Mechanism and system for 3-dimensional scanning of an ultrasound beam

• US 6,780,153 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PreXion Corporation (Funai Electric Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Bjørn A. J. Angelsen, Kjøde, Stig B., Tonni F. Johansen
• Inventors: Johansen, Tonni F., Kjøde, Stig B., Angelsen, Bjørn A. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US10/179,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20030018269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 600/443-449, 600/459, 736/31--32, 128/916
• US Class Current: 600/444
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8936 using transducers mounted for mechanical movement in three dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems

Abstract

An ultrasound probe capable of scanning an ultrasound beam in a region of 3D space, characterized by that an ultrasound transducer array is mounted to a 1^st shaft that can rotate in bearings mounted in a fork that can be moved. The fork can be rotated around a 2^nd shaft in a bearing, or moved through a sliding system, or a combination of the two. The shaft and the fork are connected to two separate electric motors for electric steering of the array direction within a region of 3D space. Position measurement systems are mounted to the shaft and the fork so that the beam direction can be steered with a feed-back control system.

Claims

1. An ultrasound probe for scanning the direction and focus of an ultrasound beam containing ultrasound waves in 3D space, said ultrasound probe comprising:

an ultrasound transducer array having a front face, said transducer array emitting an ultrasound transmit beam and receiving incoming ultrasound waves through said front face;

a first shaft, rotatable about a longitudinal axis, said first shaft being disposed to carry said transducer array and providing for rotation of said transducer array about said longitudinal axis;

a first bearing system in which said first shaft is mounted to permit rotation of said first shaft about said longitudinal axis;

a fork in which said bearing system is mounted, said fork being moveable so as to change an angular position of said first shaft in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis;

a first electric motor having a rotor and a stator, said transducer array being mounted on one of said rotor and said stator, and the other of said rotor and said stator being connected to said fork to rotate said transducer array about said longitudinal axis of said first shaft; and

an angular position sensor element connected to said transducer array, for sensing a rotation angle of said transducer array and said ultrasound beam with respect to said longitudinal axis;

whereby rotating said transducer array about said longitudinal axis of said first shaft and changing said angular position of said longitudinal shaft within said fork permits the orientation of said ultrasound beam in two different transverse directions and thereby also permits directing said ultrasound transmit beam in any direction within a region of 3D space being scanned.

2. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1:

wherein said bearing system includes two bearings each attached to said first shaft at opposing ends thereof and each mounted within said fork; and

wherein said first motor, said transducer array, and said sensor element are positioned on said first shaft between said two bearings.

3. The ultrasound probe according claim 1, wherein said transducer array is annular.

4. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, wherein said fork is rotatably moveable around a second shaft, which is mounted in a bearing.

5. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, further comprising a sliding system in which said fork is slideably moveable.

6. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, further comprising a second electric motor coupled to said fork for changing said angular position of said first shaft, and whereby said first and second electric motors direct said transducer array in any direction within said region of 3D space.

7. The ultrasound probe according to claim 6, wherein said fork has a circular shape and is slideably moveable in said first sliding system such that sliding of said fork in said first sliding system rotates said first shaft around an axis of said first sliding system that is on the same side of said first sliding system as said first shaft, said axis being normal to said first shaft.

8. The ultrasound probe according to claim 6, wherein said fork has a circular shape and is slideably moveable in said first sliding system such that sliding of said fork in said first sliding system rotates said first shaft around an axis of said first sliding system that is on an opposite side of said first sliding system as said first shaft, and is normal to said first shaft.

9. The ultrasound probe according to claim 6, wherein said fork is slideably moveable in said first sliding system such that sliding of said fork in said first sliding system laterally displaces said first shaft.

10. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1, where said fork is operationally connected to at least one flexible band, said at least one flexible band being capable of controlling movement of said fork by exerting a force on said at least one flexible band.

11. The ultrasound probe according to claim 10, wherein a first side of said fork is attached to a first flexible band, and a second opposing side of said fork is attached to a spring system, said fork being movable in one of a first direction and a second direction through a combined action of said spring system and the exertion of a force on said flexible first band, such that exerting said force on said first flexible band moves said fork in said first direction and said spring system pulls said fork in said second direction, opposite to said first direction, when said force on said flexible band is removed.

12. The ultrasound probe according to claim 10, where a first side of said fork is attached to a first flexible band and a second side of said fork is attached to a second flexible band, such that bi-directional movement of said fork is obtained by selectively exerting a force on one of said first and second bands.

13. The ultrasound probe according to claim 10, further comprising a second electric motor coupled to said at least one flexible band to exert said force on said at least one flexible band.

14. The ultrasound probe according to claim 13, further comprising:

a position measurement unit, for measuring an angular position of said first shaft and a position of said fork, said position measurement unit generating position signals; and

a feed-back controller that provides drive signals for said first and second electric motors in response to said positioning signals, to steer the direction of said ultrasound beam so that said measured angular position of said first shaft and said position of said fork direct said ultrasound beam in a predetermined direction within said region of 3D space.

15. The ultrasound probe according to claim 10, further comprising:

a sliding system;

a second bearing system movably attached to said sliding system and capable of changing at least one of a position and a direction of said second bearing system within said sliding system; and

a second electric motor connected to said sliding system to change said at least one of said position and said direction of said second bearing system.