Method and apparatus to produce ultrasonic images using multiple apertures
First Claim
1. An ultrasound imaging method, comprising:
- transmitting a first ultrasound pulse along a first scan line from a transmit transducer array positioned in a first acoustic window relative to a target object to be imaged;
receiving echoes of the transmit pulse with a first omnidirectional receive transducer positioned in a second acoustic window, wherein the second acoustic window does not overlap the first acoustic window;
storing the received echoes in a first line of computer memory;
obtaining transducer position information defining a position and orientation of the transmit transducer array relative to the first omnidirectional receive transducer;
retrieving the stored echoes from the first line of computer memory; and
constructing a first image of the target object along the first scan line from the retrieved echoes and the transducer position information.
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Abstract
A combination of an ultrasonic scanner and an omnidirectional receive transducer for producing a two-dimensional image from received echoes is described. Two-dimensional images with different noise components can be constructed from the echoes received by additional transducers. These can be combined to produce images with better signal to noise ratios and lateral resolution. Also disclosed is a method based on information content to compensate for the different delays for different paths through intervening tissue is described. The disclosed techniques have broad application in medical imaging but are ideally suited to multi-aperture cardiac imaging using two or more intercostal spaces. Since lateral resolution is determined primarily by the aperture defined by the end elements, it is not necessary to fill the entire aperture with equally spaced elements. Multiple slices using these methods can be combined to form three-dimensional images.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An ultrasound imaging method, comprising:
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transmitting a first ultrasound pulse along a first scan line from a transmit transducer array positioned in a first acoustic window relative to a target object to be imaged; receiving echoes of the transmit pulse with a first omnidirectional receive transducer positioned in a second acoustic window, wherein the second acoustic window does not overlap the first acoustic window; storing the received echoes in a first line of computer memory; obtaining transducer position information defining a position and orientation of the transmit transducer array relative to the first omnidirectional receive transducer; retrieving the stored echoes from the first line of computer memory; and constructing a first image of the target object along the first scan line from the retrieved echoes and the transducer position information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification