Patent ID: 6312386
Filing Date: 2001-11-06
Classification: G10K

Abstract:
In a medical ultrasound imaging system comprising a transducer comprising an array of transducer elements, a transmitter coupled with the transducer, and a receiver coupled to the transducer and to a display processor, the improvement comprising:at least one delay system coupled with the transducer, said delay system operative to form a delay profile for a plurality of the transducer elements within a single transmit event;said delay profile comprising at least a first, substantially point-focus delay profile selectively applied to a first set of the transducer elements and not to a second set of the transducer elements during the single transmit event, and a second, substantially point-focus delay profile selectively applied to the second set of the transducer elements and not to the first set of the transducer elements during the single transmit event, said first and second delay profiles causing ultrasonic energy from the respective first and second sets of the transducer elements to constructively add at first and second respective spaced focal zones.