Apparatus and method for real time 3D body object scanning without touching or applying pressure to the body object

• US 7,708,691 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonowise, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonowise, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Shengtz
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roy; Baisakhi
• Application Number:
  US11/193,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/437, 600/439, 600/443
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0825 for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/406 using means for diagnosing suspended breasts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0625 Annular array
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0633 Cylindrical array
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/74 Underwater
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/76 Medical, dental
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/352 by moving the transducer

Abstract

An ultrasonic image scanning system for scanning an organic object includes a container for containing a coupling medium for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to the organic object disposed therein whereby a simultaneous multiple direction scanning process may be carried out without physically contacting the organic object. The ultrasonic image scanning system further includes ultrasound transducers for transmitting the ultrasonic signal to the organic object through the coupling medium without asserting an image deforming pressure to the organic object. These transducers distributed substantially around a two-dimensional perimeter of the container and substantially at symmetrical angular positions at approximately equal divisions of 360 degrees over a two-dimensional perimeter of the container. The transducers are further movable over a vertical direction alone sidewalls of the container for a real time three dimensional (3D) image data acquisition. The container further includes sidewalls covered with a baffle layer for reducing an acoustic reverberation.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic image scanning system for scanning an organic object comprising:

a plurality of modules, each module comprising a high voltage multiplexer and a plurality of ultrasonic transducers,

a container for containing a coupling medium surrounded by each of the high voltage multiplexers and the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, each module disposed immediately adjacent to said container for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to said organic object immersing directly in said coupling medium, whereby a simultaneous multiple direction scanning process may be carried out without physically contacting said organic object; and

said plurality of ultrasonic transducers further receiving echo signals from said organic object transmitted in said coupling medium wherein said ultrasonic signal transmitted to and said echo signal transmitted from said organic object are transmitted completely through and within said coupling medium for improving an accuracy of an ultrasonic image scan; and

a baffle layer positioned in the module in the areas between each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to reduce an acoustic reverberation associated with the scanning.

2. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

said ultrasound transducers are arranged on a same horizontal level surrounding said container for simplifying an image geometrical and signal transmission and echoing analysis based on a configuration of the same horizontal level.

3. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

said ultrasound transducers are distributed and substantially surrounding an entire perimeter of said container.

4. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

said ultrasound transducers are distributed substantially at symmetrical angular positions at approximately equal divisions of 360 degrees over an entire perimeter of said container.

5. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

said ultrasound transducers are distributed substantially around an entire perimeter of said container wherein said transducers are further movable over a direction perpendicular to a 2D scan plane of said transducers along sidewalls of said container for a real time three dimensional (3D) image data acquisition.

6. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

the baffle layer has an irregular shape.

7. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1

wherein the high voltage (HV) semiconductor multiplexer integrated circuit (IC) is connected to an array of ultrasound probes for real time scanning and data acquisition.

8. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

said coupling medium further comprises de-bubbled fluid.

9. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wire phantom for carrying out a scan conversion geometric calibration.

10. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 further comprising:

an image data processor for performing a three-dimensional volume and/or surface rendering for representing a scanned image of said organic object.

11. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 further comprising:

a computer aided diagnostic (CAD) system for processing a set of image scan data for constructing and presenting tissue structural characteristic details of said organic object according to said set of image scan data.

12. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 further comprising:

a dense breast screen device to prescreen a dense breast as an organic object for carrying out an image scan by said ultrasonic image scanning system.

13. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

said ultrasound transducers are distributed substantially with a uniform circular arrangement for acquiring an ultrasonic image vector in a constant arc distance for reconstructing an image of the organic object.

14. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

said ultrasound transducers further comprising omni-directional high frequency ultrasound probes.

15. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

said ultrasound transducers are further distributed over an entire interior surface of said container with a sufficient number of ultrasound transducers to capture a three-dimensional image of said organic object without requiring a movement of said ultrasound transducers.

16. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 further comprising:

a scan controller to automatically control an image scanning process and data acquisition by controlling said ultrasound transducers with a standard scanning procedure.

17. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 16 further comprising:

a card bus connector to transmit signals between said scan controller and said ultrasound transducers.

18. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 17 further comprising:

said card bus connector further comprising a high voltage semiconductor multiplex switch for controlling a real time signal routing.

19. The ultrasonic image scanning system of claim 1 wherein:

said ultrasound transducers are controllable to move around to different angular positions of said container for transmitting said ultrasonic signal to said organic object through said coupling medium without deforming said organic object.

20. A method for ultrasonically scanning an organic object comprising:

filling a container with a coupling medium

placing a plurality of modules comprising a plurality of ultrasonic transducers immediately around said container for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to and receiving echo signals from said organic object, each module further comprising a high voltage multiplexer;

immersing directly in said coupling medium for carrying out a simultaneous multiple direction scanning process without physically contacting said organic object wherein said ultrasonic signals transmitted to and said echo signals transmitted from said organic object are transmitted completely through and within said coupling medium for improving an accuracy of an ultrasonic image scanning; and

providing a baffle layer within the module in the areas between each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to reduce an acoustic reverberation using the baffle layer.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

arranging said plurality of ultrasound transducers on a same horizontal level surrounding said container for simplifying an image geometrical and signal transmission and echoing analysis based on a configuration of the same horizontal level.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

distributing said plurality of ultrasound transducers to substantially surround an entire perimeter of said container.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

distributing a plurality of ultrasound transducers substantially at symmetrical angular positions at approximately equal divisions of 360 degrees over an entire perimeter of said container.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

distributing a plurality of ultrasound transducers substantially around an entire perimeter of said container wherein said transducers are further movable over a direction perpendicular to a 2D scan plane of said transducers along sidewalls of said container for a real time three dimensional (3D) image data acquisition.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

distributing said plurality of ultrasonic transducers over an entire interior surface of said container with sufficient number of ultrasonic transducers to capture a three-dimensional image of said organic object without requiring a movement of said ultrasonic transducers.

26. An ultrasonic image scanning system for scanning an organic object comprising:

a container for containing a coupling medium for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to said organic object disposed therein, whereby a simultaneous multiple direction scanning process may be carried out without physically contacting said organic object, and the container comprising sidewalls;

a plurality of modules, each module comprising a high voltage multiplexer and a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, the plurality of ultrasound transducers for transmitting said ultrasonic signal to said organic object through said coupling medium without asserting an image deforming pressure to said organic object, the modules distributed substantially around a two-dimensional perimeter of said container, the ultrasound transducers distributed substantially at symmetrical angular positions at approximately equal divisions of 360 degrees over the two-dimensional perimeter of said container, the transducers further movable over a vertical direction along sidewalls of said container for a real time three dimensional image data acquisition; and

a baffle layer. positioned in the areas between each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to reduce an acoustic reverberation associated with the scanning the organic object.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the baffle layer comprises rubber and the module comprises a printed circuit board that supports each of the ultrasonic transducers and the high voltage multiplexer.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the baffle layer is formed with an irregular shape.