Apodization parameter generator for ultrasound medical imaging system
First Claim
1. A method of generating an apodization parameter for adjusting data received from a given transducer element as part of a beam-forming function in a medical diagnostic ultrasound apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- defining a look-up table comprising K number of apodization parameter entries;
identifying a length of an aperture in a direction of interest in transducer element units;
identifying unit position of the given transducer element within the aperture;
deriving a pointer into the look-up table as a function of at least said length, said unit position and the number K;
selecting an apodization parameter from the look-up table based upon said pointer, wherein the selected apodization parameter is for adjusting data received from the given transducer element as part of a beam-forming function.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apodization parameters for respective transducer elements are generated, for example, at a beam-former, by accessing a select look-up table. An apodization parameter generator circuit includes respective look-up tables for each of multiple window algorithms. The same look-up table is used for a given window algorithm regardless of (i) aperture size; (ii) whether performing transmit or receive beam-forming; and (iii) whether deriving elevation or azimuthal apodization parameters. Each of the multiple tables has a common, fixed number of entries. Such number is at least as big as the number of transducer elements along the longest axis of the host transducer array. For symmetrical tables, the number of entries is halved. A pointer into a look-up table is calculated from the elevational or azimuthal aperture size in elements ("N") and the location of the transducer element of interest ("n") along the aperture.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of generating an apodization parameter for adjusting data received from a given transducer element as part of a beam-forming function in a medical diagnostic ultrasound apparatus, comprising the steps of:
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defining a look-up table comprising K number of apodization parameter entries; identifying a length of an aperture in a direction of interest in transducer element units; identifying unit position of the given transducer element within the aperture; deriving a pointer into the look-up table as a function of at least said length, said unit position and the number K; selecting an apodization parameter from the look-up table based upon said pointer, wherein the selected apodization parameter is for adjusting data received from the given transducer element as part of a beam-forming function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 19)
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8. A medical diagnostic ultrasound beam-forming apparatus having resident apodization parameter generation, comprising:
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a transducer array comprising a plurality of transducer elements defining an aperture of interest; a beam-former circuit that receives an electronic signal corresponding to an ultrasound signal detected at a predetermined transducer element of the plurality of transducer elements and transforms the received electronic signal based upon at least a focus parameter and an apodization parameter, said beam-former circuit comprising; a look-up table memory that stores a number of apodization parameter entries; a pointer signal generating means having a first input for receiving a first signal indicating size of the aperture of interest in transducer element units, a second input for receiving a second signal indicating relative location of said predetermined transducer element within the aperture, and a third input for receiving a third signal identifying the number of apodization parameter entries stored in the look-up table memory, said generating means having means for generating a pointer output signal to the memory for accessing an apodization parameter associated with said predetermined transducer element of said array, said memory thereby outputting the accessed apodization parameter. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of generating an apodization parameter for adjusting data received from a given transducer element as part of a beam-forming function in a medical diagnostic ultrasound apparatus, comprising the steps of:
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storing in a look-up table apodization parameter entries for a number of apodization window algorithms, the number of entries in the look-up table comprising K times the number of apodization window algorithms; identifying a length of an aperture in a direction of interest in transducer element units; identifying unit position of the given transducer element within the aperture; deriving a pointer into the look-up table as a function of at least said length, said unit position and the number K; defining a window select signal corresponding to one of the number of apodization window algorithms; selecting an apodization parameter from the look-up table based upon said pointer and said window select signal, wherein the selected apodization parameter is for adjusting data received from the given transducer element as part of a beam-forming function. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification