Patent ID: 6063033
Filing Date: 2000-05-16
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A method for imaging matter comprising the steps of:transmitting wave energy during first through I-th transmit firings focused at a transmit focal position, where I>1, none of said first through I-th transmit firings having the same excitation level;transducing wave energy transmitted in said first through I-th transmit firings and returned from said matter to form first through I-th sets of receive signals respectively;beamforming said first through I-th sets of receive signals to form first through I-th receive vectors respectively comprising acoustic data acquired along a receive scan line;applying first through I-th estimation weighting factors to said first through I-th receive vectors respectively to form first through I-th weighted receive vectors respectively, said first through I-th estimation weighting factors being selected to emphasize a first signal component when said first through I-th weighted receive vectors are summed, said first signal component being a nonlinear signal component of order three or greater;summing said first through I-th weighted receive vectors to form a first summed receive vector comprising said first signal component;processing said first summed receive vector to form image display data as a function of said first summed receive vector; anddisplaying said image display data.