Patent ID: 8827908
Filing Date: 2014-09-09
Classification: A61B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for ultrasound imaging of a body under examination, particularly a breast of a patient, the apparatus comprising: a single ultrasonic emitter configured to emit a pulse and comprising one or more electro-acoustic transducers; a single ultrasonic receiver configured to receive a pulse and comprising one or more electro-acoustic transducers, said emitter and said receiver being in mutually facing relation and at a predetermined distance from each other on opposite sides of a compartment configured for receiving a body under examination, ultrasonic pulses emitted by said emitter and received by said receiver after passing through said body under examination being converted into transmit signals; a single combined ultrasonic pulse emitter/receiver comprising one or more electro-acoustic transducers for emitting ultrasonic pulses into said body under examination of a patient and for receiving echoes generated by anatomic structures of said body under examination, said echoes being converted into reflection signals; a control unit for controlling said emitter and said emitter/receiver; a processing unit for processing signals; a unit generating images; a unit displaying said images, wherein an acoustic impedance adaptation medium is configured to be interposed between one or more of said emitter, said receiver, or said emitter/receiver, and said body under examination; and a shape changing element configured for changing a shape of said body under examination, so that, for most of a surface of said body under examination, lines of view of the ultrasonic pulses emitted by said emitter/receiver are incident on said surface at an angle less than 70° to a normal of a plane tangent to said surface of said body under examination in an incidence point.