Patent ID: 8506487

Claim:
An ultrasound imaging device comprising: a plurality of elements that transmit or receive an ultrasound wave; a transmission beamformer that converges a transmission beam transmitted from the plurality of elements in relation to the plurality of elements; and a reception beamformer that forms a reception beam in relation to a plurality of reception signals generated upon receipt of a reflected ultrasound wave; wherein the transmission beamformer or the reception beamformer forms a plurality of point spread functions having different spatial distributions around a transmission focal point or a reception focal point; wherein the plurality of point spread functions are formed when signals of a transmission/reception element group in a transmission/reception aperture are subjected to transmission and reception sensitivities (weights), and delay time symmetrical from a center on a basis of a same time pulse waveform; and wherein an image data is formed in accordance with an output of the transmission beamformer or the reception beamformer.