Dynamic focusing apparatus and method

Apparatus for imaging a body, comprising:

• means for transmitting energy into the body;
• a transducer for converting echoes reflected from said body into electrical signals, said transducer being divided into a plurality of defined segments;
• a plurality of register devices, the input of each of said register devices being coupled to a respective one of said transducer segments;
• a plurality of clocks having different characteristic clock rates;
• timing means for effecting clocking of said electrical signals from said segments into their respective devices at different clock rates by clocking in with different ones of said clocks with a particular order of association between said clocks and said devices and for subsequently effecting the clocking of the stored information out of said devices at different clock rates by clocking out with different ones of said clocks but with another order of association between said clocks and said devices;
• and
• means for combining the signals clocked out of said devices to form an image-representative signal.

For use in conjunction with an apparatus for imaging a body by transmitting ultrasound energy into the body and then converting echoes reflected from the body to electrical signals using a transducer divided into a plurality of segments;

• an improved method for dynamic focusing, comprising the steps of;
• providing a plurality of register devices, each associated with a respective one of the transducer segments;
• clocking electrical signals from the transducer segments into their respective devices at a respectively different clock frequency for each segment;
• clocking the stored information out of said devices at the same frequency;
• and
• combining the information clocked out of said device to form an image-representative signal.

For use in conjunction with an apparatus for imaging a body by transmitting ultrasound energy into the body and then converting echoes reflected from the body to electrical signals using a transducer divided into a plurality of segments;

• an improved method for dynamic focusing, comprising the steps of:
• providing a plurality of register devices, each associated with a respective one of the transducer segments;
• clocking electrical signals from the transducer segments into their respective devices at the same frequency;
• clocking the stored information out of said devices at a respectively different clock frequency for each segment;
• and
• combining the information clocked out of said devices to form an image-representative signal.

A method for imaging a body, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting energy into the body;
• converting echoes reflected from said body into electrical signals with a transducer that is divided into a plurality of defined segments;
• providing a plurality of register devices, the input of each of said register devices being coupled to a respective one of said transducer segments;
• effecting clocking of said electrical signals from said segments into their respective devices at different clock rates, with a particular order of association between said clock rates and said devices;
• effecting clocking of the stored information out of said devices at different clock rates, but with another order of association between said clocks and said devices;
• and
• combining the signals clocked out of said devices to form an image-representative signal.