Mechanism and system for 3-Dimensional scanning of an ultrasound beam

• US 20030018269A1
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PreXion Corporation (Funai Electric Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eagle Ultrasound As
• Inventors: Kjode, Stig B., Johansen, Tonni F., Angelsen, Bjorn A.J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,780,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8936 using transducers mounted for mechanical movement in three dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems

Abstract

An ultrasound probe capable of scanning an ultrasound beam in a region of 3D space, characterized by that an ultrasound transducer array is mounted to a 1^st shaft that can rotate in bearings mounted in a fork that can be moved. The fork can be rotated around a 2^nd shaft in a bearing, or moved through a sliding system, or a combination of the two. The shaft and the fork are connected to two separate electric motors for electric steering of the array direction within a region of 3D space. Position measurement systems are mounted to the shaft and the fork so that the beam direction can be steered with a feed-back control system.

Claims

1. An ultrasound transducer probe for scanning the direction and focus of an ultrasound beam in 3D space, characterized by

an ultrasound transducer array attached to a 1^st shaft that is able to rotate in a bearing mounted in a fork,

the fork being moveable so that the 1^st shaft is moved, so that the transducer array can be directed freely in any direction within a region of 3D space.

2. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 1, where the fork is moved through rotation around a 2^nd shaft mounted in a bearing.

3. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 2, where the 2^nd shaft axis is normal to the 1^st shaft axis.

4. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 3, where the 2^nd shaft axis crosses the 1^st shaft axis.

5. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 1, where the fork is moved through sliding in a sliding system.

6. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 1, where the ultrasound array is an annular array.

7. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 1, where

a 1^st electric motor is coupled to the shaft enabling the shaft attached to the array to rotate in the bearing,

and a 2^nd electric motor is arranged to move the fork, so that through electric drive signals on the motors, the transducer array can be directed freely in any direction within a region of 3D space.

8. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 7, where the stator of the 1^st electric motor is mounted to the fork and the rotor of the 1^st electric motor is mounted to the shaft, enabling the shaft attached to the array to rotate in the bearing mounted in the fork.

9. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 5, where the fork has a circular shape and the sliding system is mounted so relative to the fork that the sliding provides a rotation of the shaft around an axis normal to the shaft.

10. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 5, where the sliding system is mounted so relative to the fork that the sliding provides a lateral displacement of the shaft in the plane of the shaft.

11. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 5, where the sliding system is mounted so relative to the fork that the sliding provides a rotation of the shaft around an axis on the shaft side of the sliding system, normal to the shaft.

12. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 1, where the fork is attached to at least one flexible band, and the movement of the fork is obtained by pulling the flexible band.

13. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 12, where the fork is attached to a flexible band on one side, and a spring system on the other side so that bi-directional movement of the fork is obtained by combined action of the spring system and pulling of the flexible band, where pulling of the flexible band moves the fork in one direction and the spring pulls the fork in the opposite direction when the pull in the flexible band is released.

14. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 12, where the fork on each side is attached to separate flexible band, and bi-directional movement of the fork is obtained by selectively pulling one of the bands.

15. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 12, where the pulling of the flexible band(s) is done by an electric motor.

16. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 13, where the pulling of the flexible band(s) is done by an electric motor.

17. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 14, where the pulling of the flexible band(s) is done by an electric motor.

18. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 2, where the second shaft-bearing system is mounted to a sliding system that allows movement of position and direction of the second shaft-bearing system, a 3^rd electric motor being connected to the sliding system to move the position and direction of the second shaft-bearing system.

19. An ultrasound transducer probe according to claim 7, where the angular position of the 1^st shaft and the position of the fork is measured, the position signals being fed to a feed-back controller that provides drive signals for the electric motors, so that the direction of the ultrasound beam can be steered so that the measured position of the shaft and the fork follows close to a reference signal.