ULTRASONIC CONTRAST IMAGING WITH MICROBUBBLE OSCILLATION ENHANCEMENT

摘要

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system images a microbubble contrast agent by- transmitting a long waveform component which stimulates microbubbles into resonance (52), followed by a relatively short imaging pulse waveform (54). The acquisition of echo signals when the microbubbles are in resonance produces relatively strong nonlinear microbubble signals. Echoes received in response to the long waveform component are canceled to maintain good axial resolution. The imaging pulse may be embedded at the end of a long resonance pulse and multiple-pulse sequences may be used to separate the nonlinear signal components.