Patent ID: 8202222
Filing Date: 2012-06-19
Classification: A61B,G01S,G10K

Abstract:
1. A medical image scanning system comprising: a two-dimensional (2D) array probe constructed with transducer elements disposed in both azimuth and elevation dimension; a multiplexer disposed along a first dimension for either one of said azimuth or said elevation dimension to route the transducer elements to system front end channels, and summing measurement signals from a designated number of said transducer elements along a second dimension into the first dimension, and the number of said transducer elements is designated by control signals, and said multiplexer further summing said measurement signals from said designated number of said transducer elements along said second dimension with a fixed phase delay profile into the first dimension; a second-dimension multiplexer for switching and summing measurement signals generated by said multiplexer disposed along said first dimension for generating measurement signals for rendering a three-dimensional image; and a total number of switching and summing circuits of said multiplexer along said first dimension and said second-dimension multiplexer is K+K*J wherein K is a total number of said transducer elements along said first dimension and J represents a total number of said transducer elements along said second dimension summed together with said fixed delay profile along said first dimension.