POINT SOURCE TRANSMISSION AND SPEED-OF-SOUND CORRECTION USING MULTI-APERTURE ULTRASOUND IMAGING

摘要

A Multiple Aperture Ultrasound Imaging system and methods of use are provided with any number of features. In some embodiments, a multi-aperture ultrasound imaging system is configured to transmit and receive ultrasound energy to and from separate physical ultrasound apertures. In some embodiments, a transmit aperture of a multi-aperture ultrasound imaging system is configured to transmit an omni-directional unfocused ultrasound waveform approximating a first point source through a target region. In some embodiments, the ultrasound energy is received with a single receiving aperture. In other embodiments, the ultrasound energy is received with multiple receiving apertures. Algorithms are described that can combine echoes received by one or more receiving apertures to form high resolution ultrasound images. Additional algorithms can solve for variations in tissue speed of sound, thus allowing the ultrasound system to be used virtually anywhere in or on the body.

主权项

1. A method of constructing an ultrasound image, comprising:
transmitting an omni-directional unfocused ultrasound waveform approximating a first point source within a transmit aperture on an array through a target region; receiving ultrasound echoes from the target region with first and second receiving elements disposed on a first receive aperture on the array; determining a first time for the waveform to propagate from the first point source to a first pixel location in the target region to the first receiving element, and determining a second time for the waveform to propagate from the first point source to the first pixel location in the target region to the second receiving element; forming a first ultrasound image of the first pixel by coherently combining the echo received by the first receiving element at the first time with the echo received by the second receiving element at the second time; receiving ultrasound echoes from the target region with third and fourth receiving elements disposed on a second receive aperture on the array; determining a third time for the waveform to propagate from the first point source to the first pixel location in the target region to the third receiving element, and determining a fourth time for the waveform to propagate from the first point source to the first pixel location in the target region to the fourth receiving element; forming a second ultrasound image of the first pixel by coherently combining the echo received by the third receiving element at the third time with the echo received by the fourth receiving element at the fourth time; and incoherently combining the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.