Transmitter patterns for multi beam reception
First Claim
1. A method of configuring an ultrasound array to transmit a beam pattern sufficient to insonate a region of interest at an internal site of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an array of ultrasound transducer elements;
b) outputting a beam pattern from said array of ultrasound transducer elements to insonate a region of interest at an internal site in a body that is sufficiently large that the beam output pattern comprises a multi-beam pattern, insonating multiple receiver elements over a substantially simultaneous period by directing energy produced by said array of ultrasound transducer elements into said region of interest in said body, and adjusting an amplitude of energy output by said array of transducers to cause the beam pattern output to have a generally flat upper pattern and nulls in a grating lobe region; and
c) introducing a propagation time delay of the beam pattern output from said array of ultrasound transducer elements, wherein the propagation delay increases as a distance increases from a central output area of said array of ultrasound transducer elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided herein is a method for use in medical applications that permits (1) affordable three-dimensional imaging of blood flow using a low-profile easily-attached transducer pad, (2) real-time blood-flow vector velocity, and (3) long-term unattended Doppler-ultrasound monitoring in spite of motion of the patient or pad. The pad and associated processor collects and Doppler processes ultrasound blood velocity data in a three dimensional region through the use of a planar phased array of piezoelectric elements. The invention locks onto and tracks the points in three-dimensional space that produce the locally maximum blood velocity signals. The integrated coordinates of points acquired by the accurate tracking process is used to form a three-dimensional map of blood vessels and provide a display that can be used to select multiple points of interest for expanded data collection and for long term continuous and unattended blood flow monitoring. The three dimensional map allows for the calculation of vector velocity from measured radial Doppler.
A thinned array (greater than half-wavelength element spacing of the transducer array) is used to make a device of the present invention inexpensive and allow the pad to have a low profile (fewer connecting cables for a given spatial resolution). The full aperture is used for transmit and receive so that there is no loss of sensitivity (signal-to-noise ratio) or dynamic range. Utilizing more elements (extending the physical array) without increasing the number of active elements increases the angular field of view. A further increase is obtained by utilizing a convex non-planar surface.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of configuring an ultrasound array to transmit a beam pattern sufficient to insonate a region of interest at an internal site of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing an array of ultrasound transducer elements; b) outputting a beam pattern from said array of ultrasound transducer elements to insonate a region of interest at an internal site in a body that is sufficiently large that the beam output pattern comprises a multi-beam pattern, insonating multiple receiver elements over a substantially simultaneous period by directing energy produced by said array of ultrasound transducer elements into said region of interest in said body, and adjusting an amplitude of energy output by said array of transducers to cause the beam pattern output to have a generally flat upper pattern and nulls in a grating lobe region; and c) introducing a propagation time delay of the beam pattern output from said array of ultrasound transducer elements, wherein the propagation delay increases as a distance increases from a central output area of said array of ultrasound transducer elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of configuring an ultrasound array to transmit a beam pattern sufficient to insonate a region of interest at an internal site of a subject, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing an array of ultrasound transducer elements; b) outputting a beam pattern from said array of ultrasound transducer elements to insonate a region of interest at an internal site in a body sufficiently large that the beam pattern comprises a multi-beam pattern, insonating multiple receiver elements over a substantially simultaneous period by directing energy produced by said array of ultrasound transducer elements into said region of interest in said body, and adjusting an amplitude of energy output by said array of transducers to cause the beam pattern output to have a generally flat upper pattern and nulls in a grating lobe region; and c) introducing a phase shift of the beam pattern output from said array of ultrasound transducer elements, wherein a degree of phase shift increases as a distance increases from a central output area of said array of ultrasound transducer elements. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A device for transmitting a multibeam pattern from an array of ultrasound transducer elements sufficient to insonate a region of interest at an internal site in a subject, said device comprising:
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a) an array of ultrasound transducer elements; b) means for outputting a multi-beam pattern from said array of ultrasound transducer elements to insonate a region of interest in a body encompassing multiple receiver elements over a substantially simultaneous period by directing energy produced by said array of ultrasound transducer elements into said region of interest in said body and adjusting an amplitude of energy output by said array of transducers to cause the beam pattern output to have a generally flat upper pattern and nulls in a grating lobe region; and c) means for introducing a propagation time delay of the beam pattern output from said array of ultrasound transducer elements, wherein the propagation delay increases as a distance increases from a central output area of said array of ultrasound transducer elements.
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13. A device for transmitting a multibeam pattern from an array of ultrasound transducer elements sufficient to insonate a region of interest at an internal site in a subject, said device comprising:
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a) an array of ultrasound transducer elements; b) means for outputting a multi-beam pattern from said array of ultrasound transducer elements to insonate a region of interest in a body encompassing multiple receiver elements over a substantially simultaneous period by directing energy produced by said array of ultrasound transducer elements into said region of interest in said body and adjusting an amplitude of energy output by said array of transducers to cause the beam pattern output to have a generally flat upper pattern and nulls in a grating lobe region; and c) means for introducing a phase shift of the beam pattern output from said array of ultrasound transducer elements, wherein a degree of phase shift increases as a distance increases from a central output area of said array of ultrasound transducer elements.
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14. A method for operating an array of ultrasound transducer elements, wherein the element spacing in the array is greater than, equal to or less than a half wavelength of the ultrasound energy produced by the elements, and wherein the array is used differently in transmit and receive modes, comprising:
forming a transmit beam from a position external to a region of interest encompassing a plurality of receive beams and initially acquiring a signal by insonating a target region comprising multiple receive beam positions over a substantially simultaneous period;
receiving data from the multiple receive beam positions of the array;
combining the received data in a processor;
locking onto the receive beam and the point(s) producing a peak signal; and
correcting for motions in the target region by periodically forming multiple receive beams and re-acquiring the peak signal.- View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
- 30. An ultrasound device comprising an array of ultrasound transducer elements, wherein the element spacing in the array is greater than, equal to or less than a half wavelength of the ultrasound energy produced by the elements, and additionally comprising means for operating the array differently in transmit and receive modes, and forming a transmit beam encompassing a plurality of receive beams for initially acquiring a signal by insonating a target region comprising multiple receive beam positions simultaneously, receiving data from the multiple receive beam positions of the array, processing the received data to lock onto the receive beam and the point(s) producing a peak signal, and correcting for motions in the target region by periodically forming multiple receive beams and re-acquiring the peak signal.
Specification