Large-aperture imaging using transducer array with adaptive element
pitch control
    1.
    发明授权
    Large-aperture imaging using transducer array with adaptive element pitch control 失效
    使用具有自适应元件俯仰控制的换能器阵列的大孔径成像

    公开(公告)号:US5902241A

    公开(公告)日:1999-05-11

    申请号:US977082

    申请日:1997-11-24

    摘要: An adaptive transducer array in which the element pitch is controlled by the imaging system depending on the mode of operation. A multiplicity of transducer elements are connected to a multiplicity of beamformer channels by a multiplexing arrangement having multiple states. In one multiplexer state, successive transducer elements are respectively connected to successive beamformer channels to produce an aperture having a small element pitch equal to the distance separating the centerlines of two adjacent transducer elements. In another multiplexer state, selected transducer elements are respectively connected to successive beamformer channels to produce an aperture having an increased element pitch equal to the small pitch multiplied by a factor of two or more. The aperture is increased by connecting together pairs of adjacent elements to a respective beamformer channel or by connecting every other element to a respective beamformer channel to form a sparse array.

    摘要翻译: 一种自适应换能器阵列,其中元件间距由成像系统根据操作模式来控制。 多个换能器元件通过具有多个状态的复用装置连接到多个波束形成器通道。 在一个复用器状态中,连续的换能器元件分别连接到相继的波束形成器通道以产生具有等于两个相邻的换能器元件的中心线分开的距离的小元件间距的孔。 在另一个多路复用器状态下,选择的换能器元件分别连接到相继的波束成形器通道,以产生具有等于小间距乘以因子2或更大的元件间距增加的孔。 通过将相邻元件的对连接到相应的波束形成器通道或通过将每个其它元件连接到相应的波束形成器通道以形成稀疏阵列来增加孔径。

    Method and apparatus for enhancing segmentation in three-dimensional
ultrasound imaging
    3.
    发明授权
    Method and apparatus for enhancing segmentation in three-dimensional ultrasound imaging 失效
    用于增强三维超声成像分割的方法和装置

    公开(公告)号:US5865750A

    公开(公告)日:1999-02-02

    申请号:US852699

    申请日:1997-05-07

    摘要: A method and an apparatus for three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound data by constructing projections of data from a volume of interest. An ultrasound scanner collects B-mode or color flow images in a cine memory, i.e., for a multiplicity of slices. A multi-row transducer array having a uniform elevation beamwidth is used to provide reduced slice thickness. The data from a respective region of interest for each of a multiplicity of stored slices is sent to a master controller, such data forming a volume of interest. The master controller performs an algorithm that projects the data in the volume of interest onto a plurality of rotated image planes using a ray-casting technique. The data for each projection is stored in a separate frame in the cine memory. These reconstructed frames are then displayed selectively by the system operator. Segmentation of three-dimensional projection images is enhanced by decreasing the thickness and increasing the resolution (i.e., decreasing the point spread function) of the two-dimensional slices from which the projections are derived. The slice thickness is decreased by increasing the elevational focus of the beam. The two-dimensional resolution is increased by opening the aperture, i.e., decreasing the f-number, and by increasing the band-width.

    摘要翻译: 一种用于通过构建来自感兴趣体积的数据的投影的超声数据的三维成像的方法和装置。 超声波扫描仪在电影存储器中收集B模式或彩色流图像,即多个切片。 使用具有均匀的仰角波束宽度的多行换能器阵列来提供减小的切片厚度。 将多个存储的片中的每一个的相关感兴趣区域的数据发送到主控制器,这样的数据形成感兴趣的体积。 主控制器执行使用光线投射技术将感兴趣体积中的数据投影到多个旋转图像平面上的算法。 每个投影的数据存储在电影存储器中的单独帧中。 这些重建的帧然后由系统操作员选择性地显示。 三维投影图像的分割通过减小厚度并增加从其导出投影的二维切片的分辨率(即减小点扩散函数)来增强。 通过增加光束的高程聚焦来减小切片厚度。 通过打开孔径即减小f值并通过增加带宽来增加二维分辨率。

    Method and apparatus for optimal data mapping of power doppler images
    4.
    发明授权
    Method and apparatus for optimal data mapping of power doppler images 失效
    功率多普勒图像的最佳数据映射的方法和装置

    公开(公告)号:US06176828B1

    公开(公告)日:2001-01-23

    申请号:US09220519

    申请日:1998-12-24

    IPC分类号: A61B800

    CPC分类号: G01S15/8979 A61B8/06 A61B8/13

    摘要: A method and an apparatus for color mapping of flow power data in which the flow states containing information of most interest to the user are enhanced, while flow states not containing information of interest are suppressed. This is accomplished using a color mapping having three segments which are connected at upper and lower knee points, the latter being settable either automatically or via operator inputs. In the automatic mode, the host computer determines the positions of the knee points based on analysis of a single or a mean image frame of power Doppler data or based on system parameters (e.g., dynamic range) set by the operator. The host computer then constructs a color mapping having the determined knee points and loads that color mapping into the video processor.

