Transmit-focusing and beam-forming method and apparatus for providing adaptive scan-line

A beam-forming apparatus in an ultrasonic imaging system transmitting ultrasonic pulses to an object region to be ultrasonic imaged via a plurality of transducer elements, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving the ultrasonic signals reflected off said object region at said plurality of transducers, and beam-forming the received ultrasonic signals in accordance with associated delay profiles to obtain multiple sets of preliminary scan-line data;
• and
• means for combining said multiple sets of preliminary scan-line data into scan-line data,
• wherein said means for combining further comprises:
• means for dividing said object region to be ultrasonic imaged into a plurality of determining areas;
• means for selecting one of said multiple sets of preliminary scan-line data in each of said determining areas divided by said dividing means;
• and
• means for combining said selected scan-line data to form adaptive scan-line data, and
• wherein said dividing means further comprises:
• means for dividing said object region into two or more determining areas;
• means for determining the accuracy of said determining areas by estimating said multiple sets of preliminary scan-line data generated by said beam-forming means;
• and
• means for repeating processes of further dividing said determining areas and determining the accuracy of the beam-forming in said further divided determining areas until said accuracy meets a predetermined threshold.

An ultrasonic imaging system, comprising:

• means for transmit-focusing a group of ultrasonic pulses in accordance with a plurality of delay profiles that are determined based upon propagation velocities of said ultrasonic pulses within an object region to be ultrasonic imaged;
• and
• means for beam-forming the pulses reflected off said object region on the basis of said plurality of delay profiles,
• wherein said beam-forming means further comprises:
• means for beam-forming signals reflected off said object region to generate interim scan-line data;
• and
• means for dividing said interim scan-line data into multiple sets of preliminary scan-line data in accordance with associated delay profiles applied in said transmit-focusing.

An ultrasonic imaging system, comprising:

• means for transmit-focusing a group of ultrasonic pulses in accordance with a plurality of delay profiles that are determined based upon propagation velocities of said ultrasonic pulses within an object region to be ultrasonic imaged;
• and
• means for beam-forming the pulses reflected off said object region on the basis of said plurality of delay profiles,
• wherein said beam-forming means further comprises:
• transducer arrays for receiving reflected signals off said object region;
• means for dividing each of the signals received at each of the transducers into multiple interim signals, wherein each of said interim signals is associated with each of said plurality of delay profiles applied in said transmit-focusing and said means for dividing is connected to each transducer of said transducer array;
• and
• means for beam-forming each of said interim signals into multiple sets of preliminary scan-line data, each set of said preliminary scan-line data corresponding to each of said plurality of delay profiles applied in said transmit-focusing.