Patent ID: 6971992
Filing Date: 2005-12-06
Classification: G01S,G10K

Abstract:
1. An ultrasonic imaging method including the following steps: a) transmitting ultrasonic energy to a subject under examination, said ultrasonic energy being generated by a plurality of electroacoustic transducers which are actuated for transmission with predetermined delays according to a predetermined ultrasonic energy focusing rule; b) receiving the ultrasonic energy reflected by the subject under examination by means of an array of electroacoustic transducers, the receiving transducers being actuated, or the received signals detected thereby being read with predetermined delays according to a received signal focusing rule; c) turning said received signals into image data adapted to reconstruct the transmitted energy reflection points, which generated the energy reflected and detected by the electroacoustic transducers as a displayable image; d) actuating said transmitting transducers with such delays as to generate a homogeneous acoustic field over all or at least a portion of the region of the subject under examination, which may be covered by the geometry of the whole array of transducers; and e) transmitting said ultrasonic energy by two subgroups of transmitting electroacoustic transducers, the transducers of a first subgroup being actuated for transmission of ultrasonic energy with a predetermined waveform, and the transducers of the second subgroup being actuated for transmission of ultrasonic energy with an inverted waveform and with a half-period increase of the waveform.