Variable origin-variable angle acoustic scanning method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method for scanning an array of individual transducer elements for obtaining image, velocity or various data from a section of a body comprising the steps ofpropagating acoustic pressure waves into the body from at least one active transmit aperture of individual transducer elements,receiving acoustic echoes on a set of acoustic lines the centers of which are spatially non-overlapping, including the step of steering the angle of each acoustic line relative to the array, using for each line a variable active aperture of individual transducer elements which selectively includes only some or all elements of the array,so that an extension of the acoustic line in space beyond its origin at the array passes through a substantially common vertex which is not located on the transducer array.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An acoustic scanning method and apparatus implemented by transmitting ultrasonic pressure waves and receiving return echoes on a set of spatially non-overlapping acoustic lines scanned along a transducer array with the active acoustic lines shifted and steered so that each acoustic line originates at an arbitrary point on and at an arbitrary angle to the face of the array. In a preferred embodiment, an extension of each acoustic line may also pass through a substantially common vertex that is not on the face of the transducer array, but preferably behind it a selectable distance to provide an extended field of view. The extended field-of-view is defined by the selectively variable location of the common vertex of the acoustic lines and the physical ends of the array, may use the entire transducer array in the near-field, has high quality resolution in both near and far fields, and may simultaneously transmit and receive two or more ultrasound beams from the same transducer aperture.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for scanning an array of individual transducer elements for obtaining image, velocity or various data from a section of a body comprising the steps of
propagating acoustic pressure waves into the body from at least one active transmit aperture of individual transducer elements, receiving acoustic echoes on a set of acoustic lines the centers of which are spatially non-overlapping, including the step of steering the angle of each acoustic line relative to the array, using for each line a variable active aperture of individual transducer elements which selectively includes only some or all elements of the array, so that an extension of the acoustic line in space beyond its origin at the array passes through a substantially common vertex which is not located on the transducer array.
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14. A method for scanning an array of individual transducer elements for obtaining image, velocity or variance data from a section of a body comprising the steps of
propagating acoustic pressure waves into the body from at least one active transmit aperture of individual transducer elements, receiving acoustic echoes on a set of acoustic lines the centers of which are spatially non-overlapping using for each line a variable active aperture of individual transducer elements which selectively includes only some or all elements of the array, shifting on transmission or receive each acoustic line to originate from an arbitrary origin relative to the center of the face of said transducer array, and steering on transmission or receive each acoustic line at an arbitrary angle relative to the face of the array.
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16. A method for scanning an array of individual transducer elements for obtaining an image of a section of a body and for obtaining velocity or variance information from that section of the body comprising the steps of
propagating first acoustic pressure waves at a first frequency for deriving image information and receiving acoustic echoes on a first set of acoustic image lines the centers of which are spatially non-overlapping, steering the angle of each active acoustic image line relative to the array so that an extension of the line in space passes through a substantially common vertex, and propagating second acoustic pressure waves at a frequency different from that of the first acoustic pressure waves for deriving velocity or variance estimates from Doppler-shifted echoes received from those second pressure waves on a separate second set of acoustic lines each of which may be independent from said acoustic image lines.
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18. Apparatus for obtaining image, velocity or variance data from a section of a body on a set of acoustic lines scanned along a transducer array with each acoustic line originating on the array at an arbitrary origin relative to the center of the face of the array, comprising
an array of individual transducer elements adapted to be placed against the body, means for propagating acoustic pressure waves into the body from at least one active transmit aperture of individual transducer elements in the array, means for receiving acoustic echoes on a set of acoustic lines the centers of which are spatially non-overlapping including means for forming a variable active aperture of individual transducer elements which selectively includes only some or all elements of the array, means for shifting substantially all acoustic lines to originate from an arbitrary origin relative to the center of the face of said transducer array within the active aperture. and means for electronically steering substantially all acoustic lines at an arbitrary angle relative to the face of the array.
Specification