Ultrasonic acoustic imaging apparatus

A system for displaying frequency demodulated acoustic images of an object, comprising:

• transmitter means for generating a signal at a defined frequency;
• transducer means, coupled to said transmitter means, for transforming said electrical signal into an ultrasonic acoustic pressure signal, for projecting said acoustic pressure signal against said object, and for receiving acoustic pressure signals reflected from said object in response to said projected acoustic pressure signal;
• receiver means, coupled to said transducer means, for transforming said reflected acoustic pressure signal into an electrical signal;
• frequency demodulation means, coupled to said receiver means, for frequency demodulating said electrical signal of said receiver means to produce a frequency demodulated signal containing instantaneous frequency deviations from said defined frequency responsive to the scattering properties of stationary and moving structures of said object;
• circuit means, coupled to said frequency demodulator means, for transforming said frequency demodulated signal into a video signal containing acoustic images of stationary and moving structures of said object;
• scan converter means, coupled to said video signal and responsive to the position of said transducer relative to said object, for algorithmically processing said images of said object;
• and
• display means, coupled to said scan converter means, for displaying said algorithmically processed images of said object produced by said scan converter means.

A system for displaying frequency and amplitude demodulated acoustic images of an object, comprising:

• transmitter means for generating an electrical signal at a defined frequency and amplitude;
• transducer means, coupled to said transmitter means, for transforming said electrical signal into an ultrasonic acoustic pressure signal, for projecting said acoustic pressure signal against said object, and for receiving acoustic pressure signals reflected from said object in response to said projected acoustic pressure signal;
• receiver means, coupled to said transducer means, for transforming said reflected acoustic pressure signal into an electrical signal;
• frequency demodulation means, coupled to said receiver means for frequency demodulating said electrical signal of said receiver means to produce a frequency demodulated signal containing instantaneous frequency deviations from said defined frequency responsive to the scattering properties of stationary and moving structures of said object;
• first circuit means, coupled to said frequency demodulation means, for transforming said frequency demodulated signal into a first video signal containing acoustic images of stationary and moving structures of said object;
• first scan converter means, coupled to said first video signal and responsive to the position of said transducer means relative to said object, for algorithmically encoding said first video signal;
• amplitude demodulation emans, coupled to said receiver means, for amplitude demodulating said electrical signal of said receiver means to produce an amplitude demodulated signal having amplitude deviations from said defined amplitude responsive to said scattering properties of said object;
• second circuit means, coupled to said amplitude demodulated signal, for encoding said signal into a second video signal containing acoustic images of stationary and moving structures of said object;
• second scan converter means, coupled to said second video signal and responsive to the position of said transducer means relative to said object, for algorithmically encoding said second video signal;
• and
• display means, coupled to said first and second scan converter means, for displaying said algorithmically encoded signals, thereby displaying acoustic images of said object responsive to both frequency and amplitude deviation properties of said object.

A system for displaying color acoustic images of an object, comprising:

• transmitter means for generating an electrical signal at a defined frequency and amplitude;
• transducer means, coupled to said transmitter means, for transforming said electrical signal to an ultrasonic acoustic pressure signal against said object, and for receiving acoustic pressure signals reflected from said object in response to said projected acoustic pressure signal;
• receiver means, coupled to said transducer means, for transforming said reflected acoustic pressure signal into an electrical signal;
• frequency demodulation means, coupled to said receiver means, for frequency demodulating said electrical signal of said receiver means to produce a first color signal containing frenquency deviations from said defined frequency responsive to the scattering properties of said object;
• first circuit means, coupled to said frequency demodulation means, for encoding said first color signal into a first video signal containing acoustic images of said object;
• amplitude demodulation means, coupled to said receiver means, for amplitude demodulating said electrical signal of said receiver means to produce a second color signal having amplitude deviations from said defined amplitude responsive to the scattering properties of said object;
• second circuit means, coupled to said amplitude demodulation means, for encoding said second color signal into a second color video signal containing acoustic images of said object;
• scan converter means, coupled to said first and second video signals and responsive to the position of said transducer means relative to said object for algorithmically processing said first and second video signals;
• and
• display means, coupled to said scan converter means, for displaying said first and second video signals, thereby providing color acoustic images of said object.

A system for displaying frequency and amplitude demodulated acoustic signals of an object, comprising:

• transmitter means for generating an electrical signal at a defined frequency and amplitude;
• transducer means, coupled to said transmitter means, for transforming said electrical signal into an ultrasound acoustic pressure signal, for projecting said acoustic pressure signal against said object, and for receiving acoustic pressure signals reflected from said object in response to said projected acoustic pressure signals;
• receiver means, coupled to said transducer means, for transforming said reflected acoustic pressure signal into an electrical signal;
• frequency demodulation means, coupled to said receiver means for frequency demodulating said electrical signal of said receiver means to produce a frequency demodulated signal containing instantaneous frequency deviations from said defined frequency responsive to the scattering properties of stationary and moving structures of said object;
• amplitude demodulation means, coupled to said receiver means, for amplitude demodulating said electrical signal of said receiver means to produce an amplitude demodulated signal having amplitude deviations from said defined amplitude responsive to said scattering properties of said object;
• circuit means, coupled to said frequency demodulation means and also to said amplitude demodulated signal, for encoding said frequency demodulated signal and said amplitude demodulated signal into a video signal containing acoustic images of stationary and moving structures of said object;
• scan converter means, coupled to said video signal and responsive to the position of said transducer means relative to said object, for algorithmically encoding said video signal;
• and
• display means, coupled to said scan converter means, for displaying said algorithmically encoded signal, thereby displaying an acoustic image of said object responsive to both frequency and amplitude deviation properties of said object.