Ultrasonic imaging system and associated method

An imaging apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of acoustic transducers;
• a carrier supporting said transducers;
• a processor operatively connected to said transducers for determining three dimensional shapes of objects in response to ultrasonic echo signals received by said transducers;
• position determination componentry operatively connected to said processor and providing data to said processor determinative of relative positions of said transducers;
• and
• a calibration reference body disposable in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with a substantial number of said transducers,
• said position determination componentry including software-modified generic digital processing circuits determining initial relative positions of said transducers when said transducers are in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with said calibration reference body and further determining changes in positions of said transducers relative to one another during a transfer of said carrier and said transducers from said calibration reference body to a subject.

A method for calibrating an acoustic array, comprising:

• (i) providing a calibration body of known dimensions filled with an acoustic medium and containing a calibration target of known acoustic properties at a pre-determined location inside said body;
• (ii) placing an array of acoustic transducers in operative contact with an exterior surface of said body, said transducers being mechanically connected to each other via a carrier or substrate;
• (iii) operating said transducers to transmit pressure waves from said transducers into said body;
• (iv) receiving pressure waves reflected from said target;
• (v) processing the reflected pressure waves to generate a virtual image or electronic model of said target;
• (vi) automatically comparing said virtual image or electronic model of said target with a stored electronic duplicate of said target;
• (vii) in response to the comparing of said virtual image or electronic model with said stored electronic duplicate, determining initial or reference positions of said transducers relative to one another;
• (iv) removing said carrier or substrate from said body after the determination of the initial or reference positions of said transducers;
• and
• (v) automatically monitoring changes in positions of said transducers relative to one another during the removing of said carrier or substrate from said body, thereby determining instantaneous positions of said transducers relative to one another.

A method for generating an image of internal organs of a patient, comprising:

• providing a carrier or substrate having a plurality of acoustic transducers disposable in contact with a skin surface of the patient, said carrier or substrate further including a plurality of metrologic devices;
• placing said carrier on said skin surface so that said transducers are in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with the patient;
• operating said metrologic devices to generate position data pertaining to relative positions of said transducers;
• operating said transducers to generate acoustic data pertaining to internal tissue structures of the patient;
• and
• processing said position data and said acoustic data to produce an image of said internal tissue structures.

A method of calibrating an acoustic array, comprising:

• (i) providing a body of known dimensions filled with an acoustic medium and containing a target of known acoustic properties at a pre-determined location inside said body;
• (ii) placing an array of acoustic transducer assemblies in known positions and in operative contact with an exterior surface of said body;
• (iii) providing a first system for determination of relative positions of said acoustic transducer assemblies;
• (iv) providing a second system for generation of an image based on acoustic data transponded by said array of acoustic transducer assemblies and on said relative positions of the acoustic transducer assemblies;
• (v) operating said first system for determination of said relative positions of said acoustic transducer assemblies;
• (vi) generating a first correction based on comparison of said determination with said known positions;
• (vii) operating said second system for generation of an image based on data transponded by said array of transducer assemblies and a corrected sense of said relative positions;
• and,
• (viii) generating a second correction based on comparison of said image with said pre-determined location of said target inside said body.

A method of determining a current configuration of an array of rigid objects, comprising:

• (i) providing a set of metrologic devices disposed between members of a collection of pairs of said rigid objects, each of said devices operable to determine at least one of an increment in relative position and an increment in relative orientation, said collection of pairs chosen so that an exhaustive operation of said set of metrologic devices determines a sufficient number of said increments to uniquely determine a global increment in said current configuration of said array;
• (ii) determining an initial configuration of said array of objects;
• and
• (iii) following said determining of an initial configuration, further determining by means of said set of metrologic devices a sufficient plurality of said increments to determine a global increment in said current configuration of said array, for determining, in conjunction with said determining of an initial configuration, a current configuration of said array.

A method of recording stereoscopic information, comprising;

• (i) providing an array of acoustic transducers;
• (ii) operating a first portion of said array to construct an acoustic image of a target from a first perspective;
• and
• (iii) operating a second portion of said array to construct an acoustic image of a target from a second perspective, objects imaged from said first perspective being at least partially identical with objects imaged from said second perspective.