Patents by Inventor Paolo Pellegretti

Paolo Pellegretti has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11624816
    Abstract: Performing retrospective dynamic transmit focusing beamforming for ultrasound signals by a) transmitting plural transmit beams, each transmit beam centered at a different position along array, having width or aperture encompassing plural laterally spaced line positions, each transmit beam width or aperture overlapping width or aperture of adjacent transmit beam or more laterally spaced transmit beams; b) receiving echo signals; c) processing echo signals to produce plural receive lines of echo signals at laterally spaced line positions within width or aperture of transmit beam; d) repeating steps b), (c) for additional transmit beams of plural transmitted transmit beams; e) equalizing phase shift variance among receive lines at common line position resulting from transmit beams of different transmit beam positions concurrently with steps c), d); f) combining echo signals of receive lines from different transmit beams spatially related to common line position to produce image data; g) produces an image using i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Esaote S.p.A.
    Inventors: Paolo Pellegretti, Marco Crocco
  • Publication number: 20220361849
    Abstract: A multi-user system for acquiring, generating and processing ultrasound images comprises: a plurality of ultrasound probes with a communication unit for transmitting corresponding data to one or more processing units also with a communication unit; display and/or user interface terminals with a communication unit for transmitting to and receiving data from said processing units and/or said probes; a communication network connecting together the communication units of said probes, display and/or user interface terminals and said processing units. Processing units are configured to receive scanning signals detected by said probes and process said signals to generate ultrasound images and optionally process said ultrasound images and to transmit said images and/or outputs of said processing to said display and/or user interface terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Franco FONTANA, Marco CROCCO, Paolo PELLEGRETTI
  • Patent number: 11402354
    Abstract: A method is provided for generating ultrasound transmission waves comprising: a) providing an array of electroacoustic transducer elements each one being connected to an electric excitation signal generator by a dedicated feeding channel; b) feeding at least a part of the electroacoustic transducer elements with a pulsed electric signal having a predetermined frequency, a predetermined amplitude, a predetermined length or duration and a predetermined phase or a predefined delay with respect to the pulsed electric signals fed to the adjacent transducer elements, the said pulsed electric excitation signals comprising a sequence of pulses; c) modulating each or at least part of the pulsed electric signals by feeding to the transducer elements only a predetermined portion of the pulses of the said pulsed electric signals. Modulating is carried out by cutting the duration of each pulse of the pulsed electric excitation signal according to a predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Esaote S.p.A.
    Inventors: Paolo Pellegretti, Marco Crocco, Fulvio Biordi
  • Publication number: 20200393420
    Abstract: A method is provided for generating ultrasound transmission waves comprising: a) providing an array of electroacoustic transducer elements each one being connected to an electric excitation signal generator by a dedicated feeding channel; b) feeding at least a part of the electroacoustic transducer elements with a pulsed electric signal having a predetermined frequency, a predetermined amplitude, a predetermined length or duration and a predetermined phase or a predefined delay with respect to the pulsed electric signals fed to the adjacent transducer elements, the said pulsed electric excitation signals comprising a sequence of pulses; c) modulating each or at least part of the pulsed electric signals by feeding to the transducer elements only a predetermined portion of the pulses of the said pulsed electric signals. Modulating is carried out by cutting the duration of each pulse of the pulsed electric excitation signal according to a predetermined time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Paolo PELLEGRETTI, Marco CROCCO, Fulvio BIORDI
  • Publication number: 20200348405
    Abstract: Performing retrospective dynamic transmit focusing beamforming for ultrasound signals by a) transmitting plural transmit beams, each transmit beam centered at a different position along array, having width or aperture encompassing plural laterally spaced line positions, each transmit beam width or aperture overlapping width or aperture of adjacent transmit beam or more laterally spaced transmit beams; b) receiving echo signals; c) processing echo signals to produce plural receive lines of echo signals at laterally spaced line positions within width or aperture of transmit beam; d) repeating steps b), (c) for additional transmit beams of plural transmitted transmit beams; e) equalizing phase shift variance among receive lines at common line position resulting from transmit beams of different transmit beam positions concurrently with steps c), d); f) combining echo signals of receive lines from different transmit beams spatially related to common line position to produce image data; g) produces an image using i
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Paolo PELLEGRETTI, Marco CROCCO
  • Patent number: 10725159
    Abstract: Performing retrospective dynamic transmit focusing beamforming for ultrasound signals by a) transmitting plural transmit beams, each transmit beam centered at a different position along array, having width or aperture encompassing plural laterally spaced line positions, each transmit beam width or aperture overlapping width or aperture of adjacent transmit beam or more laterally spaced transmit beams; b) receiving echo signals; c) processing echo signals to produce plural receive lines of echo signals at laterally spaced line positions within width or aperture of transmit beam; d) repeating steps b), (c) for additional transmit beams of plural transmitted transmit beams; e) equalizing phase shift variance among receive lines at common line position resulting from transmit beams of different transmit beam positions concurrently with steps c), d); f) combining echo signals of receive lines from different transmit beams spatially related to common line position to produce image data; g) produces an image using i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: ESAOTE S.p.A.
