公开(公告)号：EP0429799A1

公开(公告)日：1991-06-05

申请号：EP90118942.3

申请日：1990-10-04

申请人： ACOUSTIC IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

发明人： Herres, Bradley K.

IPC分类号： A61B8/00 ,  G10K11/00

CPC分类号： G10K11/355 ,  A61B8/12 ,  A61B8/4461 ,  A61B8/4488 ,  B82Y15/00 ,  G01S15/8943

摘要： Ultrasound imaging apparatus has a (18) probe disposed on a longitudinal axis. A linear array (22) of ultrasound transducer elements is arranged along the axis of the probe. The array is alternatively held stationary and oscillated relative to the probe about the axis between limits to define a sector (26). In a first mode, the transducer elements are actuated successively while the array is held stationary to generate a longitudinal rectilinear scan (24). In a second mode, some of the transducer elements are actuated repeatedly while the array is oscillated to generate a transverse sector scan orthogonal to the longitudinal scan. The echoes received by the transducer elements in the first and second modes are displayed as images of respective orthogonal planes (FIG. 3). In either case, the user selects the position of the scan plane within the field of view of the array while the probe is held in a stationary position against the skin of the patient.

摘要翻译： 超声成像装置具有设置在纵向轴线上的（18）探针。 超声换能器元件的线性阵列（22）沿着探针的轴线布置。 阵列可选地保持静止并且相对于探针围绕限定的轴线在所述探针周围振荡以限定扇区（26）。 在第一模式中，传感器元件被连续致动，同时阵列保持静止以产生纵向直线扫描（24）。 在第二模式中，当阵列振荡以产生与纵向扫描正交的横向扇形扫描时，一些换能器元件被重复地致动。 在第一和第二模式中由换能器元件接收的回波被显示为各个正交平面的图像（图3）。 在任一种情况下，用户在扫描平面保持在与患者皮肤相对的静止位置的同时在阵列的视场内选择扫描平面的位置。

公开(公告)号：EP0553804B1

公开(公告)日：1999-12-29

申请号：EP93101282.7

申请日：1993-01-28

申请人： ACOUSTIC IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

发明人： Glenn, Martin ,  Hamid, Ekhlassi

IPC分类号： A61B8/00 ,  G01S15/89 ,  G01N29/24

CPC分类号： A61B8/546 ,  A61B8/00 ,  A61B8/4455 ,  A61B2018/00005 ,  G01S15/899 ,  G10K11/004

公开(公告)号：EP0520397A2

公开(公告)日：1992-12-30

申请号：EP92110613.4

申请日：1992-06-24

申请人： ACOUSTIC IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

发明人： Shen, Michael Cheng-Shiah ,  Zobkiw, Christopher Paul

IPC分类号： G01S7/56 ,  G01S15/89 ,  G01S7/52

CPC分类号： G01S7/6281 ,  G01S7/52074

摘要： A foreground image is overlaid over a background image on a visual display. Specifically, an ultrasound signal is transmitted toward a target to be displayed in two dimensions. Echoes of the ultrasound signal are received from the target. Two-dimensional target data acquired from the received echoes are stored. The two-dimensional target data are presented on the visual display as a background image. Part of the target data are overlaid over the background image as a foreground image on the visual display. The size of the foreground image vis-a-vis the background image is changed by the user to permit better observation of an area of interest. Preferably, the size of the foreground image is changed without changing the area occupied by the foreground image on the visual display, which permits the invention to simulate the action of a magnifying glass. The user moves a cursor on the visual display to the center of an area of interest. The user then opens up a window about the cursor to define the length and width of the foreground image on the visual display, while observing the target data presented on the visual display. The user can then magnify the size of the foreground image centered on the cursor, chance the dimensions of the window, and/or change the location of the cursor to move the area of interest, without disturbing the background image.

