Distributed apexes for 3-D ultrasound scan geometry
AssigneeSiemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
InventorsThilaka Sumanaweera, Anming Cai, Kutay Ustuner
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Abstract
Multiple apexes or intersections of scan lines are used to control the desired scan region for three dimensional scanning. Where a two dimensional transducer array is not square or circular or if the element spacing in azimuth and elevation is unequal, multiple apexes allow for optimization of the scanned volume to the transducer characteristics. The different apexes may be spaced from each other and relative to the transducer at various locations. Distributed patterns of apexes may be provided, such as spacing a plurality of apexes along a line in elevation and another set of apexes along a line in azimuth.
Claims38
In a scan geometry for three-dimensional ultrasound with a two-dimensional transducer array, the scan geometry including a plurality, N, of scan lines distributed in a three-dimensional volume, an improvement comprising:
- at most N−1 scan lines converging at a single apex.
A system for scanning a three-dimensional volume, the system comprising:
- a multi-dimensional array of transducer elements;
- a beamformer connectable with the multi-dimensional array, the beamformer operable to form beams with ultrasound energy along a plurality of scan lines distributed within the three-dimensional volume, two or more sub-sets of the scan lines intersecting at two or more locations, respectively, relative to the array.
A method for scanning a three-dimensional volume with ultrasound energy, the method comprising:
- (a) forming ultrasound beams along a plurality, N, of scan lines within the three-dimensional volume with a multi-dimensional transducer array for a single scan of the three-dimensional volume;
- and
- (b) converging the N scan lines at different locations and at most N−1 of the scan lines at a single location.
A method for scanning a three-dimensional volume with ultrasound energy, the method comprising:
- (a) transmitting ultrasound beams along a first plurality of scan lines within the three-dimensional volume with a multi-dimensional transducer array for a single scan of the three-dimensional volume, the first plurality of scan lines converging at a first apex;
- and
- (b) receiving ultrasound beams in response to (a) along a second plurality of scan lines within the three-dimensional volume with the multi-dimensional transducer array for the single scan of the three-dimensional volume, the second plurality of scan lines converging at a second apex different than the first apex.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.