Patent ID: 8506484
Filing Date: 2013-08-13
Classification: A61B,G01S,G03B,G10K

Abstract:
1. An ultrasonic imaging device comprising, multiple transducer elements which are arranged in a multi-dimensional array in a first direction and in a second direction, a probe having the multiple transducer elements, for transmitting an ultrasonic wave of wavelength λ to a predetermined focal point of an object and receiving a reflected wave, M signal lines, the number of which is less than a number of the multiple transducer elements, a selection part for connecting selected transducer elements of the multiple transducer elements, with any of signal lines selected out of the multiple signal lines, a controller for controlling an operation of the selection part, and a beamformer for delaying signals outputted from the multiple signal lines by a predetermined amount with respect to each of the signal lines, and summing the signals, wherein, when it is assumed that a maximum value of a distance between the focal point and the multiple transducer elements is Rmax, a minimum value of the distance between the focal point and the multiple transducer elements is Rmin, a distance between the focal point and the multiple transducer elements at i-th position and j-th position respectively in the first direction and the second direction is Rij, a predetermined actual number between or equal to Rmin and Rmax is R0, a predetermined integer between or equal to 1 and M is N1, an arbitrary integer between or equal to 0 and N1−1 is n1 (n1=0, 1, . . . N1−1), a predetermined integer between or equal to 0 and (Rmax−R0)/λ is N2, and an arbitrary integer between or equal to 0 and N2−1 is n2 (n2=0, 1, . . . N2−1), the controller establishes an annular area for each combination of n1 and n2, the annular area being made up of multiple transducer elements having Rij which satisfies the formula 1 as the following, wherein the controller treats the multiple transducer elements as arranged in multiple concentric spheres respectively having differing radii about the focal point, and establishes areas sectioned by the line intersections between the multiple concentric spheres and the multi-dimensional surface, as annular areas, where the number of annular areas is larger than the number of signal lines: and the controller selects predetermined multiple annular areas having differing radii out of the multiple annular areas being established, and controls the selection part to connect the multiple transducer elements constituting the predetermined multiple annular areas being selected, as the selected transducer elements, with an identical signal line.