Medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging system using coded transmit pulses

An ultrasonic transmitting method for a phased-array transducer probe of a medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging system, said method comprising the following steps:

• (a) launching a first coded ultrasonic transmit beam with a dominant focus along a selected direction into a body, said first coded ultrasonic transmit beam modulated with a first code;
• (b) launching a second coded ultrasonic transmit beam with a similar focus alone the same direction into the body before the first transmit beam has left the tissue, said second coded ultrasonic transmit beam modulated with a second code, different from the first code;
• (c) acquiring receive signals from the body in response to the first and second transmit beams;
• applying at least some of the receive signals to a first compression filter characterized by a first pulse compression function;
• and
• (e) applying at least some of the receive signals to a second compression filter characterized by a second pulse compression function, different from the first pulse compression function.

A medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging method comprising:

• (a) launching a first coded ultrasonic transmit beam into a body, said first coded ultrasonic transmit beam modulated with a first code;
• (b) launching a second coded ultrasonic transmit beam into the body before the first transmit beam has left the body, said second coded ultrasonic transmit beam modulated with a second code, different from the first code;
• (c) acquiring receive signals from the body in response to the first and second transmit beams;
• (d) applying at least some of the receive signals to a first compression filter characterized by a first pulse compression function;
• (e) applying at least some of the receive signals to a second compression filter characterized by a second pulse compression function, different from the first pulse compression function;
• and
• (f) image processing compressed receive signals generated by the first and second compression filters in an imaging mode;
• wherein the transmit beams are each characterized by a respective phase modulation function that is spatially invariant across a respective transducer aperture associated with each transmit beam;
• and
• wherein the imaging mode is selected from the group consisting of:
• color Doppler imaging using autocorrelation processing, pulse inversion harmonic Doppler imaging, spectral Doppler imaging, motion processing imaging, strain imaging, and combinations thereof.

A medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging method comprising:

• a) launching a coded ultrasonic transmit beam into a body;
• b) acquiring receive signals from the body in response to the transmit beam;
• c) applying the receive signals to a compression filter characterized by a pulse compression function;
• and
• d) image processing compressed receive signals generated by the compression filter in an imaging mode;
• wherein the transmit beam is characterized by a phase modulation function that is spatially invariant across a respective transducer aperture;
• and
• wherein the imaging mode is selected from the group consisting of color Doppler imaging using autocorrelation processing, pulse inversion harmonic Doppler imaging, spectral Doppler imaging, strain imaging, and combinations thereof.

A medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging system comprising:

• at least one first pulse generator operative to generate a first set of coded transmit waveforms modulated with a first code and timed to form a first transmit beam along a first transmit beam direction;
• at least one second pulse generator operative to generate a second set of coded transmit waveforms modulated with a second code, different from the first code, and timed to form a second transmit beam along a second transmit beam direction, spatially distinct from the first transmit beam direction;
• a controller coupled with each of the first and second pulse generators and operative to initiate generation of both the first and second sets of coded transmit waveforms;
• a transducer probe comprising a plurality of transducer elements coupled with selected ones of the first and second pulse generations;
• a receiver coupled with the transducer elements, said receiver comprising first and second compression filters characterized by respective, distinct first and second pulse compression functions.

A medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging system comprising:

• at least one first pulse generator operative to generate a first set of coded transmit waveforms modulated with a first code and timed to form a first transmit beam with a dominant focus;
• at least one second pulse generator operative to generate a second set of coded transmit waveforms modulated with a second code, different from the first code, and timed to form a second transmit beam with a similar focus;
• a controller coupled with each of the first and second pulse generators and operative to initiate generation of both the first and second sets of coded transmit waveforms;
• a transducer probe comprising a plurality of transducer elements coupled with selected ones of the first and second pulse generations;
• a receiver coupled with the transducer elements, said receiver comprising first and second compression filters characterized by respective, distinct first and second pulse compression functions.

A medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging method comprising:

• (a) launching a plurality of coded ultrasonic transmit beams into a body, said transmit beams each characterized by a respective phase modulation function that is spatially invariant across a respective transducer aperture associated with each transmit beam;
• (b) acquiring a plurality of receive signals from the body in response to the transmit beams;
• and
• (c) motion detection processing the receive signals using at least one of an autocorrelation algorithm and an FFT algorithm .

A medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging system comprising:

• means for launching a first coded ultrasonic transmit beam into a body, said first coded ultrasonic transmit beam modulated with a first code;
• means for launching a second coded ultrasonic transmit beam into the body before the first transmit beam has left the body, said second coded ultrasonic transmit beam modulated with a second code, different from the first code;
• means for acquiring receive signals from the body in response to the first and second transmit beams;
• means for applying at least some of the receive signals to a first compression filter characterized by a first pulse compression function;
• means for applying at least some of the receive signals to a second compression filter characterized by a second pulse compression function, different from the first pulse compression function;
• and
• means for image processing compressed receive signals generated by the first and second compression filters in an imaging mode;
• wherein the transmit beams are each characterized by a respective phase modulation function that is spatially invariant across a respective transducer aperture associated with each transmit beam;
• and
• wherein the imaging mode is selected from the group consisting of:
• color Doppler imaging using autocorrelation processing, pulse inversion harmonic Doppler imaging, spectral Doppler imaging, motion processing imaging, strain imaging, and combinations thereof.

An ultrasonic imaging method for a medial diagnostic ultrasonic imaging system, said method comprising:

• (a) transmitting a first coded ultrasonic transmit pulse into a body, said first coded ultrasonic pulse modulated with a first code;
• (b) acquiring receive signals from the body in response to the first transmit pulse;
• (c) transmitting at least a second coded transmit ultrasonic pulse into a body, said second coded ultrasonic transmit pulse differing from the pulse of (a) in at least one of transmit envelope phase and polarity;
• (d) acquiring receive signals from the body in response to the second transmit pulse;
• (e) applying at least some of the receive signals to at least one compression filter;
• and
• (f) combining compressed receive signals from (e) associated with the first and second transmit pulses.