Calibration of multiple aperture ultrasound probes
AssigneeMaui Imaging, Inc.
InventorsArtem Belevich, Josef R. Call, Bruce R. Ritzi, Nathan W. Osborn
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Abstract
The quality of ping-based ultrasound imaging is dependent on the accuracy of information describing the precise acoustic position of transmitting and receiving transducer elements. Improving the quality of transducer element position data can substantially improve the quality of ping-based ultrasound images, particularly those obtained using a multiple aperture ultrasound imaging probe, i.e., a probe with a total aperture greater than any anticipated maximum coherent aperture width. Various systems and methods for calibrating element position data for a probe are described.
Claims26
A method of calibrating an ultrasound probe, comprising the steps of:
- securing an ultrasound probe containing a first array and a second array in a consistent position to image a phantom, each of the first and second arrays having a plurality of transducer elements;
- retrieving first transducer element position data explicitly defining a position of each transducer element of the first array relative to a common coordinate system;
- imaging the phantom with the first array to obtain a reference image, wherein imaging is dependent on the first transducer element position data;
- retrieving second transducer element position data explicitly defining a position of each transducer element of the second array relative to the common coordinate system;
- imaging the phantom with the second array to obtain a test image, wherein imaging is dependent on the second position data;
- quantifying a first error between the reference image and the test image;
- and
- iteratively optimizing the second transducer element position data until the first error is at a minimum.
A method of calibrating an ultrasound probe, comprising the steps of:
- securing the ultrasound probe having an array of transducer elements in a consistent position relative to a phantom;
- insonifying a plurality of reflectors of the phantom with the ultrasound probe;
- receiving echo data with the ultrasound probe array transducer elements;
- storing the echo data received by each of the transducer elements;
- retrieving first transducer element position data explicitly defining a position of each transducer element of the ultrasound probe array relative to a common coordinate system;
- beamforming the stored echo data using the first transducer element position data to form an image of the reflectors;
- obtaining reference data describing the reflectors;
- quantifying an error between the image and the reference data;
- and
- iteratively optimizing the transducer element position data based on the quantified error.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.