US 11,751,849 B2
High-resolution and/or high-contrast 3-D and/or 4-D ultrasound imaging with a 1-D transducer array
Fredrik Gran, Limhamn (SE); Svetoslav Ivanov Nikolov, Farum (DK); Jens Munk Hansen, Kobenhavn N (DK); and Robert Harold Owen, Stenlose (DK)
Assigned to B-K Medical Aps, Herlev (DK)
Filed by B-K Medical Aps, Herlev (DK)
Filed on Sep. 27, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/716,626.
Prior Publication US 2019/0090850 A1, Mar. 28, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/12 (2006.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/467 (2013.01) [A61B 8/12 (2013.01); A61B 8/445 (2013.01); A61B 8/4444 (2013.01); A61B 8/4461 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); A61B 8/4254 (2013.01); A61B 8/466 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
a probe, including:
an elongate shaft with a long axis;
a transducer array disposed on the shaft along the long axis and configured to generate signals indicative of received echoes; and
a motor with a position sensor; and
a motor controller configured to control the motor to rotate the shaft within a predetermined arc; and
a console, including:
a beamformer configured to process the signals from the transducer array and generate at least a volume of data for each sweep of the transducer array along the arc by:
adding a header to each of the received signals, wherein the header includes an angular position of the transducer array at which a corresponding signal is acquired;
delaying and summing the signals to produce a set of lines in the imaging plane for every transmission;
delaying and weighting lines of the set of lines that have a same origin and direction, but are acquired with different transmissions; and
delaying and weighting lines of the set of lines acquired from different imaging planes, but have a same origin and direction relative to the transducer array at a given angular position;
wherein the delays and weights are calculated in accordance to a shape of the beam in a transverse plane;
wherein the generated volume of data includes compounding the set of lines that lie in the same transverse plane but different imaging plane scanned at the given angular position;
and a display configured to display the volume of data.