Ultrasound probe sub-aperture processing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A sub-aperture transceiver system to be housed in an ultrasound probe, the system comprising:
- a probe housing;
a signal processor located in the probe housing;
receive signal connections coupling the signal processor to a receive sub-aperture comprising acoustic transceiver elements;
transmit signal connections coupled to a transmit sub-aperture comprising at least one acoustic transceiver element joined to multiplexing circuitry to multiplex the acoustic transceiver element between the transmit and receive sub-apertures, the signal processor performing beamforming on the receive sub-aperture to produce a receive sub-aperture signal; and
a receive sub-aperture output driven by the signal processor for carrying the receive sub-aperture signal from the probe housing.
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Abstract
A sub-aperture transceiver system for an ultrasound probe includes a signal processor, receive signal connections connecting the signal processor to a receive aperture comprising acoustic transceiver elements, and transmit signal connections coupled to a transmit aperture that includes at least one acoustic transceiver element multiplexed with the receive aperture.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A sub-aperture transceiver system to be housed in an ultrasound probe, the system comprising:
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a probe housing; a signal processor located in the probe housing; receive signal connections coupling the signal processor to a receive sub-aperture comprising acoustic transceiver elements; transmit signal connections coupled to a transmit sub-aperture comprising at least one acoustic transceiver element joined to multiplexing circuitry to multiplex the acoustic transceiver element between the transmit and receive sub-apertures, the signal processor performing beamforming on the receive sub-aperture to produce a receive sub-aperture signal; and a receive sub-aperture output driven by the signal processor for carrying the receive sub-aperture signal from the probe housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A sub-aperture transceiver system comprising:
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a first processing board having a data input to receive first setup data; a second processing board joined serially in a chained arrangement with the first processing board the second processing board having a data input to receive second setup data; and receive signal connections for a plurality of receive sub-apertures distributed between the first and second processing boards, the first and second processing boards producing first and second receive data, respectively, based upon first and second setup data, the first and second setup data being propagated serially between the first processing board and the second processing board; where the receive signal connections couple each receive sub-aperture to at least one of the first and second processing boards without partitioning any receive sub-aperture between the first and second processing boards. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method in an ultrasound system for sub-aperture processing, the method comprising:
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performing sub-aperture beamforming, at a signal processor located in an ultrasound probe, based on a plurality of receive signals received from acoustic transducer elements that form a receive sub-aperture; multiplexing, within the ultrasound probe, at least one of the acoustic transducer elements between the receive sub-aperture and a transmit sub-aperture; and driving a receive sub-aperture output by the signal processor with a receive sub-aperture signal obtained over the acoustic transducer elements in the receive sub-aperture. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A method in an ultrasound system for sub-aperture processing, the method comprising:
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receiving, for a plurality of receive sub-apertures, receive signals distributed to a first signal processor on a first processing board and a second signal processor on a second processing board without partitioning any of the receive sub-apertures between the processing boards; multiplexing, within the ultrasound probe, at least one of the acoustic transducer elements between a receive sub-aperture and a transmit sub-aperture; and driving a receive sub-aperture output by the first signal processor with a receive sub-aperture signal obtained over the acoustic transducer elements in the receive sub-aperture.
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32. A method in an ultrasound system for sub-aperture processing, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a signal processor located in an ultrasound probe, a plurality of receive signals from acoustic transducer elements that comprise a receive sub-aperture; multiplexing, within the ultrasound probe, at least one of the acoustic transducer elements between the receive subaperture and a transmit sub-aperture; driving a receive sub-aperture output coupled to the signal processor with a signal obtained over the acoustic transducer elements in the receive sub-aperture; coupling transmit signals to a plurality of transmit apertures over transmit signal connections distributed between the first and second processing boards, and where the transmit signal connections couple each transmit sub-aperture to at least one of the processing boards without partitioning any of the transmit sub-apertures between the processing boards.
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Specification