3D ultrasound imaging using 2D array

• US 6,123,669 A
• Filed: 10/07/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanda, Ryoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imam, Ali M.
• Application Number:
  US09/167,501
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/443, 600/444, 600/447, 128/916, 367/7, 367/11, 367/138
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8925 the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8927 using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52026 Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50; Doppler short range imaging systems G01S15/8979
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52038 involving non-linear properties of the propagation medium or of the reflective target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5209 using multibeam transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52095 using multiline receive beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/916 Ultrasound 3-D imaging

Abstract

A three-dimensional imaging method using an ultrasound wave enables a region of interest to be extracted through threshold processing. The method above has its image readily adversely affected and the technique has not yet been too much advanced from the practical viewpoint. By creating an image based on the harmonics components contained in an echo signal it is possible to acquire a high image quality and to advance a practical application of the three-dimensional imaging by the ultrasound wave. The harmonics wave is produced in proportion to sound pressure. That is, the higher the sound pressure, more harmonics components are produced. As a result, the ultrasound beam is effectively narrowed and the spatial resolution is improved. Since the harmonics components are not too much produced from a grating lobe lower in sound pressure than a main lobe, the production of the grating lobe is effectively suppressed, so that an image quality is prominently improved.

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a 2D array ultrasound probe having a plurality of transducer elements arranged as a matrix array;

a transmitting unit for supplying a high-frequency signal to the transducer element so as to transmit an ultrasound beam to a human subject;

a receiving unit for forming a received signal of a receiving directivity from an echo signal received at the respective transducer element;

a delay control unit for controlling the transmitting and receiving units so as to scan a three-dimensional region of interest in the human subject;

a filter for extracting harmonic components from the received signals formed by the receiving unit in real time; and

a processor for, based on the extracted harmonic components, creating a three-dimensional image relating to the three-dimensional region of interest in real time;

wherein the receiving unit forms a plurality of received signals of different receiving directivities after one transmission and the transmitting unit simultaneously transmits a plurality of ultrasound beams of different transmitting directivities.

2. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the delay control unit properly uses a plurality of delay patterns for respective transducer elements.

3. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the delay control unit irregularly a different delay pattern to a plurality of groups into which the transducer elements are divided.

4. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the delay control unit applies a first delay pattern to an odd line/odd column transducer element, a second delay pattern to an odd line/even column transducer elements, a third delay pattern to an even line/odd transducer element and a fourth delay pattern to an even line/even column transducer element.

5. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filter has a passband set to allow a two-fold secondary harmonic component of a center frequency of the transmitted ultrasound beam to be mainly extracted.

6. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of transducer elements arranged as a matrix;

a transmitting unit which, in order to transmit an ultrasound beam to a human subject, drives the transducer elements while partly cutting the transducer elements in a random fashion;

a receiving unit for forming a received signal of a receiving directivity from an echo signal received at the respective transducer element; and

a processor for creating an ultrasound image from the received signal formed by the receiving unit.

7. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasound probe having a plurality of transducer elements;

a transmitting unit which, in order to transmit an ultrasound beam to a human subject, drives the transducer elements while partly cutting the transducer elements;

a receiving unit for forming a received signal of a receiving directivity from an echo signal received at the respective transducer element;

a filter for extracting harmonic components from the received signal formed by the receiving unit; and

a processor for creating an ultrasound image based on the extracted harmonic components.