Parametric transmit waveform generator for medical ultrasound imaging system
AssigneeAcuson Corporation
InventorAlbert Gee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging system includes a transmit waveform generator that uses stored parameters to completely define an arbitrarily complex transmit waveform. Preferably, the stored parameters define an envelope function and a modulation function in a piecewise fashion using a number of sets of quadratic parameters. These quadratic parameters are used to calculate the desired envelope function and modulation function in the log domain, and the envelope and modulation functions are combined in the log domain and then converted to the linear domain. Multiple separate transmit waveforms may be combined in a single channel, and individual channels may be combined prior to application to the transducer elements.
Claims68
In a medical ultrasound imaging system, a method for generating a transmit waveform comprising:
- (a) storing a set of parameters that defines both an envelope function and a modulation function for an ultrasonic transmit waveform having more than two levels;
- and
- (b) calculating the ultrasonic transmit waveform in real time based on the set of parameters.
A transmit waveform generator for a medical ultrasound imaging system, said transmit waveform generator comprising:
- (a) a memory storing a set of parameters that defines both an envelope function and a modulation function for an ultrasonic transmit waveform having more than two levels;
- and
- (b) a transmit waveform calculator operative to calculate the transmit waveform in real time based on the set of parameters stored in the memory.
In a medical ultrasound imaging system, a method for generating a transmit waveform comprising:
- (a) storing a set of parameters that entirely define an ultrasonic transmit waveform having more than two levels;
- (b) generating the ultrasonic transmit waveform in real time based on the set of parameters.
A transmit waveform source for a medical ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer channels, said transmit waveform source comprising:
- a plurality of transmit waveform generators, each operative to generate at least one respective transmit waveform;
- a plurality of combiners, each combiner comprising a plurality of inputs coupled with respective ones of the generators and an output;
- a multiplexer comprising a plurality of inputs coupled to respective ones of the combiners and a plurality of outputs coupled to respective ones of the transducer channels.
In a medical ultrasound imaging system, a method for generating transmit pulse waveforms comprising:
- (a) providing a set of transmitters comprising n transducer channels, each transducer channel adapted for connection to a respective transducer element;
- and n beam channels, each beam channel comprising a respective set of transmit waveform generators;
- (b) generating first multi-level transmit pulse waveforms on the n transducer channels with said n beam channels in a first mode of operation, wherein each of the beam channels is associated with a separate respective one of the transducer channels;
- and
- (c) generating second multi-level transmit pulse waveforms on a subset of the n transducer channels with said beam channels in a second mode of operation, wherein multiple ones of the beam channels contribute to each of the second transmit waveforms.
In a medical ultrasound imaging system, a method for generating transmit waveforms comprising:
- (a) providing a set of transmitters comprising n transducer channels, each transducer channel adapted for connection to a respective transducer element;
- and n beam channels, each beam channel comprising a respective set of transmit waveform generators;
- (b) generating first transmit waveforms on the n transducer channels with said n beam channels in a first mode of operation, wherein each of the beam channels is associated with a separate respective one of the transducer channels;
- and
- (c) generating second transmit waveforms on a subset of the n transducer channels with said beam channels in a second mode of operation, wherein multiple ones of the beam channels contribute to each of the second transmit waveforms.
A transmit waveform generator for a medical ultrasonic imagining system, said generator comprising:
- a transmit waveform calculator operative to calculate in a log domain and in realtime a first signal indicative of a logarithm of at least a component of an ultrasonic transmit waveform;
- and
- a converter responsive to the calculator and operative to convert a signal that varies as a function of the first signal to a second signal indicative of the ultrasonic transmit waveform in linear domain.
A transmit waveform generator for a medical ultrasonic imaging system, said generator comprising:
- a transmit waveform calculator comprising a plurality of accumulators, each accumulator operative to generate a respective output signal in a log domain and in real time, each output signal indicative of a logarithm of a respective component of an ultrasonic transmit waveform;
- and
- a processor operative to combine the output signals in the log domain to form a combined signal.
A transmit waveform generator for a medical ultrasonic imaging system, said generator comprising:
- a transmit waveform calculator comprising at least one accumulator responsive to a plurality of polynomial coefficients to generate a polynomial function in real time, the polynomial function indicative of at least a component of an ultrasonic transmit waveform.
In a medical ultrasound imaging system, a method for allocating transmit waveform processing, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a set of transmitters comprising n transducer channels, each transducer channel adapted for connection to a respective transducer element;
- and n beam channels, each beam channel comprising a respective set of transmit waveform generators;
- (b) trading off (1) the number of beam channels generating multi-level pulse waveforms for each active transducer channel with (2) the number of transducer channels that are simultaneously active.
In a medical ultrasound imaging system, a method for allocating transmit waveform processing, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a set of transmitters comprising n transducer channels, each transducer channel adapted for connection to a respective transducer element, and n signal generators, each signal generator associated with a separate respective transducer channel in a single-channel mode of operation;
- and
- (b) trading off (1) the number of signal generators generating multi-level pulse waveforms for each active transducer channel with (2) the number of transducer channels that are simultaneously active.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.