US 7,744,536 B2Granted

Multi stage beamforming

AssigneeSiemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.

InventorJohn C. Lazenby

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Abstract

Beamforming for N elements in performed in log(N) steps of complexity O(N). The signals measured at each element are treated as a receive beam formed by that element with a beam width equal to the element pattern or the width of the transmit illumination. In each of multiple stages, the number of elements is halved by effectively doubling the pitch. The number of beams formed by each element is doubled by narrowing the beam width by a factor of 2 in sin(θ). Since steering and focusing are separated, a single set of delays are applied to each element signal individually prior to the multi-stage beam forming for each finite depth. The data is in a sector format, but by using two beamforming steps, data in a Vector® format is provided.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method for ultrasound beamforming data from a region received at an array, the method comprising:

receiving N signals at a respective N elements, the N signals being a data set, the signals responsive to a region of a patient;
applying a first stage operable to increase by a second factor from the data set to a number X of data sets and reduce the N signals by a first factor to M signals in each of the X data sets;
applying a second stage operable to increase from the X number of data sets by a fourth factor to Y number of data sets and reduce the M signals by a third factor to O signals in each of the Y data sets;
and
generating an image as a function of the data of each of the Y data sets;
wherein the first, second, third and fourth factors are selected to provide the X data sets and the Y data sets with a narrower beamwidth relative to the data set.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/904,660Filed 27 Sep 2007 · division
Priority: 25 Mar 2005
Published: US 2008/0027321 A131 Jan 2008
Granted: 29 Jun 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G03B 42/06
Obtaining records using waves other than optical waves; Visualisation of such records by using optical means: using ultrasonic, sonic or…
A61B 8/4483
Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device: characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
G01S 7/52044
Details of receivers: scan converters
G01S 7/52095
Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences: using multiline receive beamforming

Family

Application11/089,996Parent of this division · filed 25 Mar 2005
US 2008/0027321 A1Pre-grant publication · published 31 Jan 2008
US 7,549,963 B2Parent of this division
US 2006/0241490 A1Published application
US 7,744,536 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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