US 11,385,349 B2 · Delay-encoded harmonic imaging with an ultrasound system

Abstract

Systems and methods for ultrasound imaging using a delay-encoded harmonic imaging (“DE-HI”) technique is provided. An ultrasound pulse sequence is coded using temporal delays between ultrasound emissions within a single transmission event. This coded scheme allows for harmonic imaging to be implemented. The temporal time delay-codes are applied temporally to multiple different ultrasound emissions within a single transmission event, rather than spatially across different transmitting elements. The received radio frequency (“RF”) signals undergo a decoding process in the frequency domain to recover the signals, as they would be obtained from standard single emissions, for subsequent compounding. As one specific example, a one-quarter period time delay can be used to encode second harmonic signals from each angle emission during a single multiplane wave (“MW”) transmission event, rather than inverting the polarity of the pulses as in conventional MW imaging.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for delay-encoded harmonic imaging with an ultrasound system, the steps of the method comprising:

(a) selecting a time delay that is a proportional to a period associated with a fundamental frequency of an ultrasound transducer of the ultrasound system;
(b) forming a coding matrix with a computer system based on the selected delay time, wherein the coding matrix has entries that define whether the time delay will be applied to a given ultrasound emission in a given transmission event;
(c) acquiring coded signal data from a subject with the ultrasound system by transmitting multiple ultrasound emissions spaced apart in time by a time interval to the subject and receiving coded ultrasound signals in response thereto in each of a plurality of different transmission events, wherein the multiple ultrasound emissions are temporally coded by applying the time delay to select ones of the multiple ultrasound emissions according to the coding matrix;
(d) decoding the coded signal data with the computer system using an inverse of the coding matrix;
and
(e) producing an image of the subject from the decoded signal data using the computer system.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Delay-encoded harmonic imaging with an ultrasound system

Life of this patent

Delay-encoded harmonic imaging with an ultrasound system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20