# US 10,499,885 B2 · Ultrasound system and method, and ultrasound probe > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,499,885 B2 - Document ID: US10499885B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/898,675 - Filed: 2014-05-30 - Published: 2016-05-05 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-25 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi, Ltd. - Inventors: Kengo Imagawa; Yutaka Igarashi; Toru Yazaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10499885B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/56: {Details of data transmission or power supply} - A61B 8/08: Clinical applications (A61B8/02, A61B8/04, A61B8/06 take precedence) - A61B 8/145: {characterised by scanning multiple planes} - A61B 8/4488: {the transducer being a phased array} - A61B 8/5207: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image} - A61B 8/58: {Testing, adjusting or calibrating the diagnostic device} - G01S 7/52033: {Gain control of receivers (for seismic signals G01V1/245)} - G01S 15/8927: {using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures} - G01S 15/8963: {using pulse inversion} - A61B 8/4494: {characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements} - A61B 8/465: {adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus} - G01S 7/52038: {involving non-linear properties of the propagation medium or of the reflective target} - G01S 15/8925: {the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays} - 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 An objective of the present invention is to provide an ultrasound system which can correct a positive-negative asymmetry in pulse inversion (PI) and obtain a high-image quality ultrasound image. To carryout an asymmetry correction of a transmission assembly circuit comprising an oscillation adjustment amplifier (10) and an ultrasound oscillator array (90), correction data obtained in a calibration mode is stored in a correction memory (46), and positive-negative asymmetry of an overall receiving assembly circuit comprising a computation unit (45) is corrected in a diagnostic mode of the device using the correction data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ultrasound system comprising: a transmission circuit which transmits a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal obtained by polarity inversion of the first transmission signal; an ultrasound probe which transmits a first ultrasound signal to an irradiation subject based on the first transmission signal from the transmission circuit, receives a first reflection ultrasound signal from the irradiation subject, transmits a second ultrasound signal to the irradiation subject based on the second transmission signal from the transmission circuit and receives a second reflection ultrasound signal from the irradiation subject; a reception circuit which receives a first reception signal corresponding to the first reflection ultrasound signal received by the ultrasound probe and a second reception signal corresponding to the second reflection ultrasound signal received by the ultrasound probe; a memory which stores correction data for correcting a positive-negative asymmetry between the first and second transmission signals based on an addition result of adding the first reception signal and the second reception signal in a calibration mode; and a processor configured to execute a correction computation in which an addition, a subtraction, a multiplication, or a division between the addition result and the correction data stored in the memory is performed in a diagnostic mode to compensate for the positive-negative asymmetry between the first and second transmission signals, wherein the processor performs a Fourier transform on the addition result and an inverse Fourier transform on the correction data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein: the memory stores data obtained by Fourier transforming the addition result. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein the memory is disposed at a side of the ultrasound probe. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound probe comprises a 2D array of transducer elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ultrasound system according to claim 1, further comprising a user adjustment panel which allows adjustment of a correction degree corresponding to the correction data in accordance with a depth of the reflection ultrasound. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ultrasound system according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display a graphical user interface (GUI) for adjusting a correction degree corresponding to the correction data in accordance with a depth of the reflection ultrasound. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ultrasound system according to claim 1, wherein in the calibration mode, the first and second reflection ultrasound signals received by the ultrasound probe are reflected by a transmission medium applied to the ultrasound probe. ### Claim 8 An ultrasound diagnostic method comprising the steps of: receiving, by an ultrasound probe, a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal obtained by polarity inversion of the first transmission signal; transmitting, by the ultrasound probe, a first ultrasound signal to an irradiation subject based on the first transmission signal and a second ultrasound signal to the irradiation subject based on the second transmission signal; receiving, by the ultrasound probe, a first reflection ultrasound signal from the irradiation subject in response to the first ultrasound signal and a second reflection ultrasound signal from the irradiation subject in response to the second ultrasound signal; and retaining, in a memory, an addition result derived from adding a first reception signal corresponding to the first reflection ultrasound signal and a second reception signal corresponding to the second reflection ultrasound signal in a calibration mode, as correction data for correcting a positive-negative asymmetry between the first and second transmission signals; and carrying out, by a processor, a correction computation in which an addition, a subtraction, a multiplication, or a division between the addition result and the retained correction data is performed in a diagnostic mode to compensate for the positive-negative asymmetry between the first and second transmission signals, wherein the processor performs a Fourier transform on the addition result and an inverse Fourier transform on the correction data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The ultrasound diagnostic method according to claim 8, wherein data obtained by Fourier transforming the addition result are retained in the memory. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The ultrasound diagnostic method according to claim 8, wherein a correction degree corresponding to the correction data is adjusted in accordance with a depth of the first and second reflection ultrasound signals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The ultrasound diagnostic method according to claim 8, wherein the first and second reflection ultrasound signals received by the ultrasound probe in the calibration mode are reflected by a transmission medium applied to the ultrasound probe.