ULTRASONIC IMAGING WITH A VARIABLE REFRACTIVE LENS

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for producing an ultrasound image with a variable refractive lens (6) by transmitting a plurality of transmit beams (Txl-Tx4) from an array of transducers (5) and receiving echo signals with the array of transducers (5) through the variable refractive lens (6) with an associated lens shape. By combining echo signals of receive lines from different transmit beams which are spatially related, the invention enable producing an image using image data. The invention is beneficial for high frequency ultrasonic imaging with the transducers being relatively larger sized than hitherto needed for high frequency applications. The array of transducers does not need to be "well- sampled"; i.e. having the width or size being comparably to the center wavelength of the ultrasonic signals to be received. This is particularly important at very high frequencies where well- sampled arrays would require very small elements that would be very challenging to manufacture.