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US 9,310,472 B2Granted
Focal point information determination method and apparatus, and ambient sound velocity obtaining method and apparatus
AssigneeFUJIFILM Corporation
InventorKimito Katsuyama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Transmitting an ultrasonic wave focused on a predetermined transmit focus position by driving each of the elements of the ultrasonic probe based on a predetermined transmit delay time, and determining a true focal position of the ultrasonic wave transmitted to the transmit focus position or a focal point valid region that includes the true focal position based on a receive signal received by each element according to a reflection wave reflected by the transmission of the ultrasonic wave to the transmit focus position.
Claims12
A focal point information determination method which uses an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of elements disposed therein, each for transmitting an ultrasonic wave into a subject and outputting a receive signal by receiving a reflection wave reflected from the subject by the transmission of the ultrasonic wave, wherein the method comprises:
- a transmission step for transmitting the ultrasonic wave focused on a predetermined transmit focus position by driving each of the elements of the ultrasonic probe based on a predetermined transmit delay time;
- and
- a determination step for determining a true focal position of the ultrasonic wave transmitted to the transmit focus position or a focal point valid region that includes the true focal position based on a receive signal received by each element according to a reflection wave reflected by the transmission of the ultrasonic wave to the transmit focus position;
- wherein the determination step comprises the steps of:
- performing receive focusing on the receive signals corresponding to the transmit focus position using receive delay times calculated based on a plurality of sound velocity settings to obtain line image signals extending in a depth direction of the subject with respect to each of the sound velocity settings;
- obtaining a maximum image signal for each of the sound velocity settings at each depth, based on the obtained line image signals with respect to each of the sound velocity settings;
- calculating a provisional ambient sound velocity by designating the sound velocity setting employed when the maximum image signal is obtained;
- obtaining a provisional ambient sound velocity distribution that includes calculated provisional ambient sound velocities at each depth of the subject;
- and
- determining the true focal position or the focal point valid region based on the obtained provisional ambient sound velocity distribution, wherein
- the true focal position or the focal point valid region is determined based on a depth at which a variation of the provisional ambient sound velocity distribution becomes minimal compared to the variations of the provisional ambient sound velocity distribution at the other depth.
8 more elements
A focal point information determination apparatus, comprising:
- an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of elements disposed therein, each for transmitting an ultrasonic wave into a subject and outputting a receive signal by receiving a reflection wave reflected from the subject by the transmission of the ultrasonic wave;
- a transmission control section for transmitting the ultrasonic wave focused on a predetermined transmit focus position by driving each of the elements of the ultrasonic probe based on a predetermined transmit delay time;
- and
- a focal point information determination section for determining a true focal position of the ultrasonic wave transmitted to the transmit focus position or a focal point valid region that includes the true focal position based on a receive signal received by each element according to a reflection wave reflected by the transmission of the ultrasonic wave to the transmit focus position, wherein:
- the apparatus further comprises a receiving control section for performing receive focusing on the receive signals corresponding to the transmit focus position using receive delay times calculated based on a plurality of sound velocity settings to obtain line image signals extending in a depth direction of the subject with respect to each of the sound velocity settings;
- the focal point information determination section is a section that obtains a maximum image signal for each of the sound velocity settings at each depth, based on the obtained line image signals with respect to each of the sound velocity settings, calculates a provisional ambient sound velocity by designating the sound velocity setting employed when the maximum image signal is obtained, and obtains a provisional ambient sound velocity distribution in the depth direction that includes calculated provisional ambient sound velocities at each depth of the subject, by calculating the provisional ambient sound velocities at each depth of the subject;
- and
- the focal point information determination section is a section that determines the true focal position or the focal point valid region based on a depth at which a variation of the provisional ambient sound velocity distribution becomes minimal compared to the variations of the provisional ambient sound velocity distribution at the other depth.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.