Patent ID: 8157739
Filing Date: 2012-04-17
Classification: A61B,G01S

Abstract:
1. A method for ultrasound imaging using an array of ultrasound transducer elements, said method comprising the steps of: selecting, in a transmit mode, at least two transmit groups of elements from the transducer elements for transmitting ultrasound pulses with a delay between the transmit pulses of each of the at least two transmit groups so that the pulses of said at least two transmit groups arrive at the same time at a transmit beam focus and form together a full transmit aperture for a focused ultrasound transmit beam with a selectable focus distance, the elements of each of the at least two groups of elements being arranged symmetrically around an axis of said focused transmit beam, the focus distance being selectable by varying the delays of the at least two transmit groups; scanning the focused transmit beam laterally by selecting different transmit groups from the transducer elements; for each focused transmit beam, transmitting a sequence of M sets of ultrasound pulses of the each focused transmit beam, where each of the M sets of ultrasound pulses includes the ultrasound pulses of the at least two transmit groups of the each focused transmit beam; forming a set of M neighboring receive groups of elements for each sequence of M sets of ultrasound pulses of the each focused transmit beam, wherein each one of the M neighboring receive groups is formed in response to a respective one of the M sets of ultrasound pulses of the each focused transmit beam by connecting hot electrodes of the each of the receive groups of elements electrically together and storing the received signal from the each of the receive groups, and wherein the total of the M receive groups for the each focused transmit beam span a receive aperture; combining the received stored signals from the M neighboring receive groups for said each focused transmit beam to construct focused receive signals in a range around the selected transmit focus along the axis of said each focused transmit beam; and forming an ultrasound image using focused receive signals for multiple selected transmit focus distances and/or multiple selected transmit beam directions.