The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 20, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 28, 2000
Applicant:
Inventor:
Michalakis Averkiou, Kirkland, WA (US);
Assignee:
ATL Ultrasound, Bothell, WA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A61B 8/00 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
A61B 8/00 ;
Abstract
Nonlinear tissue or contrast agent effects are detected by combining echoes from multiple, differently modulated transmit pulses below the second harmonic band. The received echoes may even overlap the fundamental transmit frequency band. The modulation may be amplitude modulation or phase or polarity modulation, and is preferably both amplitude and phase or modulation. The present invention affords the ability to utilize a majority of the transducer passband for both transmission and reception, and to transmit pulses which are less destructive to microbubble contrast agents.