Medical ultrasonic diagnostic imaging method and apparatus
US6193659A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 1999 |
| Grant date | Feb 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S15/895
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An improvement to the method for harmonic imaging including the steps of (a) transmitting ultrasonic energy at a fundamental frequency and (b) receiving reflected ultrasonic energy at a harmonic of the fundamental frequency is provided. The transmitting step includes the step of: applying the plurality of waveforms to a respective plurality of transducer elements, a first waveform of the plurality of waveforms characterized by a first value of a harmonic power ratio, waveforms transmitted from the transducer elements and corresponding to the plurality of waveforms summing as an acoustic waveform substantially at the point, the acoustic waveform characterized by a second value of the harmonic power ratio less than the first value. The imaging method can also include a step for subdividing the transmit aperture into two or more subapertures, each subaperture having at least four adjacent transducer elements. The subapertures are phased differently with respect to one another to selectively reduce either fundamental components or harmonic components of echoes from tissue. These techniques can be used to improve contrast agent harmonic imaging as well as tissue harmonic imaging, depend…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.