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US 5,570,691 AGranted
Method and apparatus for real-time, concurrent adaptive focusing in an ultrasound beamformer imaging system
AssigneeAcuson Corporation
InventorsJ. Nelson Wright, Samuel H. Maslak, Donald R. Langdon, Gregory L. Holley, Christopher R. Cole
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus are provided for dynamic, real-time adaptive focusing for ultrasound imaging. Aberration delay correction values, corresponding to an aberration region in an imaged subject, are measured concurrently during B-mode imaging scan lines and updated at the scan line rate. The measured aberration delay correction values are then applied concurrently to correct the focus of all transmitted and received ultrasound scan lines, regardless of the imaging mode, scan geometry, or imaging frequencies.
Claims47
In an ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- a transmitter providing a plurality of first signals to a respective transmit plurality of the transducer elements based upon respective transmit delay values to form first ultrasonic beams directed to a subject;
- a receiver acquiring second signals associated with the first beams from a respective receive plurality of the transducer elements and delaying the second signals by respective receive delay values to form delayed second signals;
- and a summer responsive to the delayed second signals to form second beam signals used to form an image, the improvement comprising:
- a sub-array signal generator forming a plurality of sub-array signals, each responsive to a respective plurality of the delayed second signals;
- a plurality of aberration correction value estimators, each responsive to at least a respective first sub-array signal to generate at least one aberration correction value;
- and
- an adaptive focus processor modifying at least some of the delay values in response to the aberration correction values to improve the image;
- said generator forming said plurality of sub-array signals, said estimators forming said aberration correction values, and said adaptive focus processor modifying said delay values concurrently with said summer forming said second beam signals.
5 more elements
In an ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- a transmitter providing a plurality of first signals to a respective transmit plurality of the transducer elements based upon respective transmit delay values to form first ultrasonic beams directed to a subject;
- a receiver acquiring second signals associated with the first beams from a respective receive plurality of the transducer elements and delaying the second signals by respective receive delay values to form delayed second signals;
- and a summer responsive to the delayed second signals to form second beam signals used to form an image, the improvement comprising:
- a sub-array signal generator forming a plurality of sub-array signals, each responsive to a respective plurality of the delayed second signals;
- a plurality of aberration correction value-estimators, each responsive to at least one respective sub-array signal and a respective reference signal responsive to the sub-array signals, each estimator forming (1) at least one respective correlation value by cross-correlating the respective first sub-array signal and the respective reference signal while maintaining a constant relative delay therebetween, and (2) at least one aberration correction value responsive to the at least one correlation value;
- and
- an adaptive focus processor modifying at least some of the delay values in response to the aberration correction values to improve the image;
- said image updated by the imaging system once per frame, said estimators forming said aberration correction values and said adaptive focus processor modifying said delay values more than once per frame.
5 more elements
In an ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- a transmitter providing a plurality of finest signals to a respective transmit plurality of the transducer elements based upon respective transmit delay values to form first ultrasonic beams directed to a subject;
- a receiver acquiring second signals associated with the first beams from a respective receive plurality of the transducer elements and delaying the second signals by respective receive delay values to form delayed second signals;
- and a summer responsive to the delayed second signals to form scan line signals used to form an image, the improvement comprising:
- a sub-array signal generator forming a plurality of sub-array signals, each responsive to a respective plurality of the delayed second signals;
- a plurality of aberration correction value estimators, each responsive to at least a respective sub-array signal and operative to form at least one aberration correction value;
- and
- an adaptive focus processor modifying at least some of the delay values in response to the aberration correction values to improve the image;
- said generator forming said plurality of sub-array signals, said estimators forming said aberration correction values, and said adaptive focus processor modifying said delay values concurrently with said summer forming said scan line signals;
- said adaptive focus processor modifying said delay values for forming a current scan line signal using aberration correction values from recently acquired scan line signals, wherein said current scan line signal and said recently acquired scan line signals are acquired within a single scan frame.
