System for determination of faulty circuit boards in ultrasound imaging machines

• US 6,201,887 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1998
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Zheng, Yibin, Everling, Bruce Richard, Taylor, Terry Wayne, Bischoff, Lon Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nakhjavan, Shervin K.
• Application Number:
  US09/193,932
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128, 382/130, 382/131, 702/159, 348/162, 348/163, 345/326, 345/333, 345/335, 345/145, 345/156, 345/158, 600/407, 600/424, 600/437, 600/443, 600/447
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5205 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for identifying a failed receiver channel in an ultrasonic imaging system. The method includes the steps of identifying a location of an artifact on a display of the ultrasonic imaging system. The method further includes the steps of retrieving a set of receiver channel locations associated with the display and determining a channel associated with the identified artifact by matching an expected outline of a failed channel with the identified artifact.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a failed receiver channel in an ultrasonic imaging system, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying a location of an artifact on a display of said ultrasonic imaging system;

retrieving a set of receiver channel locations associated with the display; and

determining a channel associated with an identified artifact by matching a receiver location of the set of receiver locations with the location of the identified artifact.

2. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the location of the artifact further comprises moving a pointer across the display to a location of the artifact and clicking with an input device.

3. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 2 wherein the step of clicking on the artifact further comprises correlating the click location to a display location.

4. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 3 further comprising determining a size and shape of the artifact.

5. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 4 wherein the step of determining a size and shape of the artifact further comprises determining a periphery of the artifact.

6. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 5 wherein the step of correlating to a display location further comprises determining a transducer contributing to the artifact with the determined periphery.

7. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 1 further comprising selecting an area of interest on the display surrounding the artifact.

8. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 7 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex of the area of interest by solving an equation as follows, x₀=(x₁+x₃)/2.

9. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 7 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex by solving an equation as follows, y₀=((x₂+x₃)/2))((x₁−

x₂)(y₁−

y₂))+((y₁−

y₂)/2).

10. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 7 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex by solving an equation as follows, T₁=(x₂−

x₁)/(y₂−

y₁).

11. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 7 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex by solving an equation as follows, T₂=(x₃−

x₄)/(y₃−

y₄).

12. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 7 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex by solving an equation as follows, y₀=(x₁−

t₁y₁−

x₄−

t₂y₄)/(t₂+t₁).

13. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 7 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex by solving an equation as follows, x₀=x₁+(y₀−

y₁).

14. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 1 further comprising determining a transducer element index.

15. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 14 wherein the step of determining the transducer element index further comprises solving an equation as follows:

I=((x−

x₁)/(x₂−

x₁))N.

16. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 14 wherein the step of determining the transducer element index further comprises solving an equation as follows:

I=N((arctan(y−

y₀)(x−

x₀))−

(arctan(y−

y₀)/(x₁−

x₀))/(arctan(y₃−

x₀))−

(arctan(y₁−

y₀)/(x₁−

x₀))).

17. Apparatus for identifying a failed receiver channel in an ultrasonic imaging system, said apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a location of an artifact on a display of said ultrasonic imaging system;

means for retrieving a set of receiver channel locations associated with the display; and

means for determining a channel associated with the identified artifact by matching a receiver channel location of the set of receiver channel locations with the location of the artifact.

18. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 17 wherein the means for identifying the artifact further comprises means provided on the display for clicking on the artifact.

19. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 18 wherein the means for clicking on the artifact further comprises means for correlating the click location to a display location.

20. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 19 further comprising means for determining a size and shape of the artifact.

21. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 19 wherein the means for correlating a display location further comprises means for determining a transducer contributing to the artifact with the determined periphery.

22. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 20 wherein the means for determining a size and shape of the artifact further comprises means for determining a periphery of the artifact.

23. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 17 further comprising means for selecting an area of interest on the display surrounding the artifact.

24. Apparatus for identifying a failed receiver channel in an ultrasonic imaging system, said apparatus comprising:

a display which displays a location of an artifact of said ultrasonic imaging system;

a memory which stores a set of receiver channel locations associated with the display; and

a display processor which determines a channel associated with the displayed artifact by matching the location of the artifact with a receiver location of the set of receiver locations.

25. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 24 wherein the display adapted to identify the artifact further comprises a pointer provided on the display and an input device for clicking on the artifact.

26. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 25 wherein the pointer and input device for clicking on the artifact further comprises a coordinate processor adapted for correlate the click location to a display location.

27. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 26 wherein the coordinate processor adapted to correlate a display location further comprises a lookup table adapted to determine a transducer contributing to the artifact with the determined periphery.

28. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 24 further comprising an image processor adapted to determine a size and shape of the artifact.

29. The apparatus for identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 28 wherein the image processor adapted to determine a size and shape of the artifact further comprises an edge detector adapted to determine a periphery of the artifact.

30. A method of identifying a failed receiver channel in an ultrasonic imaging system, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying a location of an artifact on a display of said ultrasonic imaging system by identifying at least three points to define a curve;

retrieving a set of receiver channel locations associated with the display; and

determining a channel associated with the identified artifact by matching a receiver location of the set of receiver locations with the location of the identified artifact.

31. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 30 wherein the step of identifying the location of the artifact further comprises moving a pointer across the display to a location of the artifact and clicking with an input device.

32. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 31 wherein the step of clicking on the artifact further comprises correlating the click location to a display location.

33. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 32 further comprising determining a size and shape of the artifact.

34. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 33 wherein the step of determining a size and shape of the artifact further comprises determining a periphery of the artifact.

35. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 34 wherein the step of correlating to a display location further comprises identifying a curved probe transducer contributing to the artifact with the determined periphery.

36. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 30 further comprising selecting an area of interest on the display surrounding the artifact.

37. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 36 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex of the area of interest by solving an equation as follows, x₀=(x₁+x₃)/2.

38. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 36 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex by solving an equation as follows, y₀=((x₂+x₃)/2))((x₁−

x₂)(y₁−

y₂))+((y₁+y₂)/2).

39. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 36 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex by solving an equation as follows, T₁=(x₂−

x₁)/(y₂−

y₁).

40. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 36 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex by solving an equation as follows, T₂=(x₃−

x₄)/(y₃−

y₄).

41. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 36 wherein the step of selecting an area of interest further comprises determining an apex by solving an equation as follows, y₀=(x₁−

t₁y₁−

x₄t₂y₄)/(t₂+t₁).

42. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 30 further comprising determining a curved probe transducer element index.

43. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 42 wherein the step of determining the curved probe transducer element index further comprises solving an equation as follows:

I=((x−

x₁)/(x₂−

x₁))N.

44. The method of identifying a failed channel in an ultrasonic imaging system as in claim 42 wherein the step of determining the curved probe transducer element index further comprises solving an equation as follows:

I=N((arctan(y−

y₀)(x−

x₀))−

(arctan(y−

y₀)/(x₁−

x₀))/(arctan(y₃−

x₀)−

(arctan(y₁−

y₀)/(x₁−

x₀))).