transducer elements are actuated successively while the array is held stationary to generate a longitudinal rectilinear scan. In a second mode, some of the transducer elements are actuated repeatedly while the array is oscillated to generate a transverse sector scan orthogonal to the longitudinal scan. The echoes received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes are displayed as images of respective orthogonal planes. In either case, the user selects the position of the scan plane within the field of view of the array while the probe is held in a stationary position against the skin of the patient.

Claims

1. Ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

a probe having a longitudinal axis;

a linear array of ultrasound transducer elements arranged along the axis of the probe;

drive means for alternatively holding the array stationary and oscillating the array relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a sector;

means in a first mode for operating the transducer elements successivley while the drive means holds the array stationary to generate a longitudinal scan;

means in a second mode for operating some transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate a transverse scan;

means in the first mode for selecting the angle about the axis at which the array is held stationary for successive operation to control the longitudinal scan plane about the axis; and

means for displaying the echos received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising:

means in the second mode for selecting one or more adjacent transducer elements for repeated operation to control the transverse scan plane along the axis.

3. A method for using a linear array of ultrasound transducer elements arranged along an axis, the method comprising the steps of:

alternatively holding the array stationary and oscillating the array relative about the axis between limits to define a sector;

operating the transducer elements successively in a first mode while the array is being held stationary to generate a longitudinal B-scan;

operating some of the transducer elements repeatedly in a second mode while the array is being oscillated to generate a transverse B-scan; and

simultaneously displaying the longitudinal B-scan and the transverse B-scan echos received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes.

4. The method of claim 3, additionally comprising the step of selecting the angle about the axis at which the angle is held stationary in the first mode for successive operation to control the longitudinal scan plan about the axis.

5. The method of claim 3, additionally comprising the step of selecting one or more adjacent transducer elements in the second mode for repeated operation to control the transverse scan plan along the axis.

6. Ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

a probe having a longitudinal axis;

a linear array of ultrasound transducer elements arranged along the axis of the probe;

drive means for alternatively holding the array stationary and oscillating the array relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a sector;

means in a first mode for operating the transducer elements successively while the drive means holds the array stationary to generate a longitudinal scan;

means in a second mode for operating some transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate a transverse scan;

means in the second mode for selecting one or more adjacent transducer elements for repeated operation to control the transverse scan plane along the axis; and

means for displaying the echos received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes.

7. Ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

a probe having a longitudinal axis;

a linear array of ultrasound transducer elements arranged along the axis of the probe;

drive means for alternatively holding the array stationary and oscillating the array relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a sector;

means in a first mode for operating the transducer elements successively while the drive means holds the array stationary to generate a longitudinal scan;

means in a second mode for operating some transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate a transverse scan;

means in a third mode for operating a group of fewer than all the transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate a transverse scan, interrupting each oscillation at a selected angle about the axis, and operating the transducer elements successively during each interruption to generate a longitudinal scan at the selected angle; and

means for displaying the echos received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, additionally comprising:

means in a fourth mode for operating the transducer elements successively while the drive means holds the array stationary to generate a longitudinal scan, oscillating the array each succession at a selected array position along the axis, and operating the transducer elements repeatedly during each oscillation to generate a transverse scan at the selected array position.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the displaying means simultaneously displays the echos from the transverse scan and the longitudinal scan.

10. Ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

a probe having a longitudinal axis;

a linear array of ultrasound transducer elements arranged along the axis of the probe;

drive means for alternatively holding the array stationary and oscillating the array relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a sector;

means in a first mode for operating the transducer elements successively while the drive means holds the array stationary to generate a longitudinal scan;

means in a second mode for operating some transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate a transverse scan;

means in a third mode for operating a group of fewer than all the transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate a transverse scan, interrupting each oscillation at a selected angle about the axis, and operating the transducer elements successively during the interruption to generate a longitudinal scan at the selected angle; and

means for displaying the echos received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, in which the displaying means simultaneously displays the echos from the transverse scan and the longitudinal scan.

12. Ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

a probe having a longitudinal axis;

a linear array of ultrasound transducer elements arranged along the axis of the probe;

drive means for alternatively holding the array stationary and oscillating the array relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a sector;

means in a first mode for operating the transducer elements successively while the drive means holds the array stationary to generate a longitudinal scan;

means in a second mode for operating some transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate a transverse scan;

means in a third mode for operating successive groups of fewer than all the transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate successive transverse scans at the transducer element positions along the axis; and

means for displaying the echos received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, in which the displaying means simultaneously displays the echos from the scans in three dimensions.

14. Ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

a probe having a longitudinal axis;

a linear array of ultrasound transducer elements arranged along the axis of the probe;

drive means for alternatively holding the array stationary and oscillating the array relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a sector;

means in a first mode for operating the transducer elements successively while the drive means holds the array stationary to generate a longitudinal scan;

means in a second mode for operating some transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate a transverse scan;

means in a third mode for incrementally oscillating the array to the angular positions about the axis and operating the transducer elements successively while holding the array stationary at the angular positions to generate incremental longitudinal scans at the angular positions about the axis; and

means for displaying the echos received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, in which the displaying means simultaneously displays the echos from the scans in three dimensions.

16. Ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

a probe having a longitudinal axis;

a linear array of ultrasound transducer elements arranged along the axis of the probe;

drive means for alternatively holding the array stationary and oscillating the array relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a sector;

means in a first mode for operating the transducer elements successively while the drive means holds the array stationary to generate a longitudinal B-scan;

means in a second mode for operating some transducer elements repeatedly while the drive means oscillates the array to generate a transverse B-scan; and

means for simultaneously displaying the longitudinal B-scan and transverse B-scan echos received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, in which the ultrasound transducer elements are arranged in a straight line along the axis of the probe.

18. Ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:

a probe having a longitudinal axis;

a linear array of ultrasound transducer elements rotatably mounted on the probe in a straight line along its axis;

drive means for oscillating the array relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a cylindrical sectorial field of view;

means for operating the transducer elements successively to generate a plurality of longitudinal scans covering the field of view; and

means for displaying the echos received by the transducer elements in three dimensions.