US 5,331,964 A · Ultrasonic phased array imaging system with high speed adaptive processing using selected elements

Abstract

Disclosed is an ultrasonic phased array imaging system which includes a normal mode and an adaptive mode of operation. The adaptive mode adjusts the delay associated with each element in the transducer such that the average image brightness of the region of interest is maximized. Also disclosed is a method of correcting for phase aberration using selected elements of an ultrasonic array specific to each element of the array to correct each element of the array. It is further disclosed that the use of corrected elements to correct subsequent elements in the array results in more accurate phase aberration correction. In a preferred embodiment, the determination of the maximum average image brightness is performed more accurately through the use of selectable transducer array elements and previously corrected data during adaptive processing.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method of ultrasonic imaging utilizing an ultrasonic transducer array having a plurality of transducer elements, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a first set of phased array echo data corresponding to a region of interest in the scan from said ultrasonic transducer array wherein each member of said set of phased array echo data corresponds to one of said plurality of transducer elements;
(b) calculating an optimal phase aberration correction for all elements of said transducer array from phased array echo data from a preselected subset of said transducer array elements specific to each of all said elements;
and
(c) correcting a subsequent set of phased array scan control data for said ultrasonic transducer array with said optimal phase aberration correction.

1 more element

A method of ultrasonic imaging utilizing an ultrasonic transducer array having a plurality of transducer elements, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a first set of phased array echo data corresponding to a region of interest in the scan from said ultrasonic transducer array wherein each member of said set of phased array echo data corresponds to one of said plurality of transducer elements;
(b) calculating an optimal phase aberration correction for each element of said transducer array with data from a preselected subset of said transducer array elements specific to said element by the following steps:
(i) determining the phase aberration correction data for a first element of said ultrasonic array using phased array echo data from a subset of said transducer array elements to provide a first corrected element set;
and then,
for each subsequent element of said transducer array,
(ii) determining the phase aberration correction data for said subsequent element using data corresponding to a preselected subset of said transducer array elements specific to said subsequent element and selected from the group comprising said corrected element set and uncorrected transducer array elements;
(iii) updating said corrected element set to include the phase aberration correction data for said subsequent element;
and then
(c) correcting a subsequent set of phased array scan control data for said ultrasonic transducer array with said optimal phase aberration correction.

6 more elements

A method of ultrasonic imaging utilizing an ultrasonic transducer array having a plurality of transducer elements, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first set of phased array echo data corresponding to a region of interest in the scan from said ultrasonic transducer array wherein each member of said set of phased array echo data corresponds to one of said plurality of transducer elements;
calculating an optimal phase aberration correction for all elements of said transducer array from phased array echo data from a preselected subset of said transducer array elements specific to each of all said elements;
correcting a subsequent set of phased array scan control data for said ultrasonic transducer array with said optimal phase aberration correction;
and
wherein said calculating step further comprises the steps of:
(a) measuring the average brightness in the region of interest using echo data form a first selected subset of said transducer elements;
(b) adjusting phased array scan control data for a first element of said ultrasonic transducer array;
(c) obtaining a value representing the average image brightness of the region of interest responsive to the phased array scan control data using data from said first selected subset of said transducer elements;
(d) repeating steps (a) through (c) until a maximum average image brightness has been reached for said first element to obtain a corrected phased array scan control data for said element to provide a first corrected element set;
and then,
for each subsequent element of said transducer array,
(e) measuring the average brightness in the region of interest using data selected from said corrected element set and said subsequent element;
(f) adjusting phased array scan control data for said subsequent element;
(g) obtaining a value representing the average image brightness of the region of interest responsive to said corrected element set and the adjusted phased array scan control data for said subsequent element;
(h) repeating steps (e) through (g) until a maximum average image brightness has been reached for said subsequent element to obtain phase aberration correction data for said subsequent element;
(i) updating said corrected element set to include said subsequent element.

13 more elements

An ultrasonic phased array imaging system having a normal mode and an adaptive mode of operation, said system comprising;

a transducer array, having a plurality of elements and electronic circuits, for recording echo data from a region of interest from an image;
adaptive means for adjusting phased array scan data associated with each element of the transducer, said adaptive means comprising:
(a) calculating means for determining an optimal phase aberration correction for all elements of said transducer array from phased array echo data from a preselected subset of said transducer array elements specific to each of all said elements;
and
(b) correcting means for updating a subsequent set of phased array scan control data from said ultrasonic transducer array for said region of interest with said optimal phase aberration correction;
and
means for entering the normal mode of operation;
and
wherein said calculating means and said correction means comprises:
means for incrementing the phased array scan control data for the element;
(ii) averaging means for obtaining a value representing the average image brightness of phased array echo data from a preselected subset of said transducer array elements for the region of interest corresponding to each of said plurality of transducer elements and responsive to the phased array echo data;
(iii) selection means for selecting said preselected subset of said transducer array elements specific to each of said plurality of transducer elements;
(iv) determining means for determining when a maximum average image brightness has been achieved;
and
(v) means for updating the phased array scan control data for the region of interest using the phased array scan control data for each element which produced the maximum average image brightness.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ultrasonic phased array imaging system with high speed adaptive processing using selected elements

Life of this patent

Ultrasonic phased array imaging system with high speed adaptive processing using selected elements

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25