    Inventors: Paolo Pellegretti, Marco Crocco
  • Patent number: 10641879
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ultrasound multi line dynamic receive focusing beam former that is part of an ultrasound system, where the beam former of the present invention resolves conceptually the, in the prior art dynamic receive focusing beam formers, by fundament, internally generated distortions, which (in the prior art), become internally generated by the beam former process itself. These distortions within prior art beam formers, typically compromises, to some degree, the ability of accurate detections after the dynamic receive focusing beamforming. The present invention advantage is an ultrasound system capable of very accurate focusing selectivity with a high dynamic range, and very low signal distortion, therefore capable of, for example, a clear detection of harmonics and super harmonics, due to the fundamentally absence of internal distortion-generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Esaote S.p.A.
    Inventors: Paolo Pellegretti, Theodorus Franciscus Mulder
  • Publication number: 20180203103
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ultrasound multi line dynamic receive focusing beam former that is part of an ultrasound system, where the beam former of the present invention resolves conceptually the, in the prior art dynamic receive focusing beam formers, by fundament, internally generated distortions, which (in the prior art), become internally generated by the beam former process itself. These distortions within prior art beam formers, typically compromises, to some degree, the ability of accurate detections after the dynamic receive focusing beamforming. The present invention advantage is an ultrasound system capable of very accurate focusing selectivity with a high dynamic range, and very low signal distortion, therefore capable of, for example, a clear detection of harmonics and super harmonics, due to the fundamentally absence of internal distortion-generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Paolo PELLEGRETTI, Theodorus Franciscus MULDER
  • Publication number: 20180003811
    Abstract: Performing retrospective dynamic transmit focusing beamforming for ultrasound signals by a) transmitting plural transmit beams, each transmit beam centered at a different position along array, having width or aperture encompassing plural laterally spaced line positions, each transmit beam width or aperture overlapping width or aperture of adjacent transmit beam or more laterally spaced transmit beams; b) receiving echo signals; c) processing echo signals to produce plural receive lines of echo signals at laterally spaced line positions within width or aperture of transmit beam; d) repeating steps b), (c) for additional transmit beams of plural transmitted transmit beams; e) equalizing phase shift variance among receive lines at common line position resulting from transmit beams of different transmit beam positions concurrently with steps c), d); f) combining echo signals of receive lines from different transmit beams spatially related to common line position to produce image data; g) produces an image using i
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Paolo PELLEGRETTI, Marco CROCCO
  • Patent number: 9629612
    Abstract: A method of reconstructing an MRI or ultrasound biomedical image, based on compressed sensing includes exciting a body under examination; acquiring image data from the generated signals, wherein the signals are acquired by pseudo-random undersampling; reconstructing the image using a nonlinear iterative algorithm for minimizing an optimization function containing one or more terms for image data sparsity in one or more predetermined domains with a data fidelity constraint term ensuring fidelity to the acquired image data; wherein two or more sets of image data are acquired from the generated signals, each data set being acquired in a different undersampling scheme and/or a different acquisition mode such as to make expected and unavoidable artifacts incoherent; each of the acquired image data set is multiplied by a correction matrix ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: ESAOTE SPA
    Inventors: Luca Balbi, Amedeo Buonanno, Paolo Pellegretti, Andrea Serra, Rosario Varriale, Marco Vicari
  • Patent number: 9392994
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for detecting ultrasound images from a body under examination. The apparatus comprises a unit emitting ultrasound pulses and a unit receiving ultrasound pulses. The emitting unit and the receiving unit face each other and are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. These units are arranged at opposite sides of a cavity housing the body under examination. The ultrasound pulses emitted from the emitting unit are received by the receiving unit after passing through the body under examination and are transformed into transmission signals. Included is a control unit for the emitting unit, a unit processing the received signals, image generating device and image displaying device. The processing unit comprises a unit comparing the values of a propagation speed of ultrasound pulses and/or of the attenuation of ultrasound pulses with predetermined threshold values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Esaote, S.p.A.
