# US 2019/0167232 A1 · Plane wave ultrasound imaging > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167232 A1 - Document ID: US20190167232A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/268,531 - Filed: 2019-02-06 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-07 - Assignees: Bahador Makkiabadi - Inventors: Bahador Makkiabadi; Moein Mozaffarzadeh; Seyed Hani Hozhabr; Ali Ghasemi; Fatemeh Mehrzad - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167232A1 ## CPC - A61B 8/4461: {Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe} - A61B 8/14: Echotomography - A61B 8/5207: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image} - G01S 15/8915: {using a transducer array} - G01S 15/8927: {using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures} - A61B 8/4488: {the transducer being a phased array} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A method for plane wave (PW) ultrasound imaging is disclosed. The method includes transmitting a PW of a plurality of PWs at a transmission angle from a plurality of ultrasound transducers to a target, receiving a radio frequency (RF) echoes subset of a plurality of RF echoes at a non-zero reception angle by the plurality of ultrasound transducers, generating a migrated image of a plurality of migrated images from the RF echoes subset by applying a migration method on the RF echoes subset, and generating an ultrasound image of the target from the migrated image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for plane wave ultrasound imaging, the method comprising: transmitting a plane wave of a plurality of plane waves at a transmission angle from a plurality of ultrasound transducers to a target; receiving a radio frequency (RF) echoes subset of a plurality of RF echoes at a non-zero reception angle by the plurality of ultrasound transducers; generating a migrated image of a plurality of migrated images from the RF echoes subset by applying a migration method on the RF echoes subset; and generating an ultrasound image of the target from the migrated image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the plane wave comprises: generating the plane wave by exciting the plurality of ultrasound transducers; and steering the plane wave to the transmission angle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the RF echoes subset comprises steering the RF echoes subset to the non-zero reception angle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein steering the RF echoes subset to the non-zero reception angle comprises steering the RF echoes subset equivalent to an angle of the transmission angle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein applying the migration method on the RF echoes subset comprises applying a frequency-wavenumber (f-k) migration method on the RC echoes subset. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein applying the f-k migration method on the RF echoes subset comprises applying a Stolt's f-k migration method on the RF echoes subset. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the ultrasound image comprises extracting an envelope of the migrated image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the ultrasound image comprises: generating a plurality of aligned images by aligning the plurality of migrated images; generating an averaged image by weighted averaging the plurality of aligned images; and generating the ultrasound image by extracting an envelope of the averaged image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein aligning the plurality of migrated images comprises rotating each of the plurality of migrated images from the non-zero reception angle to a zero angle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the ultrasound image comprises: generating a plurality of aligned images by aligning the plurality of migrated images; generating a plurality of envelope images by extracting an envelope of each of the plurality of aligned images; and generating the ultrasound image by weighted averaging the plurality of envelope images. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the RF echoes subset comprises: sequentially receiving portions of the RF echoes subset by a plurality of reception sub-arrays, each of the plurality of reception sub-arrays comprising a transducers subset of the plurality of ultrasound transducers; and integrating the received portions of the RF echoes subset into a single image. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the plane wave comprises sequentially transmitting portions of the PW by a plurality of transmission sub-arrays, each of the plurality of transmission sub-arrays comprising a transducers subset of the plurality of ultrasound transducers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the RF echoes subset comprises: sequentially receiving portions of the RF echoes subset by a plurality of reception sub-arrays, a reception sub-array of the plurality of reception sub-arrays comprising a segment of a transmission sub-array of the plurality of transmission sub-arrays, a center of the reception sub-array coinciding with a center of the transmission sub-array; and integrating the received portions of the RF echoes subset into a single image. ### Claim 14 A system for plane wave ultrasound imaging, the system comprising: a transducer array comprising a plurality of transducers, the transducer array configured to: transmit a plane wave of a plurality of plane waves at a transmission angle from the transducer array to a target; and receive a radio frequency (RF) echoes subset of a plurality of RF echoes at a non-zero reception angle; a transmit beamformer configured to: generate the plane wave by exciting the plurality of ultrasound transducers; and steer the plane wave to the transmission angle; a memory having processor-readable instructions stored therein; and one or more processors configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors configures the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising: steering the RF echoes subset to the non-zero reception angle; generating a migrated image of a plurality of migrated images from the RF echoes subset by applying a migration method on the RF echoes subset; and generating an ultrasound image of the target from the migrated image. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the non-zero reception angle equals the transmission angle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises: applying a Stolt's f-k migration method on the RF echoes subset; and extracting an envelope of the migrated image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises: generating a plurality of aligned images by rotating each of the plurality of migrated images from the non-zero reception angle to a zero angle; generating a plurality of envelope images by extracting an envelope of each of the plurality of aligned images; and generating the ultrasound image by weighted averaging the plurality of envelope images. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises: sequentially receiving portions of the RF echoes subset from a plurality of reception sub-arrays, each of the plurality of reception sub-arrays comprising a transducers subset of the plurality of ultrasound transducers; and integrating the received portions of the RF echoes subset into a single image. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the transmit beamformer is further configured to: sequentially excite a plurality of transmission sub-arrays via a multiplexer, each of the plurality of transmission sub-arrays comprising a transducers subset of the plurality of ultrasound transducers. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises: sequentially receiving portions of the RF echoes subset from a plurality of reception sub-arrays, a reception sub-array of the plurality of reception sub-arrays comprising a segment of a transmission sub-array of the plurality of transmission sub-arrays, a center of the reception sub-array coinciding with a center of the transmission sub-array; and integrating the received portions of the RF echoes subset into a single image.