Abstract: A two-dimensional array ultrasound probe, which is enabled for ultrasonic reception operation of a continuous wave Doppler mode (C mode) and an imaging mode (B mode). The probe includes a reception circuit provided for each transducer and a first multiplexer; a plurality of first wires connected to the first multiplexer; a second wire connected to a plurality of first wires outside the array; switches that are provided to the second wire and that can be turned off to adapt to phasing addition units; a plurality of second multiplexers connected to the second wire and a plurality of first output ports for the first mode; and a plurality of second output ports that are connected to each region between the switches on the second wire and that are used in the second mode.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes: a plurality of transducers that perform electro-acoustic conversion on transmission pulses applied thereto to generate a transmission beam of ultrasonic waves; and transmission/reception circuits that are provided so as to correspond to each of the plurality of transducers. The transmission/reception circuits set transmission/reception switching timings at which the ultrasonic waves are switched from transmission to reception independently for each of the plurality of transducers.

Abstract: A two-dimensional array ultrasound probe, which is enabled for ultrasonic reception operation of a continuous wave Doppler mode (C mode) and an imaging mode (B mode). The probe includes a reception circuit provided for each transducer and a first multiplexer; a plurality of first wires connected to the first multiplexer; a second wire connected to a plurality of first wires outside the array; switches that are provided to the second wire and that can be turned off to adapt to phasing addition units; a plurality of second multiplexers connected to the second wire and a plurality of first output ports for the first mode; and a plurality of second output ports that are connected to each region between the switches on the second wire and that are used in the second mode.

Abstract: A plurality of transmission and reception circuits are connected to a plurality of vibration elements. The transmission and reception circuit includes a basic delay circuit and a fine delay circuit. The basic delay circuit delays a transmission signal and a reception signal for sub beamforming. The fine delay circuit is configured to be capable of performing delay finer than that of the basic delay circuit. A quantized delay error is compensated for by the fine delay circuit at the time of transmission.

Abstract: A transmitting beamformer performs convergence transmission that forms a transmission focus of an ultrasonic beam in a subject. A receiving beamformer comprises a virtual sound source method-based delay amount calculation part that obtains delay amount of a received signal with regarding the transmission focus as a virtual sound source, and a correction operation part that corrects the delay amount obtained by the virtual sound source method-based delay amount calculation part depending on position of imaging point. Delay amounts can be thereby obtained with good accuracy for imaging points in a wide area.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe and a delay amount calculation unit. Each of the delay circuits is configured to allow a first delay amount and a second delay amount to be set for each of the delay circuits, and delays a signal by a delay amount obtained by adding the first delay amount and the second delay amount together. The delay amount calculation unit calculates the first delay amount and the second delay amount such that a sum of the first delay amount and the second delay amount set for each of the delay circuits is equal to or less than a predefined maximum delay amount.

Abstract: A plurality of opening positions is determined along a ? direction which is a curved direction on a two-dimensional transducer element array. Transmission openings are sequentially set to the plurality of opening positions. Transmission beam deflection scanning is performed at each opening position using the transmission openings. Transmission beam lines radiating from the center of the transmission opening are thus formed. A transmission apodization is applied before and after switching from one opening position to another so that there are no steps in the transmission sound field.

Abstract: Reception beamforming that does not generate discontinuity in the vicinity of the depth of a transmit focus is executed even if reception scanning lines are disposed outside of the irradiation area of a focusing-type transmission beam. The degree of discontinuity showing the discontinuity of reception signals detected by plural ultrasound elements 105 or the degree of discontinuity regarding the discontinuity of the wave fronts of phased signals is detected by a discontinuity extracting unit 113. If there is an area where the degree of discontinuity is larger than a predefined value, a delay time generating unit 114 for discontinuity elimination changes the delay times in the area where the discontinuity is generated.

Abstract: Reception beamforming is executed using delay times that complexly vary in accordance with differences between transmission conditions. An irradiation area 32 of a transmission beam is calculated, and the lengths of segments, using which delay times are calculated, are set in accordance with the positional relationships between the calculated irradiation area 32 and reception scanning lines 31. For example, the reception scanning lines 31 are divided into areas A to C, and the lengths of segments 40b in the outer area B located outside of the irradiation area 32 are set shorter than the lengths of segments 40a and 40c in the inner areas A and C.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes: a plurality of transducers that perform electro-acoustic conversion on transmission pulses applied thereto to generate a transmission beam of ultrasonic waves; and transmission/reception circuits that are provided so as to correspond to each of the plurality of transducers. The transmission/reception circuits set transmission/reception switching timings at which the ultrasonic waves are switched from transmission to reception independently for each of the plurality of transducers.

Abstract: A plurality of transmission and reception circuits are connected to a plurality of vibration elements. The transmission and reception circuit includes a basic delay circuit and a fine delay circuit. The basic delay circuit delays a transmission signal and a reception signal for sub beamforming. The fine delay circuit is configured to be capable of performing delay finer than that of the basic delay circuit. A quantized delay error is compensated for by the fine delay circuit at the time of transmission.