    Inventor: Paolo Pellegretti
  • Patent number: 8827908
    Abstract: An apparatus for ultrasound imaging of a body, particularly a breast of a patient, includes ultrasonic pulse-emitting and pulse-receiving units, disposed in facing relationship at a predetermined distance from each other on opposite sides of a compartment for receiving the body, ultrasonic pulses emitted by the emitting unit and received by the receiving unit after passing through the body being converted into transmit signals; and an ultrasonic pulse emitting and receiving unit disposed to define a scan plane substantially perpendicular to the coronal plane of the patient and having one or more electro-acoustic transducers, which emit ultrasonic pulses into the body and receive echoes generated by the anatomic structures of the body, the echoes being converted into reflection signals. An acoustic impedance adaptation medium, particularly a liquid, preferably water, is interposed between the emitting unit and/or the receiving unit and/or the emitting and receiving unit and the breast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Esaote S.p.A.
    Inventor: Paolo Pellegretti
  • Publication number: 20130006114
    Abstract: An apparatus for ultrasound imaging of a body, particularly a breast of a patient, includes ultrasonic pulse-emitting and pulse-receiving units, disposed in facing relationship at a predetermined distance from each other on opposite sides of a compartment for receiving the body, ultrasonic pulses emitted by the emitting unit and received by the receiving unit after passing through the body being converted into transmit signals; and an ultrasonic pulse emitting and receiving unit disposed to define a scan plane substantially perpendicular to the coronal plane of the patient and having one or more electro-acoustic transducers, which emit ultrasonic pulses into the body and receive echoes generated by the anatomic structures of the body, the echoes being converted into reflection signals. An acoustic impedance adaptation medium, particularly a liquid, preferably water, is interposed between the emitting unit and/or the receiving unit and/or the emitting and receiving unit and the breast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventor: Paolo Pellegretti
  • Publication number: 20120259212
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for detecting ultrasound images from a body under examination. The apparatus comprises a unit emitting ultrasound pulses and a unit receiving ultrasound pulses. The emitting unit and the receiving unit face each other and are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. These units are arranged at opposite sides of a cavity housing the body under examination. The ultrasound pulses emitted from the emitting unit are received by the receiving unit after passing through the body under examination and are transformed into transmission signals. Included is a control unit for the emitting unit, a unit processing the received signals, image generating device and image displaying device. The processing unit comprises a unit comparing the values of a propagation speed of ultrasound pulses and/or of the attenuation of ultrasound pulses with predetermined threshold values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Inventor: Paolo Pellegretti
  • Patent number: 6749569
    Abstract: A method for ultrasound imaging of tissues located in a tissue image region includes the steps of projecting at least one ultrasound beam into the tissue image region and receiving ultrasound reflections in order to transduce the ultrasound reflections into corresponding electric echo signals. The echo signals are processed according to at least two different modes including, an imaging mode for furnishing a panoramic image of the region under examination and a second processing mode that is a different echo processing mode for imaging particular tissues or tissue structures. The images obtained by processing are displayed on the same screen wherein the image obtained by the first mode is displayed with a gray scale and the image obtained by the second mode is displayed in a colored manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Esaote S.p.A.
    Inventor: Paolo Pellegretti
  • Patent number: 6652460
    Abstract: A method for ultrasonic imaging, particularly of moving bodies, such as surgical utensils, tissues, flows, or the like, which includes the following steps:—Periodically emitting ultrasonic pulses along a predetermined view line and with a predetermined repetition rate through one or more transducers;—Receiving the echoes produced by the body and/or the tissues or flows and transforming them into echo signals;—Processing the echo signals for extracting information therefrom and for generating an image based on such information. According the invention, the following steps are additionally provided:—determining a real time vector difference between the echo signals of two pulses successively emitted at predetermined time intervals;—using said difference signal as an information signal for ultrasonic imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Esaote, S.p.A.
    Inventors: Paolo Pellegretti, Mauro Fabiano, Marco Merlanti
  • Publication number: 20010044580
    Abstract: A method for ultrasonic imaging, particularly of moving bodies, such as surgical utensils, tissues, flows, or the like, which includes the following steps:—Periodically emitting ultrasonic pulses along a predetermined view line and with a predetermined repetition rate through one or more transducers;—Receiving the echoes produced by the body and/or the tissues or flows and transforming them into echo signals;—Processing the echo signals for extracting information therefrom and for generating an image based on such information. According the invention, the following steps are additionally provided:—determining a real time vector difference between the echo signals of two pulses successively emitted at predetermined time intervals;—using said difference signal as an information signal for ultrasonic imaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2001
    Publication date: November 22, 2001
    Inventors: Paolo Pellegretti, Mauro Fabiano, Marco Merlanti