Ultrasound imaging system

• US 8,226,561 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Zonare Medical Systems Incorporated (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Glen, Ji, Ting-Lan, Napolitano, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): COOK, CHRISTOPHER L
• Application Number:
  US12/684,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 600443-448, 600454-456, 600/458, 73625-626
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4438 Means for identifying the diagnostic device, e.g. barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/462 characterised by constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/017 Doppler techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02416 Solids in liquids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02466 Biological material, e.g. blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/06 Visualisation of the interior, e.g. acoustic microscopy medical or veterinary diagnosis using sonic waves A61B8/00; representation of acoustic wave distribution G01H3/125, G01H9/002; short-range imaging systems using reflection of acoustic waves G01S15/8906
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/0609 Display arrangements, e.g. colour displays indicating or recording in connection with measuring in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/11 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/14 using acoustic emission techniques echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/348 with frequency characteristics, e.g. single frequency signals, chirp signals measuring frequency of mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in general G01H1/06, G01H3/04; measuring frequency or analysing frequency spectra G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8915 using a transducer array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8918 the array being linear
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/892 : the array being curvilinear
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8954 : using a broad-band spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8981 : Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds, e.g. wall clutter filter
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52023 : Details of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52046 : Techniques for image enhancement involving transmitter or receiver image enhancement by image data processing G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/06 : using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves

Abstract

Echolocation data is generated using a multi-dimensional transform capable of using phase and magnitude information to distinguish echoes resulting from ultrasound beam components produced using different ultrasound transducers. Since the multi-dimensional transform does not depend on using receive or transmit beam lines, a multi-dimensional area can be imaged using a single ultrasound transmission. In some embodiments, this ability increases image frame rate and reduces the amount of ultrasound energy required to generate an image.

Claims

1. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:

a control device that receives a user indication of a requirement of analysis of a material under investigation, and that determines a number and shape of broad beam ultrasound beams for imaging of the material under investigation in accordance with the user indication;

a transducer array that transmits broad beam ultrasound beams corresponding to the number and shape of broad beam ultrasound beams determined by the control device into the material under investigation, and that detects echoes produced by the transmitted broad beam ultrasound beams and that generates analog channel data responsive to the detected echoes;

a multi-channel analog-to-digital converter that generates digital channel data, the digital channel data including amplitude and phase information;

a channel data buffer that stores the digital channel data;

a signal processor that generates multidimensional echolocation data through transformation of at least the amplitude and phase information of the stored digital channel data, wherein the multidimensional echolocation data is generated without using transmit, receive, or scan lines;

an echolocation data array that stores the generated multidimensional echolocation data, wherein the echolocation data array includes a pre-selected coordinate system; and

an image converter that generates an image for display on a display device, wherein the multidimensional echolocation data stored in the pre-selected coordinate system of the echolocation data array is mapped to a specific location on the display device.