Ultrasonic transducers
AssigneeEMI Limited
InventorBrian W. Fraser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a rotating probe ultrasonic system the effective PRF may not be sufficiently high for certain purposes, such as examination of the foetal heart. The invention combines fixed transducers looking at a limited region with a rotating probe scanning over a larger region to give a higher effective PRF in the limited region. The two displays are preferably separate although the display of the larger region may conveniently indicate the location of the limited region.
Claims16
An ultrasonic examination apparatus including first ultrasonic transducer means arranged to scan at least one beam of ultrasonic energy through a sector of a circle centred on the transducer means and to receive ultrasonic energy reflected from reflecting objects disposed within the sector and second ultrasonic transducer means comprising at least two transducers symmetrically disposed about the first transducer means and arranged to co-operate to direct in effect a beam of ultrasonic energy through the sector to intersect the sector at a region in a substantially constant position relative thereto and to receive ultrasonic energy reflected from reflecting objects disposed in said region.
Medical ultrasonic apparatus for examining a substantially planar region of the body of a patient, the apparatus including:
- first ultrasonic transducer means arranged to scan at least one beam of ultrasonic energy through a sector of a circle, lying in the plane of said region and centred on said first transducer means, and to receive ultrasonic energy reflected from reflecting objects disposed within the sector;
- and second ultrasonic transducer means arranged to direct at least one further beam of ultrasonic energy in the plane of the sector along a path at a constant position relative to the sector and to receive ultrasonic energy reflected from reflecting objects which are disposed within the sector and in said path;
- wherein the second transducer means comprises at least one pair of ultrasonic transducers, the transducers of said pair being disposed to direct respective beams of ultrasonic energy from opposite sides of the plane of the region to intersect at said path and thereby to provide in effect said at least one further beam.
Medical ultrasonic apparatus for examining a substantially planar region of the body of a patient, the apparatus including:
- ultrasonic transducer means arranged to direct ultrasonic energy along at least one beam and to receive ultrasonic energy reflected from reflecting objects disposed in said beam;
- means for scanning said at least one beam through a sector of a circle which can be disposed in said plane to examine said region;
- at least one pair of ultrasonic transducers, arranged to project respective beams of ultrasonic energy, with the transducers of a pair disposed on opposite sides of said sector to direct their respective beams to intersect at a path in, and in a fixed position relative to, said sector to produce the effect of a single beam of ultrasonic energy directed along said path and to receive ultrasonic energy from reflecting objects disposed in said path.
An ultrasonic examination apparatus including ultrasonic means arranged to scan at least one beam of ultrasonic energy through a sector of a circle centred on the transducer means and to receive ultrasonic energy reflected from reflecting objects disposed within the sector and at least one pair of ultrasonic transducers substantially symmetrically disposed aobut the transducer means to direct respective beams of ultrasonic energy to intersect in a region of the said sector, to produce in combination substantially the effect of a single beam of ultrasonic energy directed through said region from the position of the transducer means and to receive ultrasonic energy reflected from reflecting objects disposed in said region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.