Patent ID: 6155980
Filing Date: 2000-12-05
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A system for imaging ultrasound scatterers, comprising:an ultrasound transducer array including a multiplicity of transducer elements;a multiplicity of pursers for respectively pulsing said multiplicity of transducer elements;a transmit sequence source for providing first and second transmit sequences to said pulsers during first and second transmit firings, respectively, said first and second transmit firings being focused at a transmit focal position, said first and second transmit sequences having the property that vector summation of said first transmit sequence multiplied by a first code/element symbol and said second transmit sequence multiplied by a second code/element symbol results in a first encoded base sequence;a receiver coupled to said transducer array and programmed to receive first and second sets of receive signals from selected transducer elements forming a receive aperture subsequent to said first and second transmit firings, respectively, and to produce first and second beamsummed signals respectively derived from said first and second sets of receive signals;a filter programmed with first and second sets of filter coefficients for filtering said first and second beamsummed signals to form first and second filtered signals, respectively, said first set of filter coefficients being derived by multiplying said first code/element symbol by a first set of decoding filter coefficients and said second set of filter coefficients being derived by multiplying said second code/element symbol by said first set of decoding filter coefficients;a vector summer for summing at least said first and second filtered signals to form a decoded signal;a processor for forming an image signal which is a function of at least said decoded signal; anda display monitor for displaying an image having a portion representing said image signal.