Electronic Array Scanning Patents (Class 600/447)
  • Patent number: 11540815
    Abstract: Ultrasound imaging systems are provided. An ultrasound system according to some embodiments includes a console configured to selectively communicate with a first ultrasound imaging device and a second ultrasound imaging device. The console includes a housing, a computing device disposed within the housing, and a connector receptacle assembly coupled to the housing. The connector receptacle assembly includes a first connector bank including a first plurality of electrical connections; and a second connector bank including a second plurality of electrical connections. The connector receptacle assembly is selectively matable to a first connector of the first ultrasound imaging device via only the first connector bank and to a second connector of the second ultrasound imaging device via the first and second connector banks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Andrew Lee Robinson, Timothy Fred Nordgren, Scott Owen Schweizer, Dennis Dean Clark
  • Patent number: 11534630
    Abstract: A system for delivering drugs or other molecules to the brain comprises an ultrasound imaging transducer configured to image structures such as the circle of Willis within a patient's head by way of a low attenuation acoustic window. The system includes a processor configured to register the ultrasound images to previously obtained images which also include the structures. The system includes ultrasound transducer elements operable to deliver ultrasound energy to a target region to cause the blood brain barrier to open. The system may include a drug delivery system that may be operated to deliver a drug to the patient in coordination with opening the blood brain barrier. Coordinates of the target region relative to the ultrasound imaging transducer are determined using registration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Cordance Medical Inc.
    Inventor: Bhaskar Ramamurthy
  • Patent number: 11538453
    Abstract: An ultrasound interface element (10) is for establishing interface with an incident tissue surface (32) for the purpose of transfer of ultrasound waves. An ultrasound-transmissive active layer (14) is provided comprising one or more responsive material elements (16) deformable in response to an electromagnetic stimulus. The one or more elements are controlled to deform in a manner such as to progressively establish with the tissue surface (32) an outwardly expanding interface, starting from an initial point or line of contact and spreading outwards to a wider area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Mark Thomas Johnson, Franciscus Johannes Gerardus Hakkens, Cornelis Petrus Hendriks, Daan Anton van den Ende
  • Patent number: 11529118
    Abstract: A method color Doppler imaging in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure includes transmitting with a probe of an ultrasound imaging system, ultrasound pulses towards a region of interest in a subject, receiving with the probe echoes responsive to the pulses, generating B-mode image data and Doppler signals based on the ultrasound echoes, filtering the Doppler signals, wherein the filtering includes rejecting lower intensity signals which have amplitudes below a threshold amplitude and passing higher intensity signals which have amplitudes above the threshold amplitude, generating color data based on the higher intensity signals, overlaying the color data with the B-mode image data to produce a color Doppler image, and displaying the color Doppler image in a kidney stone detection interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Wei Lu
  • Patent number: 11523799
    Abstract: An ultrasound fetal imaging system uses an acceleration sensor (16) for generating an acceleration signal relating to movement of the ultrasound transducer (10). A user is guided in how or where to move the ultrasound transducer based on the results of image processing of the ultrasound images. The user can thus be guided to move the transducer in a certain direction so as to achieve a complete scan of a fetus in a shortest possible time. This limits exposure of the expectant mother to the ultrasound energy. The fetal image obtained may be used to determine a fetal weight, for example using regression analysis based on some of the parameters derived from the obtained image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Yu Qi, Jian Gang Chen, Lin Li
  • Patent number: 11497477
    Abstract: Periodic displacement occurs in body tissue due to heartbeat. A peak level D of the movement distance of the body tissue is detected (Step 21), and a heartbeat cycle T is calculated from a frequency spectrum (Steps 22 and 23). By dividing twice the peak level D by the heartbeat cycle T, the moving velocity of the body tissue in a unit heartbeat cycle is calculated (Step 24). By dividing the moving velocity by a frame rate r, an average movement distance of the body tissue between frames is calculated (Step 25). In a case where the average movement distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, a time interval between the frames used for the calculation of the movement distance is extended (being Step 26 NO, Step 27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiro Imai
  • Patent number: 11490195
