Ultrasonic imaging aberration correction system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An ultrasonic imaging method comprising the following steps:
- (a) transmitting ultrasonic energy into a target at a fundamental frequency band in a first transmit event,(b) forming at least a portion of an image in response to selectively received ultrasonic echo information associated with the first transmit event at a first frequency band; and
(c) determining aberration correction values in response to received ultrasonic echo information associated with the first transmit event at a second frequency band, wherein one of the first and second frequency bands comprises a harmonic of the fundamental frequency band and the other of the first and second frequency bands comprises the fundamental frequency band.
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Abstract
An ultrasonic imaging system including an aberration correction system uses a harmonic component of the fundamental transmitted frequency for imaging, or for aberration correction, or both. By properly selecting the frequency pass bands of filters used in the image signal path and in the aberration correction signal path operating advantages are provided. The aberration correction values may be calculated concurrently with image formation.
177 Citations
52 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic imaging method comprising the following steps:
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(a) transmitting ultrasonic energy into a target at a fundamental frequency band in a first transmit event, (b) forming at least a portion of an image in response to selectively received ultrasonic echo information associated with the first transmit event at a first frequency band; and (c) determining aberration correction values in response to received ultrasonic echo information associated with the first transmit event at a second frequency band, wherein one of the first and second frequency bands comprises a harmonic of the fundamental frequency band and the other of the first and second frequency bands comprises the fundamental frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An ultrasonic imaging system comprising:
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an ultrasonic transmit beamformer coupled to a transducer array to transmit ultrasonic energy into a target at a fundamental frequency band in a first transmit event; an ultrasonic receive beamformer coupled to the transducer array; an image processor coupled to the receive beamformer, said image processor responsive to selectively received ultrasonic echo information associated with the first transmit event at a first frequency band; an adaptive focusing control system coupled to the receive beamformer, said adaptive focusing control system responsive to received ultrasonic echo information associated with the first transmit event at a second frequency band; wherein one of the first and second frequency bands peaks near a harmonic of the fundamental frequency band and the other of the first and second frequency bands peaks near the fundamental frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An ultrasonic imaging method comprising the following steps:
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(a) transmitting ultrasonic energy concentrated near a fundamental frequency into a target; (b) receiving ultrasonic energy from the target; (c) applying first signals derived from the ultrasonic energy received in step (b) to an image processor via a first signal path; and
applying second signals derived from a portion of the ultrasonic energy received in step (b) to an aberration correction value estimator via a second signal path;
said first and second signal paths characterized by differing frequency pass bands, one of said frequency pass bands peaking near a harmonic of the fundamental frequency and another of said frequency pass bands peaking near the fundamental frequency. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An ultrasonic imaging system comprising:
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an ultrasonic transmit beamformer coupled to a transducer array and operative to transmit ultrasonic energy concentrated near a fundamental frequency into a target; an ultrasonic receive signal processor coupled to the transducer array, responsive to received echo information from the target, and comprising first and second signal paths characterized by differing frequency pass bands, one of said frequency pass bands peaking near a harmonic of the fundamental frequency and another of said frequency pass bands peaking near the fundamental frequency; an image processor coupled to the first signal path of the receive signal processor; an adaptive focusing control system coupled to the second signal path of the receive signal processor. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An ultrasonic imaging method comprising the following steps:
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(a) selectively transmitting ultrasonic energy concentrated near a transmit frequency into a target; (b) selectively receiving ultrasonic energy concentrated near a first receive frequency from the target; (c) using signals received in step (b) to calculate aberration correction values; (d) selectively receiving ultrasonic energy concentrated near a second receive frequency from the target, step (d) comprising the step of applying the aberration correction values calculated in step (c) to enhance focus of the selectively received ultrasonic energy concentrated near the second receive frequency; said first and second receive frequencies differing from one another, one of said first and second receive frequencies being a harmonic of the transmit frequency and another of said first and second receive frequencies being the transmit frequency. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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45. An ultrasonic imaging method comprising the following steps:
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(a) transmitting a first ultrasound firing at a lower frequency band; (b) receiving first ultrasound echo information from the first firing at a higher frequency band; (c) forming at least a portion of an image in response to the first ultrasound echo information; (d) transmitting a second ultrasound firing at the lower frequency band; (e) receiving second ultrasound echo information from the second firing at the lower frequency band; and (f) determining aberration correction values in response to the second ultrasound echo information. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
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48. An ultrasonic imaging method comprising the following steps:
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(a) transmitting a first ultrasound firing at a fundamental frequency band; (b) receiving first ultrasound echo information from the first firing at a harmonic frequency band; (c) forming at least a portion of an image in response to the first ultrasound echo information; (d) transmitting a second ultrasound firing at the fundamental frequency band; (e) receiving second ultrasound echo information from the second firing at the fundamental frequency band; and (f) determining aberration correction values in response to the second ultrasound echo information. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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50. An ultrasonic imaging method comprising the following steps:
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(a) transmitting an ultrasound signal; (b) receiving a wide band ultrasound echo signal; (c) filtering the echo signal to form a first low frequency component and a second high frequency component; (d) forming at least part of an image at least in part in response to the second high frequency component; (e) determining aberration correction values at least in part in response, to the first low frequency component, wherein the first and second components are characterized by respective first and second frequency bands, and wherein the second frequency band is a harmonic of the first frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. An ultrasonic imaging method comprising the following steps:
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(a) transmitting ultrasonic energy into a target at a fundamental frequency band in a first transmit event, (b) forming at least a portion of an image in response to selectively received ultrasonic echo information associated with the first transmit event at a first frequency band; and (c) determining aberration correction values in response to received ultrasonic echo information associated with the first transmit event at a second frequency band, wherein at least one of the first and second frequency bands comprises a harmonic of the fundamental frequency band; (d) maintaining the target free of additional contrast agent throughout an ultrasound imaging examination session that includes steps (a)-(c).
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Specification