Flexible ultrasound transducer array

• US 7,878,977 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mo, Jian-Hua, Lu, Xuan-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur; Eric F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fernandez; Katherine L
• Application Number:
  US11/242,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/446, 600/473, 600/459, 600/466, 600/467
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• 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: G01S 15/8927 using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/32 characterised by the shape of the source
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation

Abstract

A transducer array includes two or more sub-arrays that move relative to each other. Position sensors on each of the sub-arrays provide spatial coordination for beamforming and/or image forming to yield extended field of view and high image resolution. The adaptable transducer array, such as mounted on a flexible transducer housing, allows the array to better conform to the patient during internal or external use.

Claims

1. An ultrasound transducer for imaging, the transducer comprising:

a transducer housing;

at least first and second sub-arrays each having a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements on a fully sampled grid, the first and second sub-arrays within or on the transducer housing and adjacent to each other on first and second segments, respectively; and

at least first and second position sensors adjacent to the at least first and second sub-arrays, respectively, wherein the transducer housing is configured to allow the first sub-array to change position relative to the second sub-array in response to the transducer housing conforming, at least in part, to fit a body contour of the patient, the change in position being by an amount that is a function of the body contour, the transducer housing conforming to fit the body contour during scanning with the ultrasound transducer elements for imaging, the amount different for different body contours, the change in position occurring between the first and second segments where the first and second sub-arrays are relatively rigid.

2. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the transducer housing comprises a catheter, endoscope, or intraoperative transducer housing, the at least first and second sub-arrays being adjacent in a distal region of the transducer housing, the distal region being operable for use within a patient.

3. The transducer of claim 2 wherein the first and second sub-arrays comprises one dimensional arrays.

4. The transducer of claim 2 wherein the transducer housing comprises the catheter and the distal region of the transducer housing is flexible at least between the first and second sub-arrays.

5. The transducer of claim 2 wherein the distal region comprises at least the first and second segments, the first sub-array and first position sensor in the first segment and the second sub-array and second position sensor in the second segment.

6. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the transducer housing comprises a flexible substrate connected with the first and second sub-arrays.

7. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ultrasound transducer elements of the first and second sub-arrays each comprise a multidimensional array N×

M elements where N and M are greater than one, the first sub-array having a same or different values of N or M.

8. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the first and second sub-arrays are relatively rigid in comparison to the transducer housing connection of the first sub-array to the second sub-array.

9. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the first sub-array is operable to be replaceable within or on the transducer housing.

10. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the first and second position sensors comprise magnetic position sensors.

11. The transducer of claim 1 further comprising:

a receive beamformer connected with the first and second sub-arrays, the receive beamformer operable to generate samples from the first sub-array and generate samples from the second sub-array.

12. The transducer of claim 11 wherein the receive beamformer is at least in part within the transducer housing.

13. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the first sub-array being adjacent to the second sub-array comprises a first edge of the first sub-array being within two element widths of a second edge of the second sub-array.

14. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the first sub-array being adjacent to the second sub-array comprises a first edge of the first sub-array being more than two element widths away from a second edge of the second sub-array.

15. An ultrasound transducer system for imaging, the ultrasound transducer system comprising:

a transducer housing having first and second transducer arrays of ultrasound transducer elements, the first transducer array operable to move passively, during imaging, relative to the second transducer array by an amount to adapt to a natural contour of a patient, the amount being different for different contours, the first and second transducer arrays being on rigid segments separated by a location of the passive movement of the first transducer array relative to the second transducer array;

first and second position sensors adjacent to the first and second transducer arrays; and

a receive beamformer connected with the first and second transducer arrays, the receive beamformer operable to generate first samples from the first transducer array and generate second samples from the second transducer array, the generation of the first samples, the sample locations of the first samples relative to the second samples, or both being a function of output from the first and second position sensors.

16. The ultrasound transducer system of claim 15 wherein the transducer housing comprises a probe operable for use within a patient, the first and second transducer arrays being adjacent in a distal region of the probe, the distal region being operable for use within a patient.

17. The ultrasound transducer system of claim 15 wherein the first and second transducer arrays comprise one or multi-dimensional arrays.

18. The ultrasound transducer system of claim 15 wherein the first transducer array is adjacent to the second transducer array, and wherein the transducer housing is flexible at least between the first and second transducer arrays.

19. The ultrasound transducer system of claim 15 wherein the transducer housing comprises a flexible substrate connected with the first and second transducer arrays in a handheld probe operable for use outside a patient.

20. The ultrasound transducer system of claim 15 wherein the first and second transducer arrays are operable to be replaceable within or on the transducer housing.

21. The ultrasound transducer system of claim 15 wherein the receive beamformer is at least in part within the transducer housing.

22. The ultrasound transducer system of claim 15 wherein the first samples are responsive to an aperture including at least one element from each of the first and second transducer arrays, at least one relative delay or phase of the receive beamformer being responsive to the first and second position sensors.

23. The ultrasound transducer system of claim 15 further comprising a processor operable to use the first and second samples for an image, a relative position of data in the image responsive to the first and second samples being a function of output from the first and second position sensors.

24. A method for imaging with ultrasound, the method comprising:

positioning a transducer probe having first and second transducer arrays at a location for imaging, wherein the positioning causes movement of a first transducer array relative to a second transducer array to conform, at least in part, to a contour of a patient at the location, the movement being due to change from another contour to the contour, the first and second transducer arrays being rigid in comparison to a location of the movement of the first transducer array relative to the second transducer array;

receiving first acoustic echoes with the first transducer array at the location;

receiving second acoustic echoes with the second transducer array;

sensing a first position of the first transducer array;

sensing a second position of the second transducer array; and

generating an image as a function of the first and second acoustic echoes and the first and second positions.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein sensing the first and second positions comprises sensing absolute positions.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein positioning the transducer probe comprises positioning the transducer probe within a patient.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein positioning the transducer probe comprises attaching the transducer probe adjacent to skin of a patient.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein generating the image comprises generating the image from data beamformed separately from the first and second transducer arrays with corresponding positions of the data being a function of the first and second positions.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein generating the image comprises forming a beam with the first and second acoustic echoes with delays, phases or delays and phases being a function of the first and second positions.