    Abstract: Disclosed is a loudspeaker enclosure including: —at least two sources suitable for producing ultrasound signals, and—a supply designed to process and amplify at least one input signal so as to produce, for the sources, supply signals of the same frequency and of different phases, wherein the supply are configured to apply different gains and/or phase shifts to at least two different frequency components of at least one of the supply signals. Also disclosed is a method for signal modulation for such an ultrasonic loudspeaker enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: AKOUSTIC ARTS
    Inventors: Thibault Nowakowski, Ilan Kaddouch
  • Patent number: 11484295
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus transmits ultrasound toward a subject by driving an ultrasound probe in which multiple transducers are arranged in an array, receives a reception signal that is based on waves reflected within the subject from the ultrasound probe, and generates an ultrasound image. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: a scan control section that sets scan conditions so that trapezoidal scanning is performed by the ultrasound probe; and a transmission section that controls driving of the ultrasound probe based on the scan conditions. The scan control section sets the scan conditions so that the inter-acoustic line angles in or around the center of the ultrasound probe are smaller than the inter-acoustic line angles near the edges when viewed along the scan direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Tomohito Sakai, Akihiro Kawabata
  • Patent number: 11473911
    Abstract: A heading determination device comprises data input circuitry configured to obtain magnetic field sensor data sensed by a magnetic field sensor in sensor coordinates, position input circuitry configured to obtain a position estimate of the magnetic field sensor, and estimation circuitry configured to derive, from a magnetic map, a local azimuth distortion value in a reference coordinate system at the current position of the magnetic field sensor indicated by the obtained position estimate and to estimate the heading of the magnetic field sensor in the reference coordinate system based on the obtained magnetic field sensor data and the derived local azimuth distortion value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ben Eitel, Daniel Schneider, Mark Veltman
  • Patent number: 11474080
    Abstract: An automatic ultrasonic imaging inspection method and system based on a six-axis manipulator. The method includes: controlling, by a motion control card, a six-axis manipulator to perform scanning and an external axis motor to move; when scanning, feeding back, by a probe, an echo signal; when the probe moves to another scanning line, sending, by a controller, a displacement information of the probe along a stepping direction to an ultrasonic imaging device; when the external axis motor works, feeding back, by an encoder, a displacement information of the probe along a scanning direction to the ultrasonic imaging device; allowing the external axis motor to work when the probe moves along a scanning line; and generating, by the ultrasonic imaging device, a two-dimensional scanning image according to the echo signal, and the displacement information of the probe along the stepping direction and the scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: HEFEI JUNENG ELECTRO PHYSICS HIGH-TECH DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhihong Liu, Rui Wang, Haibiao Ji
  • Patent number: 11466983
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an ultrasound-based method for calculating wall thickness, or a change thereof, in points within a monitored area of a wall, said method being based on measurement results from a process in which acoustic, guided waves are transmitted from transmitting transducers, propagated in the wall, received by receiving transducers and then recorded. Each recorded signal is interpreted as carrying information about the wall thickness, or change thereof since a previous measurement, throughout a measured section comprising a two-dimensional area of the wall. The wall thickness, or change thereof, is at least in part calculated for each segment of the monitored area, wherein a segment is a subset of the monitored area contained in a distinct combination of the measured sections. The disclosure further relates to an apparatus for acoustic, guided-wave measurement or monitoring of wall thickness, or a change thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: CLAMPON AS
    Inventors: Audun Oppedal Pedersen, Geir Instanes
  • Patent number: 11461938
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a user with information that serves as a material for determining whether an image generated by processing including a neural network is valid. A reception signal output by an ultrasonic probe that has received an ultrasonic wave from a subject is received, and an ultrasonic image is generated based on the reception signal. A trained neural network receives the reception signal or the ultrasonic image, and outputs an estimated reception signal or an estimated ultrasonic image. A validity information generation unit generates information indicating validity of the estimated reception signal or the estimated ultrasonic image by using one or more of the reception signal, the ultrasonic image, the estimated reception signal, the estimated ultrasonic image, and output of an intermediate layer of the neural network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM HEALTHCARE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yamanaka, Hiroki Tanaka, Junichi Shiokawa, Tomofumi Nishiura
