Object imaging appts using coherent samples acquired on receive scan lines - has phase aligner that adjusts phase of acquired coherent samples to effect beam-to-beam coherency and synthesiser that uses phase-aligned samples to synthesise new samples

摘要

The imaging appts uses a transducer array (1) for transmitting one or more beams (2a,2b) that are steered and/or translated to transmit scan lines for multiple excitation events, so as to scan a field of view of the object for sensing received signals reflected from the object after each excitation event, on one or more receive lines on receive scan lines, and for transducing the sensed signals into corresp electrical signals. The appts also acquires and stores coherent samples retaining both phase and amplitude information of the electrical signals obtained on the receive scan lines throughout at least part of the field of view. The appts combines stored coherent samples associated with distinct receive beams to synthesise new coherent image samples aligned on synthetic scan lines, which are distinct from receive scan lines on which a signal was sensed, transmit scan lines on which a signal was directed or transmit scan lines and receive scan lines.