    摘要翻译: 流量功率数据的颜色映射的方法和装置,其中包含用户最感兴趣的信息的流状态被增强,而不包含感兴趣的信息的流状态被抑制。 这是使用具有三个段的颜色映射来实现的,该三个段连接在上部和下部拐点处,后者可以通过操作者输入自动设置。 在自动模式中,主计算机基于功率多普勒数据的单个或平均图像帧的分析或者基于由操作者设置的系统参数(例如,动态范围)来确定拐点的位置。 然后,主计算机构建具有确定的拐点的颜色映射,并将该颜色映射加载到视频处理器中。

    Method and apparatus for compensating for inoperative elements in
ultrasonic transducer array
    6.
    发明授权
    Method and apparatus for compensating for inoperative elements in ultrasonic transducer array 有权
    用于补偿超声波换能器阵列中不起作用的元件的方法和装置

    公开(公告)号:US6120449A

    公开(公告)日:2000-09-19

    申请号:US200077

    申请日:1998-11-25

    摘要: A method and an apparatus for compensating for fully or partially inoperative elements in an ultrasonic transducer array. The inoperative elements are compensated for by "bridging" or "shorting" them to fully operative elements. This compensation technique can be applied to one-dimensional or multi-dimensional transducer arrays. A bridge between a fully or partially inoperative element and an adjacent fully operative element can be achieved by physically shorting the elements somewhere in the signal chain or by electrically connecting the elements via switches, e.g., of a multiplexer. The state of the multiplexer switches (i.e., open or closed) is controlled by loading MUX State control data into a flash memory located on-board the probe. This MUX State control data includes switch settings for connecting a defective element to an adjacent fully functional element in the transducer array.

    摘要翻译: 一种用于补偿超声换能器阵列中完全或部分不起作用的元件的方法和装置。 通过“桥接”或“短路”到完全操作的元件来补偿不起作用的元件。 该补偿技术可以应用于一维或多维换能器阵列。 完全或部分不起作用的元件和相邻的完全操作元件之间的桥梁可以通过在信号链中某处的物理短路或者通过例如多路复用器的开关电连接元件来实现。 通过将MUX状态控制数据加载到位于探头上的闪存中来控制多路复用器开关(即,打开或关闭)的状态。 该MUX状态控制数据包括用于将有缺陷的元件连接到换能器阵列中相邻的全功能元件的开关设置。

    Method and apparatus for mapping color flow velocity data into display
intensities
    7.
    发明授权
    Method and apparatus for mapping color flow velocity data into display intensities 失效
    将颜色流速数据映射到显示强度的方法和装置

    公开(公告)号:US5895358A

    公开(公告)日:1999-04-20

    申请号:US852614

    申请日:1997-05-07

    摘要: A method and an apparatus for mitigating aliasing when imaging moving fluid or tissue using velocity Doppler shift data. To eliminate the effects of slight aliasing in the velocity mode, symmetrical (or non-directional) velocity/color maps are used to map positive and negative velocity data of the same magnitude to the same color and same display intensity. If the pulse repetition frequency is adjusted so that only subtle aliasing is present, an optimal frame averaging of the data can be achieved by removing the sign of the velocity data either before or during frame averaging.

    摘要翻译: 一种使用速度多普勒频移数据成像移动流体或组织时减轻混叠的方法和装置。 为了消除速度模式中轻微混叠的影响,使用对称(或非方向)速度/颜色图将相同幅度的正和负速度数据映射到相同的颜色和相同的显示强度。 如果调整脉冲重复频率使得仅存在微妙的混叠,则可以在帧平均之前或期间去除速度数据的符号来实现数据的最佳帧平均。

    Method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging using normalized difference
between successive frames
    8.
    发明授权
    Method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging using normalized difference between successive frames 失效
    使用连续帧之间的归一化差异的超声成像的方法和装置

    公开(公告)号:US5865752A

    公开(公告)日:1999-02-02

    申请号:US858205

    申请日:1997-05-07

    IPC分类号: A61B8/00 G01S7/52 G01S15/89

    摘要: A method and an apparatus for frame averaging ultrasound imaging data. A one-tap IIR filter is used to average the corresponding pixel data of two frames. The frame averaging is a function of a normalized difference between the pixel data of the two frames. This is achieved by taking the absolute difference between the signal levels of the current frame and the previous frame and dividing the result by the arithmetic (or geometric) mean of the two data. A multitude of look-up tables of output values are generated off-line. Each look-up table is designed to be used under a specific set of operating parameters. In response to the user's selection of these operating parameters, the system downloads a selected frame-averaging look-up table from system memory. During subsequent system operation, the downloaded look-up table outputs values which are a function of the normalized difference between the previous and current frame data used to address the look-up table.

    摘要翻译: 一种用于平均超声成像数据的方法和装置。 单抽头IIR滤波器用于对两帧的相应像素数据进行平均。 帧平均是两帧的像素数据之间的归一化差异的函数。 这是通过取当前帧和前一帧的信号电平之间的绝对差并将结果除以两个数据的算术(或几何)平均值来实现的。 输出值的大量查询表离线生成。 每个查找表都被设计为在一组特定的操作参数下使用。 响应于用户对这些操作参数的选择,系统从系统存储器下载所选择的帧平均查找表。 在随后的系统操作期间,下载的查找表输出作为用于寻址查找表的前一帧和当前帧数据之间的归一化差的函数的值。

    Ultrasound image texture control using adaptive speckle control algorithm
    9.
    发明授权
    Ultrasound image texture control using adaptive speckle control algorithm 失效
    超声图像纹理控制采用自适应斑点控制算法

    公开(公告)号:US5841889A

    公开(公告)日:1998-11-24

    申请号:US581668

    申请日:1995-12-29

    CPC分类号: G01S7/52046 G01N2291/0289

    摘要: A method for controlling the contrast resolution and the tissue texture of ultrasonic images employs a signal processing algorithm to adjust an image by changing the tissue texture (speckle grain size). The algorithm increases the image contrast by allocating a different speckle pattern to different grey scale levels. This signal processing algorithm is based on the Hilbert transform. It uses the property of the Hilbert transform to generate a quadrature component of the given image which is modulated by the speckle pattern as well as all other image information. The quadrature component is then squared before being selectively added to or subtracted from the square of the in-phase component of the given image to control the information in the image. The added or subtracted signals have different textures (or spatial frequency components). The arithmetic operation between the in-phase and quadrature phase components determines the image texture. If this operation is done selectively, then the contrast and the texture of the image can be selectively controlled.

    摘要翻译: 用于控制超声图像的对比度分辨率和组织纹理的方法采用信号处理算法来通过改变组织纹理(散斑粒度)来调整图像。 该算法通过将不同的斑点图案分配给不同的灰度级别来增加图像对比度。 该信号处理算法基于希尔伯特变换。 它使用希尔伯特变换的属性来生成由斑点图案调制的给定图像的正交分量以及所有其他图像信息。 然后在将正交分量选择性地添加到给定图像的同相分量的平方或从其中减去以控制图像中的信息之前平方。 加或减信号具有不同的纹理(或空间频率分量)。 同相和正交相位分量之间的算术运算决定了图像纹理。 如果选择性地进行该操作,则可以选择性地控制图像的对比度和纹理。

    High-sensitivity piezocomposite material and ultrasonic transducer made therefrom
    10.
    发明授权
    High-sensitivity piezocomposite material and ultrasonic transducer made therefrom 失效
    高灵敏度压电复合材料和超声波换能器

    公开(公告)号:US06277299B1

    公开(公告)日:2001-08-21

    申请号:US09200361

    申请日:1998-11-25

    IPC分类号: H01L4122

    CPC分类号: H01L41/183

    摘要: A piezoelectrically active conformal filler material is incorporated in a 1-3, 3-3 or 2-2 piezocomposite structure. The piezoelectrically active conformal filler material has a 0-3 structure and is made of fine piezoelectric ceramic particles surrounded by a conformal polymer matrix. Using such piezocomposite material, the reception and transmission sensitivity (efficiency) of a piezoelectric layer can be improved without any increase in the acoustic impedance of the final piezoelectric layer. The resulting piezocomposite material can be used to fabricate ultrasonic transducer arrays.

    摘要翻译: 压电活性共形填料材料掺入1-3,3-3或2-2压电复合结构中。 压电活性共形填料材料为0-3结构,由保形聚合物基体包围的精细压电陶瓷颗粒制成。 使用这种压电复合材料,可以改善压电层的接收和传输灵敏度(效率),而不会增加最终压电层的声阻抗。 所得到的压电复合材料可用于制造超声换能器阵列。