  • Patent number: 11439365
    Abstract: Various methods and systems for displaying cine loops during a periodic imaging session are disclosed. In one example, a method includes acquiring, with an ultrasound probe, a first set of images of an imaging subject during a first imaging period, displaying the first set of images as a first cine loop at a first display area of a display, acquiring, with the ultrasound probe, a second set of images of the imaging subject during a second imaging period different than the first imaging period, and displaying the second set of images as a second cine loop at a second display area of the display, different than the first area, while maintaining display of the first cine loop at the first display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Carmit Shiran, Antonio Fabian Fermoso, Cynthia Owen, Menachem Halmann, Mor Vardi
  • Patent number: 11432804
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for generating an ultrasound image. In a method, the generation of an ultrasound image comprises: obtaining channel data, the channel data defining a set of imaged points; for each imaged point: isolating the channel data; performing a spectral estimation on the isolated channel data; and selectively attenuating the spectral estimation channel data, thereby generating filtered channel data; and summing the filtered channel data, thereby forming a filtered ultrasound image. In some examples, the method comprises aperture extrapolation. The aperture extrapolation improves the lateral resolution of the ultrasound image. In other examples, the method comprises transmit extrapolation. The transmit extrapolation improves the contrast of the image. In addition, the transmit extrapolation improves the frame rate and reduces the motion artifacts in the ultrasound image. In further examples, the aperture and transmit extrapolations may be combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Jun Seob Shin, Francois Guy Gerard Marie Vignon, Man Nguyen, Jean-Luc Francois-Marie Robert
  • Patent number: 11419583
    Abstract: Image co-registration (S390) entails: emitting energy, and responsively and dynamically acquiring images (216), the acquired images having a given dimensionality; selecting, repeatedly, and dynamically with the acquiring, from among the acquired images and, as a result of the selecting, changing, repeatedly, and dynamically, membership in a set (226) of images of the given dimensionality; and, synchronously with the change (S376), dynamically and iteratively registering the set to an image having a dimensionality higher than the given dimensionality. The co-registration is realizable with an imaging probe (140) for the acquiring, and a tracking system for tracking a location, and orientation, of the probe, the registering being specialized for the acquiring with the probe being dynamically, during the acquiring, any one or more of angulated, rotated and translated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Jochen Kruecker, Amir Mohammad Tahmasebi Maraghoosh
  • Patent number: 11403732
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a processor and a display. The processor includes a combiner configured to combine contrast data acquired with a same sub-aperture, for each of a plurality of sub-apertures, to create a contrast frame for each of the sub-apertures. The processor includes a microbubble detector configured to determine positions of microbubbles in the contrast frames. The processor includes a motion estimator configured to estimate a motion field based on frames of B-mode data for each of the plurality of sub-apertures. The processor includes a motion corrector configured to motion correct the positions of the microbubbles in the contrast frames based on the motion field and time delays between emissions for the sets of contrast data and the emission for B-mode data, for each of the plurality of sub-apertures, to produce motion corrected contrast frames. The display is configured to display the motion corrected contrast frames as super resolution images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: B-K Medical APS
    Inventors: Jorgen Arendt Jensen, Iman Taghavi
  • Patent number: 11399809
    Abstract: Disclosed is a patient monitor control unit (10) comprising a processor arrangement (11, 13) adapted to receive a series of ultrasound measurements received from a sensor (30) comprising at least one configurable ultrasound transducer; process said series of ultrasound measurements to obtain haemodynamic data of a patient coupled to the sensor; control a patient monitor (20) to display the obtained haemodynamic data; evaluate the obtained haemodynamic data to detect a variance in said data; and generate a reconfiguration signal for the at least one configurable ultrasound transducer, wherein the timing of said generation is a function of said evaluation. Also disclosed are a patient monitoring system, a method of operating a patient monitor control unit and a computer program product for implementing such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Nico Maris Adriaan De Wild, Igor Wilhelmus Franciscus Paulussen, Rick Bezemer, Sabina Manzari, Denny Mathew, Franciscus Hendrikus Van Heesch, Christianus Martinus Van Heesch, Ronaldus Maria Aarts
  • Patent number: 11395641
    Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging device includes an ultrasonic generating unit and an ultrasonic imaging processing unit. The ultrasonic generating unit repeatedly turns on N of M ultrasonic array elements of the ultrasonic probe multiple times as a group of array elements for linear scanning, and each scan is to emit an ultrasonic signal by each group of array elements and receive an echo signal of the ultrasonic signal. The ultrasonic imaging processing unit extracts a central echo signal from the echo signal in each scan to form a channel signal, and according to the arrival time of the echo signals, each central echo signal in the channel signal is delayed and summed to generate a modified channel signal. The modified channel signal is subjected to image synthesis process to obtain an ultrasonic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Chang-Lin Hu, Chien-Ju Li, Guo-Zua Wu, Chih-Chi Chang
  • Patent number: 11391838
    Abstract: A two dimensional ultrasonic array transducer receives echo signals from increasing depths of a volumetric region. The 2D array is configured into patches of elements which are processed by a microbeamformer and summed signals from a patch are coupled to a channel of an ultrasound beamformer At the shallowest depth the 2D array receives echoes from small patches in the center of the aperture. As signals are received from increasing depths the aperture is grown by symmetrically adding patches of progressively larger sizes on either side of the small patches in the center. The inventive technique can improve the multiline performance of both 1D and 2D array probes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Bernard Joseph Savord
  • Patent number: 11382605
    Abstract: An ultrasound probe, including a transducer module configured to receive an echo ultrasound signal reflected from a subject in response to a transmitted ultrasound signal, and a driver chip provided in the transducer module, the driver chip being configured to focus at least one of the ultrasound signal and the echo ultrasound signal, wherein the driver chip includes a fine analog beamformer configured to apply a fine delay and a coarse analog beamformer configured to apply a coarse delay, wherein the fine analog beamformer is arranged in a first inner region of a plurality of inner regions of the driver chip, the first inner region being located opposite to the transducer module, and wherein the coarse analog beamformer is arranged in a second inner region of the plurality of inner regions of the driver chip, the second inner region being different from the first inner region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jong Keun Song, Tae Ho Jeon
  • Patent number: 11369344
    Abstract: An ultrasound transducer includes: a tube; a transducer cable which is fixed to an end portion side of the tube and close to an outer periphery of the tube; a plurality of piezoelectric elements which are arranged along a circumferential direction surrounding a central axis of the tube to face an outer peripheral surface of the tube, each piezoelectric element being configured to output an ultrasound wave according to an electric signal input from the transducer cable, and convert an ultrasound wave input from an external portion into an electric signal; and a plurality of relays which are electrically connected respectively to a plurality of signal lines included in the transducer cable and the plurality of piezoelectric elements, the relays being configured to relay the plurality of signal lines and the plurality of piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsuhiro Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11369345
    Abstract: Substrate is produced by using a MEMS technique to form multiple diaphragms in a substrate by forming piezoelectric material layer on one surface of the substrate and thereafter by forming openings in the substrate from the other surface of the substrate; substrate and substrate on which signal detection circuit is formed are aligned to each other using at least one of multiple diaphragms as alignment diaphragm; and substrate and substrate are bonded together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yuta Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11372103
    Abstract: A method includes receiving first electrical signals from a first single-element transducer (1121) and second electrical signals from a second single-element transducer (1122). The transducers are disposed on a shaft (110), which has a longitudinal axis (200), of an ultrasound imaging probe (102) with transducing sides disposed transverse to and facing away from the longitudinal axis. The transducers are angularly offset from each other on the shaft by a non-zero angle. The transducers are operated at first and second different cutoff frequencies. The shaft concurrently translates and rotates while the transducers receive the first and second ultrasound signals. The method further includes delay and sum beamforming, with first and second beamformers (1201, 1202), the first and second electrical signals, respectively via different processing chains (7121, 7122), employing an adaptive synthetic aperture technique, producing first and second images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: B-K MEDICAL APS
    Inventors: Svetoslav Ivanov Nikolov, Jens Munk Hansen
  • Patent number: 11364012
    Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes a biplane ultrasound probe and a console. The biplane ultrasound probe includes a sagittal array and a transverse array. The console includes a transmit circuit, a receive circuit, and an image generator. The transmit circuit is configured to control the sagittal and transverse arrays to emit ultrasound signals while the probe is manually rotated and translated. The receive circuit is configured to receive electrical signal produced by the sagittal and transverse arrays in response to the sagittal and transverse arrays receiving echoes produced in response to the corresponding ultrasound signals interreacting with structure. The image generator is configured to construct a three-dimensional image with the electrical signals from the sagittal or transverse array using the electrical signals from both the sagittal and transverse arrays to track the motion of the probe and align scanplanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: BK Medical APS
    Inventors: Bo Martins, Fredrik Gran, Svetoslav Nikolov
  • Patent number: 11368618
    Abstract: An image capturing device includes a housing and a processor. The processor is configured to determine whether a state of movement of the housing relative to an observation target is either a first state or a second state, and perform a control based on the state of the movement of the housing to cause change in electric energy for drive of the image capturing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shota Nakahara
  • Patent number: 11366208
    Abstract: In some embodiments, ultrasound receive beamforming yields beamformed samples, based upon which spatially intermediate pixels (232, 242, 244) are dynamically reconstructed. The samples have been correspondingly derived from acquisition through respectively different acoustic windows (218, 220). The reconstructing is further based on temporal weighting of the samples. In some embodiments, the sampling is via synchronized ultrasound phased-array data acquisition from a pair of side-by-side, spaced apart (211) acoustic windows respectively facing opposite sides of a central region (244) to be imaged. In particular, the pair is used interleavingly to dynamically scan jointly in a single lateral direction in imaging the region. The acquisition in the scan is, along a synchronization line (222) extending laterally across the region, monotonically progressive in that direction. Rotational scans respectively from the window pair are synchronizable into a composite scan of a moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Emil George Radulescu, Sanghamithra Korukonda, Jean-luc Robert
  • Patent number: 11364013
    Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system according to the present disclosure may include or be operatively associated with an ultrasound transducer configured to acquire echo signals responsive to ultrasound pulses transmitted toward a medium. The system may include a channel memory configured to store the acquired echo signals, a neural network coupled to the channel memory and configured to receive one or more samples of the acquired echo signals, one or more samples of beamformed signals based on the acquired echo signals, or both, and to provide imaging data based on the one or more samples of the acquired echo signals, the one or more samples of beamformed signals, or both, and may further include a display processor configured to generate an ultrasound image using the imaging data provided by the neural network. The system may further include a user interface configured to display the ultrasound image produced by the display processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: David Hope Simpson, Earl M. Canfield, Robert Gustav Trahms, Vijay Thakur Shamdasani
  • Patent number: 11364014
    Abstract: Front-end circuitry for an ultrasound system is described which comprises a beamformer FPGA integrated circuit, transmit ICs with both pulse transmitters and linear waveform transmitters, transmit control and receiver ICs, and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) ICs. Waveform data for both the linear and pulser transmitters is stored in the transmit control and receiver ICs, saving pins on the FPGA, which is the conventional source of this data. The ADCs couple digital echo data to the FPGA for beamforming over serial bus lines, saving additional FPGA pins over a conventional parallel data arrangement. The inclusion of both pulser and linear waveform transmit capabilities in the transmit ICs enables the use of both types of transmitters in the formation of a multi-mode image, such as use of the pulsers for Doppler beams and linear transmitters for B mode beams in the formation of a colorflow image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Steven Russell Freeman, Truong Huy Nguyen, Manfred Bartz, Jason Thanh Nguyen, Timothy Savord, Scott Owen Schweizer
  • Patent number: 11350909
    Abstract: Certain embodiments pertain to cross-amplitude modulation (xAM) ultrasound imaging methods and systems configured to excite a first subaperture of transducer elements to transmit a first ultrasound plane wave, excite a second subaperture of transducer elements to transmit a second ultrasound plane wave noncollinear to the first ultrasound plane wave, the second ultrasound plane wave axisymmetric to the first ultrasound plane wave about a bisector, and simultaneously excite both first and second subapertures to transmit first and second ultrasound plane waves to cause an acoustic pressure above a threshold along the bisector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: David Maresca, Daniel P. Sawyer, Mikhail Shapiro