摘要翻译： 前景图像覆盖在视觉显示器上的背景图像上。 具体地说，向目标传送超声波信号以二维显示。 从目标接收超声信号的回波。 存储从接收的回波获取的二维目标数据。 二维目标数据作为背景图像呈现在视觉显示器上。 目标数据的一部分在视觉显示上作为前景图像叠加在背景图像上。 前景图像相对于背景图像的大小由用户改变以允许更好地观察感兴趣的区域。 优选地，改变前景图像的尺寸而不改变视觉显示器上的前景图像占据的面积，这允许本发明模拟放大镜的动作。 用户将视觉显示上的光标移动到感兴趣区域的中心。 然后用户打开关于光标的窗口，以在观察视觉显示器上呈现的目标数据的同时定义视觉显示器上的前景图像的长度和宽度。 然后，用户可以放大以光标为中心的前景图像的尺寸，机会窗口的尺寸，和/或改变光标的位置以移动感兴趣的区域，而不会干扰背景图像。

公开(公告)号：EP0430093A3

公开(公告)日：1992-03-04

申请号：EP90122391.7

申请日：1990-11-23

申请人： ACOUSTIC IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

发明人： Jaeger, Paul M. ,  Sturgill, Michael R.

IPC分类号： G01S15/89 ,  A61B8/08 ,  G01S15/52

CPC分类号： G01S15/8981 ,  A61B8/488

摘要： An ultrasonic blood flow measuring and imaging system comprises a transmit-receive transducer for transmitting ultrasonic waves toward and into the human body and for receiving reflected echo signals which are then processed for use in a Doppler blood flow imaging and display system. Multiple ultrasonic pulse beams are transmitted into the body at each of a number of locations in an area under diagnosis. For each location a plurality of reflected echo signals are received during successive predetermined time intervals. Each received echo signal has a stationary component reflected from essentially stationary tissue and a Doppler component reflected from areas where movement is sensed, such as blood flow. The reflected echo signals are processed in a canceller having stationary signal acquisition and Doppler signal acquisition modes, in that order, for each flow measuring sequence. In the stationary acquisition mode, an ultrasound basis line is first transmitted, its echo detected, amplified, converted to digital, and then stored in a line buffer. The system then switches to the Doppler acquisition mode, and on each of the succeeding pulses the stored line samples are recalled from the line buffer, converted to analog form, and subtracted from the succeeding reflected echo signals. The difference is amplified, converted to digital, and processed by an MTI filter to thereby produce Doppler flow image data for use in imaging, including color imaging, of blood flow in the area under diagnosis.

公开(公告)号：EP0458092A2

公开(公告)日：1991-11-27

申请号：EP91106978.9

申请日：1991-04-30

申请人： ACOUSTIC IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

发明人： Kopel, LeRoy A. ,  Plank, Randy Gayle

IPC分类号： B06B1/06

CPC分类号： B06B1/0622 ,  G10K11/32 ,  H05K1/145 ,  H05K1/189 ,  H05K3/3447 ,  H05K2201/052 ,  H05K2201/055 ,  H05K2201/10083 ,  H05K2201/10189 ,  Y10T29/42

摘要： A curved array ultrasonic transducer is manufactured by cutting a flat transducer plate (12), which is attached to a flexible support plate (11), into a plurality of segments (14), the segments being hingedly attached by the support plate. The support plate is bent to a radius (FIG. 2) and the conductive traces in a flexible circuit board are electrically connected to the transducer plate segments (FIG. 4). The flexible circuit board, having a plurality of branches, is bent to a perpendicular position such that the traces in the plurality of branches become substantially aligned (FIG. 6). The traces exiting the branches are then electrically connected to a pin and socket connector device (FIG. 8).

摘要翻译： 通过将附接到柔性支撑板（11）的平面换能器板（12）切割成多个段（14）来制造弯曲阵列超声换能器，所述段由支撑板铰接地附接。 支撑板弯曲到半径（图2），柔性电路板中的导电迹线电连接到换能器板段（图4）。 具有多个分支的柔性电路板被弯曲到垂直位置，使得多个分支中的迹线变得基本对齐（图6）。 离开分支的迹线然后电连接到插座和插座连接器装置（图8）。

公开(公告)号：EP0430094A1

公开(公告)日：1991-06-05

申请号：EP90122392.5

申请日：1990-11-23

申请人： ACOUSTIC IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

发明人： Sturgill, Michael R.

