Transmissive imaging and related apparatus and methods

• US 9,247,924 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BFLY Operations, Inc. (Butterfly Network, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Butterfly Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Rothberg, Jonathan M., Sanchez, Nevada J., Charvat, Gregory L., Ralston, Tyler S.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROZANSKI, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US14/191,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/438, 600/439, 600/443, 600/459, 601/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• 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 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4263 using sensors not mounted on the probe, e.g. mounted on an external reference frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4477 using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 : Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 : Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described that include ultrasound imaging devices, which may operate in a transmissive ultrasound imaging modality, and which may be used to detect properties of interest of a subject such as index of refraction, density and/or speed of sound. Devices suitable for performing high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), as well as HIFU and ultrasound imaging, are also described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing a plurality of measurements of a subject, the plurality of measurements resulting at least in part from detection of ultrasound radiation by an ultrasound imaging device, the ultrasound imaging device comprising a plurality of ultrasound sources including a first ultrasound source and a plurality of ultrasound sensors including a first ultrasound sensor;

calculating, using at least one processor, a first image of the subject from the plurality of measurements by using first path length information for a straight path between the first ultrasound source and the first ultrasound sensor;

calculating, using the at least one processor, second path length information at least in part by computing at least one refractive path between the first ultrasound source and the first ultrasound sensor using the first image; and

calculating, using the at least one processor, a second image of the subject from the plurality of measurements by using the second path length information,

wherein said calculating the first image of the subject comprises calculating the first image by using a compressive sensing image reconstruction technique,

wherein said calculating the second image of the subject comprises calculating the second image by using the compressive sensing image reconstruction technique, and

wherein using the compressive sensing image reconstruction technique to calculate the first image of the subject comprises identifying a solution to a first system of linear equations relating the plurality of measurements to a property of the subject, wherein the first system of linear equations was obtained based at least in part on the first path length information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating the second path length information comprises computing the at least one refractive path using Fermat'"'"'s principle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said calculating the second path length information further comprises obtaining a solution to a differential equation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using the compressive sensing image reconstruction technique to calculate the second image of the subject comprises identifying a solution to a second system of linear equations relating the plurality of measurements to the property of the subject, wherein the second system of linear equations was obtained based at least in part on the second path length information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image of the subject is a volumetric image of the subject.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image of the subject is a volumetric image of the subject.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of measurements was obtained by the ultrasound imaging device operating in a transmissive modality.