  • Patent number: 11353582
    Abstract: An ultrasound probe (106) contains an array transducer (101) and a microbeamformer coupled to elements of the array. The microbeamformer comprises analog ASICs (102) with transmitters and amplifiers coupled to elements of the array (101). The microbeamformer also comprises analog to digital converters which convert received echo signals to digital data, and digital beamforming circuitry located in digital ASICs (103). The digital ASICs (103) are clocked at a lower core frequency than that of which the digital integrated circuit process of the digital ASICs (103) is capable, and the digital ASICs (103) are operated at a lower supply voltage than that for which the digital integrated circuit process is designed, both of which reduce power consumption by the microbeamformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Bernard Joseph Savord
  • Patent number: 11351400
    Abstract: A biological object image-capturing and treatment system includes a micro detection and treatment device. The micro detection and treatment device includes a plurality of signal transmitting and receiving elements arranged as an array, wherein adjacent at least two signal transmitting and receiving elements transmit signals or receive signals during different periods. When performing an image-capturing procedure, at least one signal transmitting and receiving element transmits a first power signal and, when performing a treatment procedure, at least one signal transmitting and receiving element transmits a second power signal, wherein a power of the first power signal is different from a power of the second power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: TAIPEI MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Jian-Chiun Liou
  • Patent number: 11344279
    Abstract: An imaging method for obtaining a human skeleton, comprising the following steps: S1. determining a target region and fixing an object to be scanned; S2. determining an imaging region; S3. scanning the target region to obtain a series of section images that record spatial position coordinates and scanning angle of the imaging probe; S4. determining the position of bones in a three-dimensional space according to the features reflected on the surfaces of the bones in the section images and the spatial position coordinates and scanning angle of the imaging probe, and obtaining position information of the bones; S6. continuously scanning the target region till the position information and section images of the bones in the skeleton in the entire target region are completely collected; and S7. displaying the skeleton in the three-dimensional space. By means of the method, the human skeleton structure can be obtained without radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Telefield Medical Imaging Limited
    Inventor: Yongping Zheng
  • Patent number: 11337678
    Abstract: An ultrasound probe connected to various diagnostic apparatuses and a method of operating the ultrasound probe. The includes transmitting an ultrasound signal to an object and receiving a response signal reflected from the object; acquiring information regarding a diagnostic apparatus connected to the ultrasound probe; determining a type of data that may be processed by the diagnostic apparatus based on the information regarding the diagnostic apparatus; generating transmission data corresponding to the determined type of data from the response signal; and transmitting the transmission data to the diagnostic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeong Cho, Se-tae Kim, Ho-san Han
  • Patent number: 11331080
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 includes a transducer array 2, a transmission unit 3 that transmits an ultrasonic pulse FP and an ultrasonic pulse SP having phases inverted from each other on the scanning line from the transducer array 2 multiple times, a reception unit 4 that acquires reception signals from an output signal of the transducer array 2, a quadrature detection unit 5 that performs quadrature detection on the reception signals to acquire IQ signal strings, a tissue velocity detection unit 6 that detects a velocity of a tissue in a subject based on the IQ signal strings, a phase correction unit 7 that corrects phases of the IQ signal strings, a pulse inversion addition unit 8 that adds IQ signals corresponding to the ultrasonic pulse FP and IQ signals corresponding to the ultrasonic pulse SP using the corrected IQ signal strings to acquire added signals, and an image generation unit 10 that generates an ultrasound image from the added signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Masafumi Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11324481
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating high quality, high frame rate images in a handheld or hand-carried ultrasound imaging machine. The apparatus includes a time-multiplexed beamformer coefficient generator that supplies the necessary delay and weight coefficients to process multiple beams in parallel via a beamforming coefficient bus. This approach reduces the required hardware and power consumption to satisfy the physical space and power requirements of a handheld probe. The ultrasound machine may optionally turn off or operate beamformers in a standby mode. The ultrasound machine may also use pulse inversion harmonics to improve image quality by improving signal-to-noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Clarius Mobile Health Corp.
