Individual channel analog wall filtering to improve flow sensitivity in ultrasound imaging
US6267725A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 13, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 31, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 13, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B8/06
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for wall filtering the receive signal in each receive channel of an ultrasound imaging system prior to analog-to-digital conversion. Large-amplitude echoes corresponding to stationary or very slow-moving tissue are removed before they saturate the inputs to the analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) in the receive channels. By first removing the wall signal, the gain of the TIC amplifier in the receive channel can be increased without saturating the (ADC). This additional amplification will increase the small flow signals, mapping them into higher bits of the ADC, thereby allowing more sensitive detection of weak blood flow in the human body.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.