Continuous depth harmonic imaging using transmitted and nonlinearly generated second harmonics
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsMatthew Robert Rielly, James Robertson Jago
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Abstract
A system and method for ultrasonic harmonic imaging. The ultrasonic harmonic imaging system comprises a wideband phased-array transducer, a transmitter for transmitting waves into the tissue, a portion of which is at a fundamental frequency and a portion of which is at a harmonic of the fundamental frequency, a receiver for receiving ultrasonic responses from the tissue, a control system electrically coupled to the transmitter and the receiver for controlling operation of the transmitter and receiver, a video processor, and a monitor.
Claims22
An ultrasonic imaging system for focused harmonic imaging, comprising:
- a transmitter for generating ultrasound which includes a signal component at a fundamental frequency and at least one signal component at at least one harmonic of the fundamental frequency;
- a wideband transducer capable of converting the ultrasound signal from the transmitter into acoustic pressure waves including a first portion corresponding to the transmitted harmonic and directing the first portion to a first focal zone, and including a second portion corresponding to the at least one harmonic frequency and directing the second portion to a second focal zone, said transducer further capable of receiving and converting a transmitted harmonic response and at least one harmonic acoustic response from the transmitted acoustic pressure waves into at least one response signal;
- a receiver for detecting the fundamental and at least one harmonic acoustic response from the at least one response signal;
- a control system electrically coupled to said transmitter and said receiver, said control system used to control the operation of said transmitter and said receiver;
- a video processor for converting the at least one response signal to a display signal;
- and
- a monitor for converting the display signal into an image.
A wideband phased-array transducer capable of converting an input ultrasound signal comprising a transmitted harmonic and fundamental frequency component into acoustic pressure waves including first and second wave portions to be focused at first and second focal zones, respectively, said transducer configured to receive and convert a transmitted harmonic and at least one non-linearly generated harmonic acoustic response from the transmitted acoustic pressure waves into at least one response signal.
A method for detecting an ultrasonic harmonic response comprising:
- insonifying a tissue of interest with a pressure wave comprising a first portion with a fundamental frequency directed to a first focal zone and a second portion with a harmonic of the fundamental frequency directed to a second focal zone;
- and
- measuring a response to the transmitted second portion of the pressure wave returned from the second focal zone, and a harmonic response to the first portion of the pressure wave, only at substantially the harmonic frequency, wherein the steps of insonifying and measuring are accomplished with a wideband phased-array transducer.
1. An ultrasonic imaging system for focused harmonic imaging, comprising:
- a transmitter for generating ultrasound which includes a first signal at a fundamental frequency and at least a second signal at at least one harmonic of the fundamental frequency;
- a wideband transducer capable of converting the ultrasound signals from the transmitter into acoustic pressure waves including a first portion corresponding to the first signal and a second portion corresponding to the second signal, which first and second portions are transmitted sequentially in time and directed respectively to a first and second focal zone, said transducer further capable of receiving and converting a transmitted harmonic response and at least one harmonic acoustic response from the transmitted acoustic pressure waves into at least one response signal;
- a receiver for detecting the fundamental and at least one harmonic acoustic response from the at least one response signal;
- a control system electrically coupled to said transmitter and said receiver, said control system used to control the operation of said transmitter and said receiver;
- a video processor for converting the at least one response signal to a display signal;
- and
- a monitor for converting the display signal into an image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.