    Inventors: Laurent Pelissier, Kwun-Keat Chan, Trevor Hansen
  • Patent number: 11322112
    Abstract: A display device includes a plurality of display elements, a first light source that emits first illumination light, a second light source that emits second illumination light, a signal synthesizing unit configured to generate a mixed image signal based on an input signal, a pixel control unit configured to, based on the mixed image signal, control a voltage applied to the display elements, and a light source control unit configured to control the first and second light sources. During period in which the second illumination light is emitted, the pixel control unit is configured to control a voltage applied to some display elements of the plurality of display elements according to signal value of the input signal and at same time, regardless of signal value of the input signal, set a voltage applied to some other display elements of the plurality of display elements to a constant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: JVCKENWOOD Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuki Nakajima, Takeshi Makabe
  • Patent number: 11314398
    Abstract: A system and method for predicting an ultrasound image depth selection is provided. The method may include presenting, at a display system, ultrasound image data acquired according to an initial depth setting. The method may include receiving a user input adjusting a zoom level of the ultrasound image data presented at the display system. The method may include processing the ultrasound image data presented at the display system to instantaneously and smoothly transition to the adjusted zoom level in response to the user input. The method may include receiving a user input selecting a selected zoom level of the ultrasound image data presented at the display system. The method may include determining a modified depth setting corresponding to the selected zoom level. The method may include acquiring updated ultrasound image data based on the modified depth setting for display at the display system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Sushma Rai
  • Patent number: 11307282
    Abstract: The technology disclosed relates to determining positional information about an object of interest is provided. In particular, it includes, conducting scanning of a field of interest with an emission from a transmission area according to an ordered scan pattern. The emission can be received to form a signal based upon at least one salient property (e.g., intensity, amplitude, frequency, polarization, phase, or other detectable feature) of the emission varying with time at the object of interest. Synchronization information about the ordered scan pattern can be derived from a source, a second signal broadcast separately, social media share, others, or and/or combinations thereof). A correspondence between at least one characteristic of the signal and the synchronization information can be established. Positional information can be determined based at least in part upon the correspondence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Ultrahaptics IP Two Limited
    Inventors: David S. Holz, Robert Samuel Gordon, Gabriel A. Hare, Neeloy Roy, Maxwell Sills, Paul Durdik
  • Patent number: 11307297
    Abstract: Provided are a method and device for ultrasonic imaging by synthetic focusing. The method comprises: exciting a plurality of matrix elements of an ultrasonic probe to transmit plane waves many times, wherein transmitting apodizations at the time of every transmission of the plane waves by the plurality of matrix elements correspond to the respective lines in a measurement matrix in which elements are randomly distributed; after every transmission of the plane waves, exciting all the matrix elements of the ultrasonic probe to receive echo signals, in order to obtain channel data; recovering a synthetic focusing channel data set by use of a compressed sensing reconstruction algorithm according to a channel data set and the measurement matrix; and subjecting the synthetic focusing channel data set to beamforming so as to generate an ultrasonic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jianwen Luo, Jing Liu, Qiong He
  • Patent number: 11298107
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Healthcare Corporation
    Inventors: Shinta Takano, Kazuhiro Amino, Hiroshi Kakita
  • Patent number: 11291430
    Abstract: Various approaches for operating an ultrasound transducer having multiple transducer elements include acquiring one or more measurements of anatomical regions through which ultrasound waves emitted from the transducer elements travel; for each of the anatomical regions, determining values of characteristics based at least in part on the measurement(s); computationally predicting aberrations of the ultrasound waves traveling through the anatomical regions by using the first values as input to a predictor that has been computationally trained to predict ultrasound aberrations based on values of the characteristics; and driving the transducer elements to compensate for the predicted aberrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: INSIGHTEC, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoav Levy, Eyal Zadicario, Talia Amar
  • Patent number: 11296717
    Abstract: A mixed-signal integrated circuit that includes: a global reference signal source; a first summation node and a second summation node; a plurality of distinct pairs of current generating circuits arranged along the first summation node and the second summation node; a first current generating circuit of each of the plurality of distinct pairs that is arranged on the first summation node and a second current generating circuit of each of the plurality of distinct pairs is arranged on the second summation node; a common-mode current circuit that is arranged in electrical communication with each of the first and second summation nodes; where a local DAC adjusts a differential current between the first second summation nodes based on reference signals from the global reference source; and a comparator or a finite state machine that generates a binary output value current values obtained from the first and second summation nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Mythic, Inc.
