公开(公告)号：US06224556B1

公开(公告)日：2001-05-01

申请号：US09200649

申请日：1998-11-25

申请人： Jodi L. Schwartz ,  John I. Jackson ,  Jay S. Plugge

发明人： Jodi L. Schwartz ,  John I. Jackson ,  Jay S. Plugge

IPC分类号： A61B800

CPC分类号： G01S15/895 ,  A61B8/12 ,  A61B8/4488

摘要： A method and system for obtaining ultrasound data with a sparse array of transducer elements is provided. About one wavelength of a highest operating frequency separates the center of each transducer element from any adjacent transducer element. While this spacing may generate grating lobes, the beamformer of the ultrasound system is configured to filter and isolate information at a harmonic of a fundamental transmit frequency. The resultant two-way beam pattern is less effected by the grating lobes. The image generated as a function of the harmonic information has few artifacts created as a function of the sparse spacing of the transducer elements. Given a set number of beamformer transmit channels, the sparse spacing may allow for a larger aperture width with few artifacts as a result of sparse element spacing. The larger aperture width generates a narrower beam in the azimuthal dimension of a one-dimensional transducer. By generating a narrower beam, better azimuthal resolution may be obtained. Alternatively, the number of transmit channels may be reduced to provide a beam width that is the same or similar to a beam generated with a conventional phased array where transducer elements have a one-half of the wavelength spacing of the fundamental frequency. By using fewer transmit channels to obtain the same beam width, the space required by electrical traces connecting the transducer elements to the beamformer is reduced. The reduced required space is beneficially used on catheter or intravascular transducers.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种用于获得具有稀疏阵列的换能器元件的超声数据的方法和系统。 大约一个最高工作频率的波长将每个换能器元件的中心与任何相邻的换能器元件分开。 虽然该间隔可以产生光栅瓣，但是超声系统的波束形成器被配置为在基本发射频率的谐波上滤波和隔离信息。 所得到的双向光束图案较少受到光栅叶片的影响。 作为谐波信息的函数产生的图像具有作为换能器元件的稀疏间隔的函数而产生的少量伪像。 给定一定数量的波束形成器发射信道，由于稀疏元素间隔，稀疏间隔可以允许具有较少孔隙宽度的少量伪像。 较大的孔径宽度在一维换能器的方位角尺寸上产生较窄的波束。 通过产生较窄的光束，可以获得更好的方位分辨率。 或者，可以减少发射信道的数量，以提供与传统相控阵列产生的波束相同或类似的波束宽度，其中换能器元件具有基频的波长间隔的一半。 通过使用更少的发射通道来获得相同的波束宽度，减小了将换能器元件连接到波束成形器的电迹线所需的空间。 减少的所需空间有利地用于导管或血管内换能器。

公开(公告)号：US5808962A

公开(公告)日：1998-09-15

申请号：US656777

申请日：1996-06-03

申请人： Bernard D. Steinberg ,  Jodi L. Schwartz

发明人： Bernard D. Steinberg ,  Jodi L. Schwartz

IPC分类号： G01S15/89 ,  G03B42/06

CPC分类号： G01S15/8925 ,  G03B42/06

摘要： An ultrasound or electromagnetic imaging system characterized by a two-dimensional phased array of ultrawideband, ultrasparse transducers. Ultrasparse is defined as an average inter-transducer spacing' which is greater than a .lambda./2 Nyquist spacing for the transducers and which is greater than a pulse length cT, where c is the speed of propagation of a pulse from a transducer in the imaging medium and T is a duration of the pulse. An ultrawideband low Q transient pulse is emitted by each of the transducers during a transmit mode, and the resulting ultrasound image signals are received from the transducers during a receive mode, processed, and displayed. Preferably, the transducers are uniformly weighted and excited and periodically spaced by distance and/or angle within the coordinate system of the two-dimensional phased array such that projections of the transducers onto a coordinate axis of the coordinate system minimally overlap. The resulting image signals have an average side radiation level which approaches 1/N, which is substantially lower than if the same number of array elements were employed with randomly chosen spacings. The transducers may be arranged in a grid or a spiral or any other pattern such that the projections of each of the transducers to respective axes of the coordinate system minimally overlap each other. In other words, the transducers are periodically spaced and do not shadow each other.

摘要翻译： 超声波或电磁成像系统，其特征在于具有超宽带，超疏水传感器的二维相控阵列。 Ultrasparse被定义为换能器之间的平均换能器间距“，它们大于换能器的λ/ 2奈奎斯特间距，并且大于脉冲长度cT，其中c是来自成像中的换能器的脉冲的传播速度 介质和T是脉冲的持续时间。 在发送模式期间，每个换能器发射超宽带低Q瞬态脉冲，并且在接收模式，处理和显示期间从换能器接收所得到的超声图像信号。 优选地，换能器被均匀地加权和激励，并且在二维相控阵列的坐标系内周期性地间隔开距离和/或角度，使得换能器在坐标系的坐标轴上的突起最小地重叠。 所得到的图像信号具有接近1 / N的平均侧面辐射水平，其大大低于如果采用与随机选择的间隔相同数量的阵列元件。 换能器可以布置成格栅或螺旋形或任何其它图案，使得每个换能器的突起到坐标系的相应轴线最小地彼此重叠。 换句话说，换能器周期性地间隔开，并且不会相互影响。