University of Southern California

Jesse T Yen

Chi Hyung Seo

Jay Mung

Man Nguyen

An ultrasound beamformer may include an array of ultrasound transducer elements. Multiple signal transmitters may each generate an ultrasound signal that is different from the ultrasound signal generated by each of the others. The number of ultrasound transmitters may be no more than half the number of ultrasound transducer elements. Each multiplexer may have multiple signal inputs, each connected to a different one of the ultrasound signals; an output that drives the ultrasound transducer element; and a control input that controls which of the ultrasound signals at the signal inputs to the multiplexer is delivered to the output of the multiplexer based on a control signal. The controller may generate the control signals with a collective configuration that causes the array of ultrasound transducer elements to steer an/or focus a beam of ultrasound energy in one or more different ways at one or more different times.

Ultrasound beamformer with individual array element multiplexers

An ultrasonic beamformer may include an input signal line for each ultrasonic transducer element configured to carry a broadband pulse from the ultrasonic element. The ultrasonic beamformer may include a number of signal shifters that is substantially less than the number of transducer elements. Each signal shifter may be configured to shift a broadband pulse in a way that is different from the way the other signal shifters are configured to shift a broadband pulse. For each of the input signal lines, a multiplexer may be configured to electrically connect the broadband pulse received on the input signal line to a selected one of the signal shifters. A multiplexer controller may be configured to generate the control signal for each of the multiplexers in a fashion that causes the ultrasonic beamformer to substantially compensate for the differences in the distances. A comparable configuration may be used for transmission.

Fresnel-based beamforming for ultrasonic arrays

Sidelobe and clutter suppression techniques in ultrasound imaging are described and referred to as Dual Apodization with Cross-correlation or 'DAX'. DAX dramatically improves the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) allowing for easier visualization of anechoic cysts and blood vessels. These techniques use dual apodization or weighting strategies that are effective in removing or minimizing clutter and efficient in terms of computational load and hardware/software needs. This dual apodization allows for determination of the amount of mainlobe versus clutter contribution in a signal by cross-correlating RF data acquired from two apodization functions.

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Jesse T Yen