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US 5,501,222 AGranted
System for imaging a region
OwnerKeith A. Briggsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transmitter transmits ultrasound signals towards a region to be imaged. The reflected ultrasound signals from the region are detected by a receiver. The transmitter and/or receiver is or are moved relative to the region to create Doppler phase shift. The time compression/expansion caused by the Doppler phase shift is dewarped by filtering in order to recover the amplitudes of the ultrasound signals reflected from different portions of the region for imaging.
Claims56
An acoustic system for imaging a region, comprising:
- a transmitter transmitting an acoustic signal towards the region, said region reflecting said acoustic signal to generate a modified acoustic signal;
- a receiver providing an output signal in response to said modified acoustic signal;
- a device moving the transmitter or the receiver substantially continuously relative to the body to cause a Doppler phase shift of the receiver output signal relative to the transmitted signal, said transmitted signal being continuous for at least a time period during which said device is moving the transmitter or receiver;
- and
- means for determining, from the Doppler phase shift between the transmitted signal during said at least one time period and the receiver output signal, the amplitudes of signals reflected from different portions of the region in order to provide an image of the region.
2 more elements
A method for imaging a region, comprising the following steps:
- transmitting from a transmitting location an acoustic signal towards the region, said region reflecting said acoustic signal to generate a modified acoustic signal;
- receiving at a receiving location said modified acoustic signal and providing an output signal in response to said modified acoustic signal;
- moving the transmitting or the receiving location substantially continuously relative to the body to cause a Doppler phase shift of the output signal relative to the transmitted signal, said transmitted signal being continuous for at least a time period during which said location is moved;
- and
- determining, from the Doppler phase shift between the transmitted signal during said at least one time period and the output signal, the amplitudes of signals reflected from different portions of the region in order to provide an image of the region.
2 more elements
A system for imaging a region, comprising:
- a transmitter transmitting a signal towards the region, said region reflecting said signal to generate a modified signal;
- a receiver providing an output signal in response to said modified signal;
- a device moving the transmitter or the receiver substantially continuously relative to the body to cause a Doppler phase shift of the receiver output signal relative to the transmitted signal, said transmitted signal being continuous for at least a time period during which said device is moving the transmitter or receiver;
- and
- means for determining, using information regarding the Doppler phase shift, the amplitudes of signals reflected from different portions of the region in order to provide an image of the region.
2 more elements
A method for imaging a region, comprising the following steps:
- transmitting from a transmitting location an signal towards the region, said region reflecting said acoustic signal to generate a modified signal;
- receiving at a receiving location said modified signal and providing an output signal in response to said modified signal;
- moving the transmitting or the receiving location substantially continuously relative to the body to cause a Doppler phase shift of the output signal relative to the transmitted signal, said transmitted signal being continuous for at least a time period during which said location is moved;
- and
- determining, using information regarding the Doppler phase shift, the amplitudes of signals reflected from different portions of the region in order to provide an image of the region.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.