Abstract: There is provided an ultrasound imaging apparatus that can reduce vertical stripes even though a transmission interval is widened for high speed imaging. When a receiving unit 1201 receives an instruction to perform a high speed imaging mode, an aperture synthesizing unit 1300 adds a predetermined number (N) of phase outputs obtained from the reflected ultrasonic waves of individual transmission beams at the same received focal points to reduce the occurrence of stripes on an image. In order to generate N phase outputs at each of the received focal points, a control unit 401 finds a necessary number (M) of the reception scanning lines to be set by the reception beam former 603, and notifies the reception beam former 603 of the number.

Abstract: In a sub-beam former which can control a plurality of capacitors (charge storage regions) of a delay circuit with a small number of signal lines, there is a restriction in the maximum delay amount according to the number of capacitors. An ultrasonic probe has a plurality of vibrators arranged in a two-dimensional manner, delay circuits respectively connected to the plurality of vibrators, and an in-probe beam former IC provided with a plurality of signal lines for setting delay amounts for the delay circuits, built thereinto. Each of the delay circuits delays a signal by a delay amount obtained by adding a first delay amount and a second delay amount together. The plurality of delay circuits are divided into a plurality of groups, and a common first delay amount is set for the delay circuits arranged in the same column, and a common second delay amount is set for the delay circuits arranged in the same column, by using the signal lines.

Abstract: There is provided an ultrasound imaging apparatus that can reduce vertical stripes even though a transmission interval is widened for high speed imaging. When a receiving unit 1201 receives an instruction to perform a high speed imaging mode, an aperture synthesizing unit 1300 adds a predetermined number (N) of phase outputs obtained from the reflected ultrasonic waves of individual transmission beams at the same received focal points to reduce the occurrence of stripes on an image. In order to generate N phase outputs at each of the received focal points, a control unit 401 finds a necessary number (M) of the reception scanning lines to be set by the reception beam former 603, and notifies the reception beam former 603 of the number.

Abstract: Reception beamforming that does not generate discontinuity in the vicinity of the depth of a transmit focus is executed even if reception scanning lines are disposed outside of the irradiation area of a focusing-type transmission beam. The degree of discontinuity showing the discontinuity of reception signals detected by plural ultrasound elements 105 or the degree of discontinuity regarding the discontinuity of the wave fronts of phased signals is detected by a discontinuity extracting unit 113. If there is an area where the degree of discontinuity is larger than a predefined value, a delay time generating unit 114 for discontinuity elimination changes the delay times in the area where the discontinuity is generated.

Abstract: Reception beamforming is executed using delay times that complexly vary in accordance with differences between transmission conditions. An irradiation area 32 of a transmission beam is calculated, and the lengths of segments, using which delay times are calculated, are set in accordance with the positional relationships between the calculated irradiation area 32 and reception scanning lines 31. For example, the reception scanning lines 31 are divided into areas A to C, and the lengths of segments 40b in the outer area B located outside of the irradiation area 32 are set shorter than the lengths of segments 40a and 40c in the inner areas A and C.

Abstract: A transmitting beamformer performs convergence transmission that forms a transmission focus of an ultrasonic beam in a subject. A receiving beamformer comprises a virtual sound source method-based delay amount calculation part that obtains delay amount of a received signal with regarding the transmission focus as a virtual sound source, and a correction operation part that corrects the delay amount obtained by the virtual sound source method-based delay amount calculation part depending on position of imaging point. Delay amounts can be thereby obtained with good accuracy for imaging points in a wide area.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound imaging apparatus which can compensate deterioration in the image quality resulting from heterogeneity of a test object medium. A reception beamformer 108 performs synthesizing after performing phasing processing of a signal received by an ultrasound element array 105 for each of two or more steering directions. The two or more steering directions are instructed by a steering direction instruction unit 112. The two or more steering directions include two directions each of which forms predetermined angles on the right and left with respect to a direction of a reception focal point along the ultrasound element array in an array direction. The predetermined angles are preferably null angles.

Abstract: According to a method of adaptive signal processing, compensation for deterioration of image quality caused by wavefront distortion is provided in an ultrasound imaging apparatus, with a low computing amount and with a precision. The elements 106 receive ultrasound signals from a test subject, and the delay circuit 204 delays each of the signals received by the plural elements in association with a predetermined position of a receive focus. The peripheral information operator 205 acquires from the post-delay received signals, information items as to plural points on the receive focus and in the peripheral region thereof, respectively. By way of example, the peripheral information operator obtains adaptive weights in association with plural steering angles. The peripheral information combiner 206 combines the plural information items (adaptive weights), and uses thus combined information to generate a beamforming output.

Abstract: A device and an agent for performing imaging in a deep part with high sensitivity and high resolution are to be provided. A photoacoustic measurement device (photoacoustic imaging device) performs light irradiation on an inspection area of a subject to which a photoacoustic agent generating an acoustic signal by causing phase change from a solid phase or a liquid phase to a gas phase by the light irradiation is administered, while the irradiated energy amount is increased, and detects the acoustic signal generated in the inspection area due to the light irradiation to form an imaged image of the inspection area based on the detected acoustic signal.