Hewlett-Packard Company

Robert H Banta, Jr

Richard Allen Snyder

William J Ossmann

An ultrasound imaging system includes an array of transducer elements, a predetermined number of transducer and receiver channels less than the number of transducer elements in the array, and an electronic switch for selecting transducer elements for connection to the transmitter and receiver channels. A method using the imaging system for ultrasound imaging with a sector scan pattern includes determining, from a sector aperture size and a sector aperture location on the array, a mapping of the transducer elements to the transmitter and receiver channels. Focusing delays are determined from a sector angle and a focus for the sector scan pattern, and the focusing delays are converted to mapped focusing delays using the mapping. Ultrasound energy is transmitted and received along sector scan lines of the sector scan pattern in response to the mapped focusing delays, and signals representative of an image along the sector scan lines are provided.

Methods and apparatus for ultrasound imaging using combined scan patterns

A composite scan pattern for ultrasound imaging includes a linear or curved linear scan pattern and one or more sector scan patterns. The sector scan patterns abut the linear or curved linear scan pattern along its boundaries to form the composite scan pattern. The linear or curved linear scan pattern can be steered to a desired angle .theta. for obtaining a high quality image. The sector apertures can be reduced in width and the linear scan pattern can be increased in width for imaging at shallow depths. The composite scan pattern provides a wide field of view for both shallow imaging and deep imaging.

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Andover, MA, United States of America

Robert H Banta, Jr