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US 6,551,246 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for forming medical ultrasound images
AssigneeAcuson Corporation
InventorsKutay F. Ustuner, Charles E. Bradley, Lewis J. Thomas, Ching-Hua Chou, David J. Napolitano, Patrick J. Phillips
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pulse echo beamforming system generates high spatial bandwidth ultrasound images using only a few transmit/receive events per frame. Each transmit/receive event consists of firing an unfocused or weakly focused wave and receiving and storing the echo on every receive channel. Each set of stored echoes is delayed and apodized to form component beams for each desired image point in the region insonified by that particular wave. The final images are synthesized by adding two or more of the component beams for each image point.
Claims51
A medical ultrasonic imaging method comprising:
- (a) transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic waves into a region, said ultrasonic waves characterized by different wavefront angles for each of a plurality of image locations in the region;
- (b) acquiring a respective set of receive signals in response to each of the ultrasonic waves;
- (c) for the plurality of image locations, forming a plurality of component beams, each component beam formed from a respective one of the sets of receive signals, where receive apodization functions for the component beams vary as a function of at least the respective wavefront angles at the respective image locations;
- and
- (d) for each image location combining the corresponding component beams.
2 more elements
A medical ultrasonic imaging method comprising:
- (a) transmitting a plurality of substantially planar ultrasonic waves into a region, said ultrasonic waves characterized by different steering angles;
- (b) acquiring a respective set of receive signals in response to each of the ultrasonic waves;
- (c) for a plurality of image locations, forming a plurality of component beams, each component beam formed from a respective one of the sets of receive signals, where receive apodization functions for the component beams vary as a function of at least the plane wave steering angles at the respective image locations;
- and
- (d) for each image location combining the corresponding component beams.
2 more elements
A medical ultrasonic imaging method comprising:
- (a) transmitting first and second ultrasonic waves into a region, said first and second ultrasonic waves characterized by different wavefront angles for each of a plurality of image locations in the region;
- (b) acquiring sets of first and second receive signals in response to the first and second ultrasonic waves, respectively;
- (c) for the plurality of image locations, forming first and second component beams from the sets of first and second receive signals, respectively, where receive apodization functions for the component beams vary as a function of at least the respective wavefront angles at the respective image locations;
- and
- (d) for each image location combining the corresponding component beams.
2 more elements
A medical ultrasonic imaging method comprising:
- (a) transmitting first and second substantially planar ultrasonic waves into a region, said first and second ultrasonic waves characterized by different steering angles;
- (b) acquiring sets of first and second receive signals in response to the first and second ultrasonic waves, respectively;
- (c) for a plurality of image locations, forming first and second component beams from the sets of first and second receive signals, respectively, where receive apodization functions for the component beams vary as a function of at least the steering angles of the respective substantially planar waves;
- and
- (d) for each image location, combining the corresponding component beams.
2 more elements
A medical ultrasonic imaging method comprising:
- (a) simultaneously transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic waves into a region, said ultrasonic waves characterized by different wavefront angles for each of a plurality of image locations in the region;
- (b) acquiring a set of receive signals in response to the simultaneously transmitted ultrasonic waves;
- (c) for a plurality of image locations forming a beam from the set of receive signals, wherein the image locations are substantially along the locus of intersection points of the ultrasonic waves as the waves propagate into the region, and where the receive apodization function varies as a function of at least the respective wavefront angles at the respective image locations.
A medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging system comprising:
- (a) means for transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic waves into a region, said ultrasonic waves characterized by different wavefront angles for each of a plurality of image locations in the region;
- (b) means of acquiring a respective set of receive signals in response to each of the ultrasonic waves;
- (c) at least one beamformer operative to form, for a plurality of image locations, a plurality of component beams, each component beam formed from a respective one of the sets of receive signals, where receive apodization functions for the component beams vary as a function of at least the respective wavefront angles at the respective image locations;
- and
- (d) a processor operative for each image location to combine the respective plurality of component beams.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.