US 11,692,977 B2 · Time-corrected gain method implemented in an ultrasonic scanner

Abstract

An ultrasonic scanner acquires a gain profile including gain values for corresponding travel times in ultrasonic echoes reflected by a reference object. An ultrasonic probe signal is sent toward a test object. In response, an ultrasonic echo reflected by the test object is received at the scanner. A time of arrival of the echo is estimated. The gain profile is aligned with the echo according to the estimated time of arrival of the echo. The echo is amplified using the aligned gain profile and the amplified echo is digitized before being attenuated using the aligned gain profile. An actual time of arrival of the echo is calculated based on the attenuated digitized echo. The gain profile is re-aligned with the attenuated digitized echo according to the actual time of arrival of the echo. The attenuated digitized echo is re-amplified using the re-aligned gain profile to obtain a gain-corrected echo.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A time-corrected gain method implemented in an ultrasonic scanner, the method comprising:

acquiring a gain profile including a plurality of gain values for a corresponding plurality of travel times in ultrasonic echoes reflected by a reference object;
sending an ultrasonic probe signal toward a test object;
receiving an ultrasonic echo reflected by the test object;
estimating a time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo;
aligning the gain profile with the ultrasonic echo according to the estimated time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo;
amplifying the ultrasonic echo using the aligned gain profile;
digitizing the amplified ultrasonic echo;
attenuating the digitized ultrasonic echo using the aligned gain profile;
calculating an actual time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo based on the attenuated digitized ultrasonic echo;
re-aligning the gain profile with the attenuated digitized ultrasonic echo according to the actual time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo;
and
re-amplifying the attenuated digitized ultrasonic echo using the re-aligned gain profile to obtain a gain-corrected ultrasonic echo.

9 more elements

An ultrasonic scanner, comprising:

a probe adapted to send an ultrasonic probe signal toward an impinging surface of a test object;
a detector adapted to receive an ultrasonic echo reflected by the test object;
a probe support adapted to position the probe and the detector in view of the impinging surface of the test object;
an analog amplifier adapted to:
receive a gain profile including a plurality of gain values for a corresponding plurality of travel times in ultrasonic echoes reflected by a reference object,
align the gain profile with the ultrasonic echo according to an estimated time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo, and
amplify the ultrasonic echo using the aligned gain profile;
an analog to digital converter adapted to digitize the amplified ultrasonic echo;
and
a controller operably connected to the probe, to the detector, to the probe support, to the analog amplifier, and to the digital to analog converter, the controller being configured to:
implement a time gate to estimate the time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo at the detector,
provide the gain profile and the estimated time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo to the analog amplifier,
cause the probe to send the ultrasonic probe signal toward the impinging surface of the test object,
receive the digitized amplified ultrasonic echo from the analog to digital converter,
align the gain profile with the digitized ultrasonic echo according to the estimated time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo,
attenuate the digitized ultrasonic echo using the aligned gain profile,
calculate an actual time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo based on the attenuated digitized ultrasonic echo,
re-align the gain profile with the attenuated digitized ultrasonic echo according to the actual time of arrival of the ultrasonic echo, and
re-amplify the attenuated digitized ultrasonic echo using the re-aligned gain profile to obtain a gain-corrected ultrasonic echo.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Time-corrected gain method implemented in an ultrasonic scanner

Life of this patent

Time-corrected gain method implemented in an ultrasonic scanner

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20