Patent · US Expired

Ultrasonic compound scan with an oscillating transducer

US4674514A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
12References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 23, 1985
Grant dateJun 23, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 23, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S7/52077
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A real-time method and appartus is disclosed for scanning large body areas to produce an ultrasound cross-sectional picture of the area in which at least two different and partially overlapping sector scans of the body are carried out in one scanning plane by the pulse-echo method utilizing an ultrasound transducer unit having a rigid transducer which is pivotable about an axis of oscillation perpendicular to the scanning plane, which performs an oscillatory movement about the axis of oscillation and between two end positions on each scan, and which is segmented into adjacent transducer elements. In performing the scans, at least two different transducer sets are used, each containing one or more transducer elements, each transducer set being used both for the emission of the ultrasound pulses and for the reception of echo waves. In all the scans the position of the axis of oscillation remains unchanged with respect to the body.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.