Echo beam former for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

• US 5,417,217 A
• Filed: 02/04/1994
• Issued: 05/23/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Yokogawa Medical Systems Limited (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Yokogawa Medical Systems Limited (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Motodani, Takeshi, Higashiizumi, Takao, Morita, Dai
• Primary Examiner(s): JAWORSKI, FRANCIS J
• Application Number:
  US08/193,082
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660.07, 128/661.01, 128/661.09, 73/625-626
• US Class Current: 600/447
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8927 using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52049 using correction of medium-induced phase aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52095 using multiline receive beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/341 Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/345 using energy switching from one active element to another

Abstract

In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which uses at least part of an array of a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators as an aperture for ultrasonic beam formation, sends ultrasonic waves into an object, receives echoes from the object, delays the output echo signals of a plurality of vibrators participating in receiving the echoes by a given quantity, adds up the delayed echo signals for echo beam forming, and forms a picture of an internal structure of the object by using the signals obtained by echo beam forming, the echo beam forming is characterized by forming a plurality of partial apertures in an aperture of an array of ultrasonic vibrators, delaying the echo signals provided by groups of vibrators included in the plurality of partial apertures by a given quantity determined so that a plurality of echo beams having a common focal point are formed, adding up the delayed echo signals of each group, detecting the respective sums of the delayed echo signals of the groups, and adding up the respective detected signals of the groups.

Claims

1. A beam forming device for use in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a probe means for transmitting ultrasonic signals to a target and for receiving ultrasonic signals reflected from the target, said device comprising, in combination:

a pair of delay means (21,22) for receiving signals of channels 0 through N, from said probe means and for delaying said signals of each channel;

a first addition signal selector means (23) connected to one of said pair of delay means for selecting signals of channels 0 through n2;

a second addition signal selector means (24) connected to the other of said pair of delay means for selecting signals of channels n1 through N, wherein n1 is smaller than n2;

a pair of first adder means (25,26) connected respectively to said first and second addition signal selector means for respectively adding the phases of output signals in selected channels 0 through n2, and n1 through N from said first and second addition signal selector means;

a pair of non-linear amplifier means (27,28) connected respectively to said pair of first adder means for non-linear compression and amplification of respective output signals from said pair of first adder means;

a pair of envelope detector means (29,30) connected respectively to said pair of non-linear amplifier means for detecting respective envelopes of output signals from said pair of non-linear amplifiers;

a second adder means (31) for adding together output signals from said pair of envelope detector means; and

means (9,10,11) for displaying said target as represented by output signals from said second adder means.