Pulse centroid echo method and apparatus for enhanced sound velocity estimation in vivo
US4807635A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 21, 1986 |
| Grant date | Feb 28, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 21, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S15/8913
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus of enhancing the accuracy of in vivo sound velocity estimation by identifying segments of different sound velocity along a tracked ultrasound beam. The effects of refraction on the tracked beam at the interface between tissue regions are estimated. Also disclosed is a technique for estimating the refractive effects of naturally occurring and artificially introduced acoustical contrast fluids. The accuracy of the sound velocity measurements is increased by utilizing the centroid-to-centroid distance between the pulses produced by ultrasound sending and receiving transducers in calculating the ultrasound beam velocity.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.