Ultrasound imaging system
First Claim
1. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:
- a plurality of ultrasound transducers for generating an ultrasound signal, for receiving an ultrasound signal, and for producing a transducer signal representative of said received signal;
means for providing a range signal representative of the distance of object interacting with each ultrasound signal;
timing means for producing a timing signal;
means for energizing said transducers;
means for listening for an ultrasonic wave being received at one of said transducers and for producing a stop signal indicative of each ultrasound wave being received;
sequencing means responsive to said timing signal and electrically connected to said means for energizing and said means for listening for selecting a sequence of firing transducers, for causing said means for energizing to fire a selected firing transducer at first determined time, for selecting a sequence of listening transducers and for causing said means for listening to listen to the listening transducers of the sequence during second determined times, said sequencing means also responsive to said stop signal for selecting the next in the sequence of firing transducers whenever said stop signal is received until said firing and said listening sequences are completed; and
means responsive to said transducer signals and said range signal for producing an output representative of said received ultrasound signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasound imaging system particularly adapted for detecting structure which reflects ultrasound at a variety of angles. There is a plurality of ultrasound transducers, which may be a linear array or a two-dimension array with the various horizontal rows of the array offset from one another, but having zero horizontal space or overlapping between adjacent vertical transducers. A sequencer causes one transducer to fire and then listen for an echo; if no echo is heard, the same transducer fires again and an adjacent transducer listens; if there is still no echo, the transducer fires and the next adjacent transducer listens; and so on until a predetermined listening sequence is concluded. If an echo is heard at any time, the listening sequence is terminated and the next transducer fires, as determined by a predetermined firing sequence, and the listening sequence for that firing transducer is conducted until an echo is heard or the listening sequence is completed; and so on until the firing sequence is completed. A counter measures the time between the transducer firing and the receipt of the echo to produce a range signal representative of the distance from the transducer face to the structure producing the echo. The signals produced by the transducers upon receipt of the echo and the range signal are processed by computer to produce a visual representation of the structure imaged, such as spine and rib structure.
55 Citations
8 Claims
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1. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:
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a plurality of ultrasound transducers for generating an ultrasound signal, for receiving an ultrasound signal, and for producing a transducer signal representative of said received signal; means for providing a range signal representative of the distance of object interacting with each ultrasound signal; timing means for producing a timing signal; means for energizing said transducers; means for listening for an ultrasonic wave being received at one of said transducers and for producing a stop signal indicative of each ultrasound wave being received; sequencing means responsive to said timing signal and electrically connected to said means for energizing and said means for listening for selecting a sequence of firing transducers, for causing said means for energizing to fire a selected firing transducer at first determined time, for selecting a sequence of listening transducers and for causing said means for listening to listen to the listening transducers of the sequence during second determined times, said sequencing means also responsive to said stop signal for selecting the next in the sequence of firing transducers whenever said stop signal is received until said firing and said listening sequences are completed; and means responsive to said transducer signals and said range signal for producing an output representative of said received ultrasound signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification