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US 11,529,127 B2Granted
Methods and apparatuses for processing ultrasound signals
AssigneeBfly Operations, Inc.
InventorsLeung Kin Chiu, Karl Thiele, Nevada J. Sanchez, Sheng-Wen Huang
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Abstract
Ultrasound apparatus and methods of processing signals are described. The ultrasound apparatus may include multiple channels. In some embodiments, signal processing techniques are described, which in some embodiments are performed on a per-channel basis. The signal processing techniques may involve using down-conversion and filtering of signals on multiple channels. The down-conversion and filtering may be done prior to beamforming.
Claims19
An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:
- first down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- first direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate first waveforms having first time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the first down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift a first ultrasound signal in a frequency domain using the first waveforms having the first time-varying frequency content to produce a first frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- second down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- second direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate second waveforms having second time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the second down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift a second ultrasound signal in the frequency domain using the second waveforms having the second time-varying frequency content to produce a second frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- control circuitry configured to control the first DDS circuitry and the second DDS circuitry independently such that the first waveforms and the second waveforms are different;
- one or more first ultrasound transducers configured to generate the first ultrasound signal based on receiving first ultrasound waves;
- one or more second ultrasound transducers configured to generate the second ultrasound signal based on receiving second ultrasound waves;
- and
- wherein the one or more first ultrasound transducers and the one or more second ultrasound transducers are in a two-dimensional array of ultrasound transducers.
10 more elements
An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:
- first down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- first direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate first waveforms having first time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the first down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift a first ultrasound signal in a frequency domain using the first waveforms having the first time-varying frequency content to produce a first frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- second down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- second direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate second waveforms having second time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the second down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift a second ultrasound signal in the frequency domain using the second waveforms having the second time-varying frequency content to produce a second frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- and
- control circuitry configured to control the first DDS circuitry and the second DDS circuitry independently such that the first waveforms and the second waveforms are different,
- wherein the first DDS circuitry is configured to generate the first waveforms having the first time-varying frequency content by generating waveforms having center frequencies that vary linearly in time.
8 more elements
An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:
- first down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- first direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate first waveforms having first time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the first down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift a first ultrasound signal in a frequency domain using the first waveforms having the first time-varying frequency content to produce a first frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- second down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- second direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate second waveforms having second time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the second down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift a second ultrasound signal in the frequency domain using the second waveforms having the second time-varying frequency content to produce a second frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- and
- control circuitry configured to control the first DDS circuitry and the second DDS circuitry independently such that the first waveforms and the second waveforms are different,
- wherein the first DDS circuitry is configured to generate the first waveforms having the first time-varying frequency content by generating waveforms having center frequencies that decrease in time.
8 more elements
An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:
- first down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- first direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate first waveforms having first time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the first down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift a first ultrasound signal in a frequency domain using the first waveforms having the first time-varying frequency content to produce a first frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- second down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- second direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate second waveforms having second time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the second down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift a second ultrasound signal in the frequency domain using the second waveforms having the second time-varying frequency content to produce a second frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- and
- control circuitry configured to control the first DDS circuitry and the second DDS circuitry independently such that the first waveforms and the second waveforms are different,
- wherein the first DDS circuitry is configured to generate the first waveforms having the first time-varying frequency content by generating waveforms having center frequencies that increase in time.
8 more elements
An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:
- down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate waveforms having time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift an ultrasound signal in a frequency domain using the waveforms having the time-varying frequency content to
- produce a frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- receive beamforming circuitry configured to perform receive beamforming on the frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- wherein the down-conversion circuitry is upstream of the receive beamforming circuitry;
- one or more ultrasound transducers configured to generate the ultrasound signal based on received ultrasound waves;
- and
- wherein the one or more ultrasound transducers are in a two-dimensional array of ultrasound transducers.
7 more elements
An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:
- down-conversion circuitry comprising:
- direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry configured to generate waveforms having time-varying frequency content;
- and
- wherein the down-conversion circuitry is configured to shift an ultrasound signal in a frequency domain using the waveforms having the time-varying frequency content to produce a frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- receive beamforming circuitry configured to perform receive beamforming on the frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- wherein the down-conversion circuitry is upstream of the receive beamforming circuitry;
- and
- wherein the receive beamforming circuitry is further configured to compensate for the shift of the ultrasound signal in the frequency domain.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving an ultrasound signal from one or more ultrasound transducers configured to generate the ultrasound signal based on received ultrasound waves, wherein the one or more ultrasound transducers are in a two-dimensional array of ultrasound transducers;
- generating, using direct digital synthesis (DDS) circuitry, waveforms having time-varying frequency content;
- shifting the ultrasound signal in a frequency domain using the waveforms having the time-varying frequency content to produce a frequency-shifted ultrasound signal;
- and
- subsequent to the shifting, performing receive beamforming on the frequency-shifted ultrasound signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.