Ultrasonic imaging method and probe for 3D gynecologic inspection

摘要

Ultrasonic imaging method particularly for 3D gynaecologic inspections, which method comprises the following steps: Providing a linear ultrasound probe (2) comprising a certain number of transducers (120) which are placed side by side along a line forming a so called linear array (20); Providing a B-mode imaging scanning unit to which the transducers are connected and which scanning unit alternatively generates electric driving signals for each transducer of the probe for exciting the transducers to emit ultrasound transmission signals and receives the electric signals generated by each transducer due to the excitation of the transducers by the ultrasound signals reflect form a target body against which the ultrasound transmission signals has been emitted; Defining a starting orientation of the direction of propagation of the ultrasound transmission signals and of the ultrasound reflected signals along which a first scanning step is carried out; Carrying out the first scanning step consisting in emitting the ultrasound transmission signals and receiving the ultrasound reflection signals along the said starting direction of propagation; Oscillating the probe in a direction transversal to the longitudinal extension of the linear array of transducers and around an axis coinciding or parallel to the said longitudinal extensions or coinciding or parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the linear array of transducers for modifying the orientation of the said direction of propagation of the ultrasound transmission signals and of the ultrasound reflected signals; Carrying out a scanning step along each new oriented direction of propagation corresponding to a different oscillation angle of the probe; Providing a 3D scan-converter in which the received signals relating to the ultrasound reflected signals are stored; Providing B-mode image producing means for generating an image from the said received signals relating to the ultrasound reflected signals are stored. According to the invention the following further steps are provided: Steering the ultrasound emitted beams so that the linear array of transducers generates a trapezoidal scanning slice or plane diverging in the direction of propagation of the beam and providing a reflected beam signals focussing rule which generates a trapezoidal image corresponding to the steered ultrasound beams.