US 2010/0249596 A1 · RECEIVE BEAMFORMER FOR ULTRASOUND HAVING DELAY VALUE SORTING

Abstract

A method of processing ultrasound signals received from a plurality of data channels each associated with a transducer element. A sorted delay data table having sorted delay data is generated that includes a channel identifier, a fractional delay value, and integer delay value. The sorted delay data table clusters together channel groups including a first channel group having data channels with the first fractional delay value and a second channel group with data channels with the second fractional delay value. Control signals are generated based on the sorted delay data that implements data path combining by directing channel data from the first channel group for processing by a first interpolation filter that provides the first fractional delay value and channel data associated with the second channel group for processing by a second interpolation filter that provides the second fractional delay value. Summing signals output by the first and second interpolation filter forms the ultrasound beamformed signal.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of processing ultrasound signals received from a plurality of data channels each associated with different transducer elements, said data channels each having a channel identifier corresponding to a particular one of said transducer elements, a fractional delay value, and an integer delay value, comprising:

generating a sorted delay data table having sorted delay data by sorting delay data that includes said channel identifier, said fractional delay value, and said integer delay value, wherein said fractional delay values include a plurality of different fractional delay values including at least a first and a second fractional delay value, said sorted delay table data clustering together channel groups comprising a first channel group including said data channels that have said first fractional delay value and a second channel group that includes said data channels that have said second fractional delay value;
generating control signals based on the sorted delay data that implements data path combining by directing channel data from said first channel group for processing by a first interpolation filter that provides said first fractional delay value and channel data associated with said second channel group for processing by a second interpolation filter that provides said second fractional delay value, and
summing signals output by said first and said second interpolation filter to form a beamformed signal.

An ultrasound diagnostic imaging system, comprising:

a plurality of transducer elements for transmitting ultrasound transmit pulses toward a target tissue region, and receiving echo signals from said target tissue region in response to said transmit pulses;
a transmit section for driving said plurality of transducer elements for said transmitting of said ultrasound transmit pulses, and
a receive section for processing a plurality of sensing signals generated by said plurality of transducers responsive to said echo signals, said receive section defining a plurality of data channels each associated with different one of said plurality of transducer elements, said receive section comprising:
digitizing blocks, integer delaying blocks and apodizing blocks for processing said sensing signals in each of said plurality of data channels;
data path combining circuitry for generating a plurality of data combinations by combining channel data from two or more of said plurality of data channels, said channel data including a channel identifier, a fractional delay value, and an integer delay value;
a shared interpolation filter bank comprising a plurality of interpolation filters comprising a first interpolation filter that provides a first fractional delay value and a second interpolation filter that provides a second fractional delay value coupled to an output of said data path combining circuitry for interpolation filtering said plurality of data combinations;
a controller and associated memory, wherein said controller (i) generates a sorted delay data table having sorted delay data by sorting said channel data, said sorted delay data table clustering together channel groups so that a first channel group includes said data channels that have said first fractional delay value and a second channel group that includes said data channels that have said second fractional delay value, and (ii) generates control signals based on said sorted delay data that are coupled to said data path combining circuitry for by directing said channel data from said first channel group for processing by said first interpolation filter and said channel data associated with said second channel group for processing by said second interpolation filter;
a summer for summing coupled to outputs of said single shared interpolation filter bank to form a beamformed signal;
a backend imaging display processor coupled to receive and process said beamformed signal to generate a display signal, said display signal being suitable for causing display devices to produce an image, and
a display device for receiving said display signal and producing said image.

7 more elements

A digital signal processor (DSP) IC for ultrasound signal processing, comprising:

a substrate having a semiconductor surface;
integer delaying blocks and apodizing blocks for processing sensing signals in each of a plurality of data channels;
data path combining circuitry for generating a plurality of data combinations by combining channel data from two or more of said plurality of data channels, said channel data including a channel identifier, a fractional delay value, and an integer delay value;
a shared interpolation filter bank comprising a plurality of interpolation filters comprising a first interpolation filter that provides a first fractional delay value and a second interpolation filter that provides a second fractional delay value coupled to an output of said data path combining circuitry for interpolation filtering said plurality of data combinations;
a controller and associated memory, wherein said controller (i) generates a sorted delay data table having sorted delay data by sorting said channel data, said sorted delay data table clustering together channel groups so that a first channel group includes said data channels that have said first fractional delay value and a second channel group that includes said data channels that have said second fractional delay value, and (ii) generates control signals based on said sorted delay data that are coupled to said data path combining circuitry for by directing said channel data from said first channel group for processing by said first interpolation filter and said channel data associated with said second channel group for processing by said second interpolation filter, and
a summer for summing coupled to outputs of said single shared interpolation filter bank to form a beamformed signal.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Receive beamformer for ultrasound having delay value sorting

Life of this patent

Receive beamformer for ultrasound having delay value sorting

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17