    Inventors: Laura Fick, Manar El-Chammas, Skylar Skrzyniarz, David Fick
  • Patent number: 11284865
    Abstract: The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine a scan region of an ultrasonic wave according to a scan target. The processing circuitry is configured to set a pulse repetition frequency for each raster of rasters so as to correspond to the scan region. The processing circuitry is configured to control a scan performance according to the pulse repetition frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chihiro Shibata, Akihiro Kakee, Kuramitsu Nishihara
  • Patent number: 11284858
    Abstract: A method for plane-wave or fan-beam ultrasound tomography includes: controlling, by a processor, a multi-channel ultrasound array controller to control a linear ultrasound transducer array to emit plane-wave or fan-beam ultrasound into a biological tissue, the linear ultrasound transducer array including a plurality of transducers; receiving, by the processor, plane-wave or fan-beam ultrasound waveform data from the transducers, the plane-wave or fan-beam ultrasound waveform data including reflections of the plane-wave or fan-beam ultrasound from the biological tissue; computing, by the processor, a synthetic ultrasound-waveform inversion from the received plane-wave or fan-beam ultrasound waveform data; and computing, by the processor, an image of the biological tissue from the synthetic ultrasound-waveform inversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: TRIAD NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
    Inventors: Lianjie Huang, Kai Gao, Yunsong Huang
  • Patent number: 11278263
    Abstract: An ultrasound apparatus includes a plurality of channels, each including a transmission channel for generating and outputting a transmission signal based on a synchronization signal, a temperature detector for outputting a temperature information signal of the transmission channel, a transducer element for converting the transmission signal output from the transmission channel into an ultrasound signal and outputting the ultrasound signal, a reception channel for receiving a reception signal that returns after the ultrasound signal is transmitted to and reflected from an object, and acquiring ultrasound image data based on the received reception signal, and a switching circuit for connecting the temperature detector to the reception channel such that the reception channel receives the temperature information signal of the transmission channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Cheol Hyeon
  • Patent number: 11255964
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the efficient determination of the direction of multiple signal sources in both near and far field using hierarchical combinations of sets of raw input signals to convert spatial input to angular output. Each increasing hierarchical combination increases angular resolution, improving image quality with low computational expenditure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: YOR LABS, INC.
    Inventor: Clark Brooks
  • Patent number: 11249188
    Abstract: Systems and methods for filtering an analog waveform before it is sampled by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in an ultrasound system are provided. The waveform can be filtered by delaying the same waveform by two different time delays and combining the delayed waveforms to effectively cancel out the fundamental components, thereby providing more sensitive detection of harmonic components in received echo signals. This filtering approach leverages an architecture that can also be used for multiline beamforming to perform the temporal filtering, in which a single acoustic signal can be read out of the ARAM twice, separated by time, taking advantage of the fact that the ARAM allows for non-destructive read operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Steven Russell Freeman
  • Patent number: 11241591
    Abstract: An acoustic module with a transducer and a solid waveguide. The transducer and waveguide may be curved to focus the acoustic energy along a focal line. The transducer, the top surface of the waveguide and the bottom surface of the waveguide may extend along coaxial curves. The waveguide may include a recess closely receiving the transducer. The waveguide may include an integral skirt that provides a thermal mass. The acoustic module may include a space to accommodate thermal management options. For example, the acoustic module may include a heatsink, an active ventilation system and/or a phase change material. The ultrasound device may include a controller configured to perform a uniformity scan sweep during supply of operating power to the transducer. The uniformity scan sweep can extend through a frequency range that includes the operating point of the acoustic module and does not exceed an acceptable efficiency loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
    Inventors: Ronald L. Stoddard, Michael E. Miles, Matthew J. Norconk, Joshua K. Schwannecke, Joseph C. Van Den Brink, Colin J. Moore, A. Esai Umenei, Ryan D. Schamper, Mark S. Bartrum, Benjamin C. Moes, Karlis Vecziedins, Ziqi Wu, Mark C. Smith, Bradley J. Pippel, David S. Vachon
  • Patent number: 11224410
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for generating an ultrasound image. The method includes obtaining ultrasound data from an ultrasonic transducer array, the ultrasonic transducer array having M transducer elements. The method further includes generating N sets of image data from the ultrasound data using N random apodization functions. A minimizing function is then applied to a collection of image data, wherein the collection of image data comprises the N sets of image data. An ultrasound image is then generated based on the minimized image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Jun Seob Shin, Seungsoo Kim, Francois Guy Gerard Marie Vignon, Sheng-Wen Huang, Jean-Luc Francois-Marie Robert
  • Patent number: 11220262
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system mounted on a vehicle determines a target path based on necessary information and performs vehicle travel control such that the vehicle follows the target path. A first coordinate system is a vehicle coordinate system at a first timing when the necessary information is acquired. A second coordinate system is a vehicle coordinate system at a second timing later than the first timing. The autonomous driving system calculates, based on the necessary information acquired at the first timing, a first target path defined in the first coordinate system. Then, the autonomous driving system corrects the first target path to a second target path defined in the second coordinate system by performing coordinate transformation from the first coordinate system to the second coordinate system. The autonomous driving system uses the second target path as the target path to perform the vehicle travel control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Sone, Yoji Kunihiro, Takahiro Yokota, Ryo Irie, Yoshinori Watanabe, Masateru Amano