Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for fast acquisition of ultrasound images

US6138513A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
14References
8Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 9, 1999
Grant dateOct 31, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 9, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S367/905
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

New apodization functions providing an effective rejection of side lobe amplitude level within wide range of beam steering angles are described in this invention. A central amplitude apodization function (13) reduces amplitudes for the central section of transmit and receive array individual elements. A time apodization function (14) changes a duration of transmit pulses. A duration of transmit pulses is short for central section of transmit array and increases for outlying transmit individual elements. A frequency apodization function (15) changes frequency of transmit pulses for different transmit individual elements. The use of new apodization function allows realization of portable acoustic scanners. Some versions of a portable acoustic scanner design and a version with time compression of echo signals are described.

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