# US 10,117,641 B2 · System and method for focusing ultrasound image data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,117,641 B2 - Document ID: US10117641B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/816,923 - Filed: 2017-11-17 - Published: 2018-03-15 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-08-24 - Assignees: Volcano Corporation - Applicants: Volcano Corporation - Inventors: Andrew Hancock - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10117641B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/5207: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image} - A61B 8/0891: {for diagnosis of blood vessels} - A61B 8/12: in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters - A61B 8/445: {Details of catheter construction} - A61B 8/4488: {the transducer being a phased array} - A61B 8/4494: {characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements} - A61B 8/56: {Details of data transmission or power supply} - G01S 7/52034: {Data rate converters} - G01S 15/8927: {using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures} - G01S 15/8997: {using synthetic aperture techniques} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract Sold-state intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging devices, systems, and methods are provided. Some embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly directed to flexible and efficient systems for focusing IVUS echo data received from transducers including polymer piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasound transducers (PMUTs). In one embodiment, an ultrasound processing system includes first and second aperture engines coupled to an engine controller, which provides aperture assignments to the first and second aperture engines. The aperture engines receive the assignment and a portion of A-line data, perform one or more focusing process on the received A-line data, and produce focused data in accordance with the aperture assignment. In some embodiments, once an aperture engine has produced focused data, the engine controller clears the aperture engine and assigns another aperture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ultrasound imaging system, comprising: a processing system in communication with an ultrasound imaging device comprising one or more transducers associated with a set of apertures, the processing system operable to: assign the set of apertures to a set of aperture engines; provide an ultrasonic dataset of the one or more transducers associated with the set of apertures to each of the aperture engines within the set of aperture engines; produce a focused ultrasonic dataset when it is determined that a first aperture engine of the set of aperture engines has sufficient data to produce the focused ultrasonic dataset; and thereafter assign another aperture to the first aperture engine. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further operable to: clear the first aperture engine of stored ultrasonic data when it is determined that the first aperture engine has produced the focused ultrasonic dataset. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system providing an ultrasonic dataset includes providing substantially all of the ultrasonic dataset to each of the aperture engines within the set of aperture engines via a common data bus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system producing a focused ultrasonic dataset includes performing an apodization process on the ultrasonic dataset according to a set of apodization coefficients. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system producing a focused ultrasonic dataset includes performing a time-of-flight adjustment on the ultrasonic dataset according to a time-of-flight offset. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system producing a focused ultrasonic dataset includes performing a resampling process on the ultrasonic dataset according to a set of resampling rates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the processing system is operable to determine the set of resampling rates based on a ratio of samples per pixel of a display unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the ratio of samples per pixel is 1:1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the display unit is a high-definition display unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system producing a focused ultrasonic dataset includes performing a summation of the ultrasonic dataset. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the set of aperture engines includes a total number of aperture engines, and wherein the total number of aperture engines corresponds to a total number of transducers within an aperture. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the total number of transducers is at least 128. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system comprises: the set of aperture engines; a data interface operable to provide the ultrasonic dataset to the set of aperture engines; and an engine controller communicatively coupled to the set of aperture engines. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: the ultrasound imaging device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the ultrasound imaging device is configured to be inserted into a patient body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the ultrasound imaging device comprises at least one of a catheter or a guidewire.