High speed adaptive ultrasonic phased array imaging system

US4852577A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services · US

Inventors

• Stephen W. Smith · Durham, US
• Gregg E. Trahey · Durham, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 7, 1988
• Grant date: Aug 1, 1989
• Expiry date: Apr 7, 2008

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S7/52049
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An ultrasonic phased array imaging system is provided which includes a normal mode and an adaptive mode of operation. The adaptive mode adjusts the delay associated with each element in the transducer such that the average image brightness of the region of interest is maximized. A motion detector is provided for determining when the transducer has been moved a distance sufficient to render the previous adaptive measurements possibly invalid whereupon the system automatically reenters the normal mode. A method of operating the ultrasonic phased array imaging system is also provided.