# US 9,872,667 B2 · Spread spectrum coded waveforms in ultrasound diagnostics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,872,667 B2 - Document ID: US9872667B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/236,229 - Filed: 2016-08-12 - Published: 2016-12-01 - Granted: 2018-01-23 - Earliest claimed: 2011-10-28 - Assignees: Decision Sciences International Corporation - Applicants: Decision Sciences International Corporation - Inventors: Allan Wegner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9872667B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/5207: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image} - A61B 5/725: {using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters (specific diagnostics methods using using bioelectric or biomagnetic signals A61B5/316)} - A61B 8/145: {characterised by scanning multiple planes} - A61B 8/4483: {characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer} - A61B 8/4488: {the transducer being a phased array} - A61B 8/4494: {characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements} - A61B 8/463: {characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display} - A61B 8/467: {characterised by special input means} - A61B 8/488: {involving Doppler signals} - A61B 8/5223: {for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data (for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012)} - A61B 8/54: {Control of the diagnostic device} - G01S 7/5202: {for pulse systems} - G01S 7/52047: {for elimination of side lobes or of grating lobes; for increasing resolving power} - G01S 15/8915: {using a transducer array} - G01S 15/8952: {using discrete, multiple frequencies} - G01S 15/8959: {using coded signals for correlation purposes} - G01S 7/52071: {Multicolour displays; using colour coding; Optimising colour or information content in displays, e.g. parametric imaging} - G01S 15/8927: {using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures} - G01S 15/8979: {Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for ultrasound diagnostics using spread spectrum, coherent, frequency- and/or phase-coded waveforms. In one aspect, a method includes synthesizing individual orthogonal coded waveforms to form a composite waveform for transmission toward a biological material of interest, in which the synthesized individual orthogonal coded waveforms correspond to distinct frequency bands and include one or both of frequency-coded or phase-coded waveforms; transmitting a composite acoustic waveform toward the biological material of interest, where the transmitting includes transducing the individual orthogonal coded waveforms into corresponding acoustic waveforms to form the composite acoustic waveform; receiving acoustic waveforms returned from at least part of the biological material of interest corresponding to at least some of the transmitted acoustic waveforms that form the composite acoustic waveform; and processing the received returned acoustic waveforms to produce an image of at least part of the biological material of interest. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An acoustic imaging system, comprising: a waveform generation unit comprising one or more waveform synthesizers and amplifiers coupled to a waveform generator, the waveform generation unit to synthesize a composite waveform comprising individual orthogonal coded waveforms corresponding to distinct frequency bands that are generated by the one or more waveform synthesizers according to waveform information provided by the waveform generator, wherein the individual orthogonal coded waveforms include one or both of frequency-coded or phase-coded waveforms; a transmitter array of transducer elements in communication with the waveform generation unit to transmit acoustic waveforms forming a composite acoustic waveform based on drive signals produced from the individual orthogonal coded waveforms of the composite waveform toward a biological material, wherein the transmitter array of transducer elements is partitioned into two or more subarrays such that at least one of the two or more subarrays is individually amplitude weighted and at least one of the two or more subarrays is individually phase weighted for at least one frequency band of the frequency bands corresponding to the transmitted acoustic waveforms and combined, thereby providing enhanced cross-range resolution; a receiver array of transducer elements to receive returned acoustic waveforms returned from at least part of the biological material, wherein the received returned acoustic waveforms correspond to at least some of the transmitted acoustic waveforms of the composite acoustic waveform, wherein the receiver array of transducer elements is partitioned into two or more subarrays such that at least one of the two or more subarrays is individually amplitude weighted and at least one of the two or more subarrays is individually phase weighted for at least one frequency band of the frequency bands corresponding to the received returned acoustic waveforms and combined, thereby providing enhanced cross-range resolution; and a controller unit in communication with the waveform generation unit and the transmitter and receiver arrays, the controller unit including a processing unit to process the received returned acoustic waveforms to produce an image of at least part of the biological material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a user interface unit including a display and in communication with the controller unit to display the produced image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface unit includes one or more user interface devices in communication with the controller unit to receive input from an operator of the system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the input includes a mode of operation, including: an ATS-Mode (Artificial Tissue Staining Mode) for imaging biological tissue that enables image color coding based on at least one feature of one or more measured properties that are obtained from the returned acoustic waveforms, or a CAD-Mode (Computer Aided Diagnostic Mode) for imaging biological tissue that uses one or more algorithmic classifiers to classify biological tissue types using at least one feature of one or more measured properties that are obtained from the returned acoustic waveforms. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the display of the user interface unit is operable to display a color coded image of the biological material based on classified biological tissue types. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the transmitter array and the receiver array include the same transducer elements, and the system further comprises: a transmit/receive switching unit in communication with the waveform generation unit and the transmitter and receiver arrays to switch between a transmit mode to transmit the transmitted acoustic waveforms and a receive mode to receive the returned acoustic waveforms. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more amplifiers of the waveform generation unit are communicatively coupled between the transmit/receive switching unit and the one or more waveform synthesizers to modify the individual orthogonal coded waveforms of the composite waveform. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, further comprising: an array of analog to digital (A/D) converters in communication with the receiver array and the controller unit to convert the received returned acoustic waveforms from analog format to digital format; and an array of one or more pre-amplifiers configured between the transmit/receive switching unit and the array of A/D converters that modifies the received returned acoustic waveforms. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: an array of analog to digital (A/D) converters in communication with the receiver array and the controller unit to convert the received returned acoustic waveforms from analog format to digital format. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the phase-coded waveforms includes a frequency chip phase component that is a pseudo-random number. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the phase-coded waveforms includes an additive phase term. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller unit further comprises a master clock for synchronizing operations of one or more components of the system. ### Claim 13 A method for producing an image of a biological material from acoustic signals, comprising: synthesizing individual orthogonal coded waveforms to form a composite waveform for transmission toward a biological material of interest, wherein the synthesized individual orthogonal coded waveforms correspond to distinct frequency bands and include one or both of frequency-coded or phase-coded waveforms, and wherein each individual orthogonal coded waveform includes one or more amplitudes and one or more phases, with the one or more amplitudes individually amplitude weighted for at least one waveform of the individual orthogonal coded waveforms and the one or more phases individually phase weighted for at least one waveform of the individual orthogonal coded waveforms, thereby providing at least one of steering, focus, or forming of the composite waveform; transmitting a composite acoustic waveform based on drive signals produced from the individual orthogonal coded waveforms of the synthesized composite waveform toward the biological material of interest, wherein the transmitting includes generating drive signals based the individual orthogonal coded waveforms to drive transducer elements of a transducer array to form the composite acoustic waveform; receiving returned acoustic waveforms that are returned from at least part of the biological material of interest corresponding to at least some of the transmitted acoustic waveforms that form the composite acoustic waveform; and processing the received returned acoustic waveforms to produce an image of at least part of the biological material of interest. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the synthesizing the individual orthogonal frequency-coded waveforms includes selecting two or more carrier frequencies corresponding to the respective frequency bands, and determining one or more amplitudes and a time-bandwidth product parameter of each individual orthogonal coded waveform. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the synthesizing the individual orthogonal phase-coded waveforms includes determining a time-bandwidth product parameter and a phase parameter of each individual orthogonal coded waveform. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the phase parameter is determined from a set of pseudo-random numbers, or from a set of deterministic numbers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the individual orthogonal coded waveforms include coherent waveforms. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein each of the phase-coded waveforms includes a frequency chip phase component that is a pseudo-random number. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein each of the phase-coded waveforms includes an additive phase term. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the received returned acoustic waveforms include information of the biological material of interest including an amplitude and a phase associated with corresponding frequency bands of the composite acoustic waveform. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the amplitude of the received returned acoustic waveforms is individually amplitude weighted for at least one frequency band of the corresponding frequency bands of the composite acoustic waveform, thereby providing at least one of steering, focus, or forming of the composite acoustic waveform. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the phase of the received returned acoustic waveforms is individually phase weighted for at least one frequency band of the corresponding frequency bands of the composite acoustic waveform, thereby providing at least one of steering, focus, or forming of the composite acoustic waveform.