6 more elements
In an ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- a transmitter providing a plurality of first signals to a respective transmit plurality of the transducer elements based upon respective transmit delay values to form first ultrasonic beams directed to a subject;
- a receiver acquiring second signals associated with the first beams from a respective receive plurality of the transducer elements and delaying the second signals by respective receive delay values to form delayed second signals;
- and a summer responsive to the delayed second signals to form second beam signals used to form an image, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of aberration correction value estimators, each responsive to at least one respective delayed second signal and a respective reference signal, each estimator forming (1) at least one respective correlation value by cross-correlating said delayed second signal and said reference signal while maintaining a constant relative delay therebetween, and (2) at least one aberration correction value responsive to the at least one correlation value;
- and
- an adaptive focus processor modifying at least some of the delay values in response to the aberration correction values to improve the image;
- said estimators forming said aberration correction values and said adaptive focus processor modifying said delay values independently of operator intervention and concurrently with said summer forming said second beam signals.
4 more elements
In an ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- a transmitter providing a plurality of first signals to a respective transmit plurality of the transducer elements based upon respective transmit delay values to form first ultrasonic beams directed to a subject;
- a receiver acquiring second signals associated with the first beams from a respective receive plurality of the transducer elements and delaying the second signals by respective receive delay values to form delayed second signals;
- and a summer responsive to the delayed second signals to form second beam signals used to form an image, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of aberration correction value estimators, each responsive to at least one respective delayed second signal, each estimator forming first aberration correction values indicative of amplitude aberrations and second aberration correction values indicative of delay aberrations associated with respective aberrating regions;
- and
- an adaptive focus processor modifying at least some of the delay values in response to the second aberration correction values to improve the image.
3 more elements
In an ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- a transmitter providing a plurality of first signals to a respective transmit plurality of the transducer elements based upon respective transmit delay values to form first ultrasonic beams directed to a subject;
- a receiver acquiring second signals associated with the first beams from a respective receive plurality of the transducer elements and delaying the second signals by respective receive delay values to form delayed second signals;
- and a summer responsive to the delayed second signals to form second beam signals used to form an image, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of aberration correction value estimators, each responsive to at least one delayed second signal and generating at least one respective aberration correction value;
- and
- an adaptive focus processor modifying at least some of the delay values in response to the aberration correction values to improve the image;
- wherein the aberration correction value estimators respond to delayed second signals for a first image, wherein the adaptive focus processor modifies delay values for a second image, and wherein the first and second images differ in at least one of imaging mode and scan geometry.
4 more elements
In an ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- a transmitter providing a plurality of first signals to a respective transmit plurality of the transducer elements based upon respective transmit delay values to form first ultrasonic beams directed to a subject;
- a receiver acquiring second signals associated with the first beams from a respective receive plurality of the transducer elements and delaying the second signals by respective receive delay values to form delayed second signals;
- and a summer responsive to the delayed second signals to form second beam signals used to form an image, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of aberration correction value estimators, each responsive to at least one delayed second signal and generating at least one respective aberration correction value;
- and
- an adaptive focus processor modifying at least some of the delay values in response to the aberration correction values to improve the image;
- wherein the first beams comprise multiple simultaneously generated transmit beams.
4 more elements
In an ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- a transmitter providing a plurality of first signals to a respective transmit plurality of the transducer elements based upon respective transmit delay values to form first ultrasonic beams directed to a subject;
- a receiver acquiring second signals associated with the first beams from a respective receive plurality of the transducer elements and delaying the second signals by respective receive delay values to form delayed second signals;
- and a summer responsive to the delayed second signals to form second beam signals used to form an image, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of aberration correction value estimators, each responsive to at least one delayed second signal and generating at least one respective aberration correction value;
- and
- an adaptive focus processor modifying at least some of the delay values in response to the aberration correction values to improve the image;
- wherein the second beam signals comprise multiple simultaneously formed receive beams.
4 more elements
In an ultrasound imaging system comprising a plurality of transducer elements;
- a transmitter providing a plurality of first signals to a respective transmit plurality of the transducer elements based upon respective transmit delay values to form first ultrasonic beams directed to a subject;
- a receiver acquiring second signals associated with the first beams from a respective receive plurality of the transducer elements and delaying the second signals by respective receive delay values to form delayed second signals;
- and a summer responsive to the delayed second signals to form second beam signals used to form an image, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of aberration correction value estimators, each responsive to at least one delayed second signal and generating at least one respective aberration correction value;
- and
- an adaptive focus processor modifying at least some of the delay values in response to the aberration correction values to improve the image;
- wherein the estimators and the adaptive focus processor operate while the transmitter and the receiver operate inn a synthetic aperture mode.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.