High resolution three-dimensional ultrasound imaging

Abstract

An ultrasound imaging system for generating high resolution, three-dimensional images of the body for medical imaging. The system includes a housing with a rotatable disk at one end having an aperture therein and a plurality of pairs of ultrasonic transducers disposed around the periphery thereof. A flexible member encloses the housing and a fluid filled cavity disposed in the housing in which the transducers are immersed. An ultrasonic transmitter is coupled to the aperture for transmitting ultrasonic energy by way of the aperture, fluid filled cavity and flexible member. A receiver is coupled to the ultrasonic transducers and a processor is coupled to the receiver for sequentially processing reflected ultrasonic energy received by the pairs of ultrasonic transducers to produce a high resolution, three-dimensional image of the body. The system forms a synthetic aperture using the moving ultrasonic transducers. The transducers are moved in a circle, and generate a two inch aperture with resolution that is an order of magnitude better than existing ultrasound devices. Since the transducers move in a circle, the aperture is two inches in two dimensions. Range resolution is generated by a wide bandwidth transmit pulse, and a three-dimensional image is generated that has equal resolution in each of the three dimensions.