Variable origin-variable acoustic scanning method and apparatus

• US 5,261,408 A
• Filed: 07/16/1992
• Issued: 11/16/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Maslak, Samuel H., Chandler, Paul E., Galton, Ian A., Larsen, Hugh G., Karmali, Mehebub S., Chaffin, Joel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): JAWORSKI, FRANCIS J
• Application Number:
  US07/913,829
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660.09, 128/661.01, 73/625-626
• US Class Current: 600/447
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/262 by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays phased arrays per se G10K11/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8927 using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52063 Sector scan display
• 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 7/5209 using multibeam transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52095 using multiline receive beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/343 using frequency variation or different frequencies

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.

Claims

1. A method for scanning an array of individual transducer elements for obtaining image or Doppler data from a section of a body against which the face of the transducer array is placed comprising the steps of

propagating acoustic pressure waves and receiving acoustic echoes on a set of acoustic lines each of which is spatially nonoverlapping and independent from every other acoustic line, steering the angle of the active acoustic line relative to the face of the array so that an extension of the acoustic line passes through a substantially common vertex which is not located on the face of the transducer array;

and

near the physical end of the transducer array focussing the acoustic beam and receive echoes along each scan line with transducer elements adjacent to but not centered around the intersection of said acoustic line and the face of the transducer array.

2. The method of claim 1 further including near the physical end of the transducer array adjusting the aperture of active transducer elements of the array adjacent to but not centered around the intersection of said acoustic line and the face of the transducer array.