Kontron Holding Ag

Hoffmann-la Roche Inc.

Peter Krummenacher

Christoph B Burckhardt

Pierre-Andre Grandchamp

Rainer Fehr

John G Abbott

Claude Schlaepfer

A real-time method and appartus is disclosed for scanning large body areas to produce an ultrasound cross-sectional picture of the area in which at least two different and partially overlapping sector scans of the body are carried out in one scanning plane by the pulse-echo method utilizing an ultrasound transducer unit having a rigid transducer which is pivotable about an axis of oscillation perpendicular to the scanning plane, which performs an oscillatory movement about the axis of oscillation and between two end positions on each scan, and which is segmented into adjacent transducer elements. In performing the scans, at least two different transducer sets are used, each containing one or more transducer elements, each transducer set being used both for the emission of the ultrasound pulses and for the reception of echo waves. In all the scans the position of the axis of oscillation remains unchanged with respect to the body.

Ultrasonic compound scan with an oscillating transducer

A method and apparatus for producing a compound ultrasound cross-sectional picture of a body, in which method a plurality of partially overlapping body scans are carried out line-wise by the pulse-echo method in one scanning plane, thereby producing image signals in digital form corresponding to the received echoes. For the real-time display of the compound cross-sectional pictures, the set of image signals produced with each scan is stored in a separate digital storage unit, at least some of the stored sets of image signals are immediately combined with one another to generate a new set of image signals corresponding to a compound real-time cross-sectional picture, and the new set of image signals is immediately fed to a television monitor in order to display the compound real-time cross-sectional picture.

Real time display of an ultrasonic compound image

A real time method and apparatus is disclosed for scanning large body areas to produce an ultrasound cross-sectional picture of a body in which method at least two different and partially overlapping sector scans of the body are carried out in one scanning plane by the pulse-echo method utilizing single ultrasound array. The array is rotatable about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the scanning plane and comprises at least a first and a second transducer, disposed in spaced relationship along a circle which is situated in the scanning plane and which is concentric with the axis of rotation. Out of at least two different scans, one is performed with the first transducer and the other with the second, each transducer being used both for the emission of ultrasound pulses and for the reception of echo waves and the position of the axis of rotation with respect to the body remaining unchanged during all the scans.

Ultrasonic compound scan with rotating transducer

An ultrasonic imaging apparatus for operation in either or both linear and sector scan modes is disclosed which employs a common array of transducers. Circuitry is provided for controlling the order and timing of pulse echo transmission and reception, which further include control circuitry to operate variable delay and switching circuitry to generate transmission signals to be applied to the transducers, and to direct echo signals received by the transducers for processing to provide the image of the structures being inspected. Suitable interconnection/switching circuitry is provided so as to minimize prior art requirements for use of different elements for the separate scanning modes, with concomitant expenses associated with the larger number of components being reduced.

Growing community of inventors

Gipf-Oberfrick, Switzerland

Peter Krummenacher