IPC分类号： A61B8/06 ,  G01S15/89

CPC分类号： G01S15/8979 ,  A61B8/06

摘要： A system for improving the flow estimation sensitivity of an ultrasonic Doppler flow imaging system includes an ultrasonic wave transmitter and receiver for sequentially transmitting ultrasonic waves toward and into a living body and for receiving the reflected Doppler-shifted echo signals. A series of echo signals received from each of a number of points within the body are processed in a velocity estimator, using maximum entropy techniques, to produce an output signal representative of an estimated velocity of the flow at each of said points within the body. The processing means detects the series of echo signals for each point and calculates an average power spectrum based on the amplitude-versus-frequency distribution of the series of received echo signals. The power spectrum is calculated by fitting a first order polynomial to the series of echo signals, although higher order polynomials can be used. A peak center frequency shift associated with the data detected for each point is derived from the power spectrum. The resulting peak center frequency shift information is then processed to produce a velocity estimate for each of the points at which velocity is being measured, and the resulting velocity estimate information is then processed further for imaging in a two-dimensional Doppler color flow imaging display.

摘要翻译： 一种提高超声波多普勒血流成像系统的流估计灵敏度系统包括超声波发射器和接收器，用于顺序地发射超声波朝向并进入活体和用于接收反射多普勒频移的回波信号。 在身体内的一系列从各若干身体内点的接收的回波信号的在速度估计器进行处理，使用最大熵的技术，以产生代表在每一个所述的流的估计速度的输出信号点。 所述处理装置检测所述系列的每个点和在基于所述一系列接收回波信号的振幅 - 频率分布来计算平均功率谱回波信号。 功率谱是通过一阶多项式拟合到串联的回波信号的，尽管可以使用更高阶的多项式计算。 对于每个点检测到的数据相关联的峰中心频率偏移被从功率谱得到。 然后将所得的峰中心频率偏移信息进行处理以产生一个速度估计为每个在其中速度的点的被测量，然后将所得的速度估计的信息是在二维多普勒彩色血流成像显示处理进一步用于成像。

公开(公告)号：EP0430093A2

公开(公告)日：1991-06-05

申请号：EP90122391.7

申请日：1990-11-23

申请人： ACOUSTIC IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

发明人： Jaeger, Paul M. ,  Sturgill, Michael R.

IPC分类号： G01S15/89 ,  A61B8/08 ,  G01S15/52

CPC分类号： G01S15/8981 ,  A61B8/488

摘要： An ultrasonic blood flow measuring and imaging system comprises a transmit-receive transducer for transmitting ultrasonic waves toward and into the human body and for receiving reflected echo signals which are then processed for use in a Doppler blood flow imaging and display system. Multiple ultrasonic pulse beams are transmitted into the body at each of a number of locations in an area under diagnosis. For each location a plurality of reflected echo signals are received during successive predetermined time intervals. Each received echo signal has a stationary component reflected from essentially stationary tissue and a Doppler component reflected from areas where movement is sensed, such as blood flow. The reflected echo signals are processed in a canceller having stationary signal acquisition and Doppler signal acquisition modes, in that order, for each flow measuring sequence. In the stationary acquisition mode, an ultrasound basis line is first transmitted, its echo detected, amplified, converted to digital, and then stored in a line buffer. The system then switches to the Doppler acquisition mode, and on each of the succeeding pulses the stored line samples are recalled from the line buffer, converted to analog form, and subtracted from the succeeding reflected echo signals. The difference is amplified, converted to digital, and processed by an MTI filter to thereby produce Doppler flow image data for use in imaging, including color imaging, of blood flow in the area under diagnosis.

摘要翻译： 超声波血流测量和成像系统包括用于向人体发射超声波并用于接收反射的回波信号的发射 - 接收换能器，然后被处理以用于多普勒血流成像和显示系统。 多个超声脉冲波束在被诊断的区域中的多个位置的每一个处传送到体内。 对于每个位置，在连续的预定时间间隔期间接收多个反射回波信号。 每个接收到的回波信号具有从基本上固定的组织反射的固定分量和从感测运动的区域（例如血流）反射的多普勒分量。 对于每个流量测量序列，反射回波信号在具有固定信号采集和多普勒信号捕获模式的消除器中按顺序进行处理。 在静态采集模式下，首先发送超声波基线，将其回波检测，放大，转换为数字，然后存储在行缓冲器中。 然后，系统切换到多普勒获取模式，并且在每个后续脉冲上，将存储的线样本从线缓冲器中调用，转换成模拟形式，并从后续的反射回波信号中减去。 该差异被放大，转换为数字，并由MTI滤波器处理，从而产生用于诊断区域中的血流的成像（包括彩色成像）的多普勒血流图像数据。