Four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system and method

Abstract

A four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system, the system comprising an ultrasound main unit, a multi-channel capacitive ultrasound probe arranged in a two-dimensional area array, and an ASIC chip integrated at the probe end. The ASIC chip is internally provided with a transmitting driving circuit and a receiving circuit, which are used for driving the probe to emit ultrasound wave beams in different directions and receiving reflected echo signals. The present application comprises: the ASIC chip performing microchip beam synthesis preprocessing and reduction of the number of channels on received signals, and then transmitting the processed signals to the ultrasound main unit for beam synthesis, so as to obtain a gray value and coordinate values of each point in a beam direction; repeating the described steps until a static three-dimensional image is obtained; and continuing executing the described steps cyclically to obtain a four-dimensional ultrasound image. Integrating the ASIC chip at the probe end can achieve driving and post-processing of the multi-channel probe with fewer lead-out lines, and the subsequent imaging processing is carried out in a processor in the ultrasound main unit, thereby making the volume of processing data smaller, simplifying lead packaging, and improving the data processing efficiency.

Description

Four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system and method Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical imaging technology, and in particular to a four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system and method. Background Art

[0002] Electrocardiopathy and structural heart disease are significant health issues. Electrocardiopathy is typically caused by irregular electrical conduction in the heart, leading to arrhythmias. Structural heart disease is caused by structural abnormalities (such as myocardial hypertrophy) that result in decreased stroke volume and abnormal blood pressure. Minimally invasive catheter-based intervention is currently the safest and most effective treatment for most electrocardiopathy and structural heart disease. Ablation catheters (including microwave ablation, radiofrequency ablation, pulsed electric field ablation, and cryoballoon ablation) are inserted into the cardiac cavity through a peripheral vein to ablate the myocardium and endocardium, thereby eliminating diseased cardiac tissue and electrical conduction bundles. Real-time 4D cardiac ultrasound imaging during surgery is crucial for monitoring the relative position of the catheter and cardiac chambers, imaging the rapidly moving anatomy of the heart, and monitoring for complications (such as thrombosis and pericardial effusion). Technical issues

[0003] 4D cardiac ultrasound imaging includes transthoracic 4D ultrasound, transesophageal 4D ultrasound, and intracardiac 4D ultrasound. Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is currently the most advanced 4D intraoperative cardiac imaging technique in clinical practice. It uses a miniature ultrasound probe inserted into the cardiac cavity via the femoral vein to provide real-time, high-definition 4D images of the heart. 4D phased array ICE is commonly used clinically. Thousands of ultrasound elements are integrated into a miniature probe, each requiring separate wiring and control. This results in high probe and host costs. Thousands of wires cannot be routed through thin catheters, posing a significant challenge to the size of the endoscope. Specific 4D phased array ICEs typically use piezoelectric ceramic array ultrasound probes. To address the wire lead issue, the ceramic transducers in the piezoelectric ceramic array ultrasound probe are integrated onto an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC performs data pre-processing, reducing the number of wire leads. However, current ASICs process data in a complex and slow manner. Technical Solutions

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to propose a four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system and method to address the above problems, so as to reduce the problems of multiple leads, multiple channels and large data volume in four-dimensional ultrasound imaging, and further solve the problem of slow data processing in current technology.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system, comprising: an ultrasound host, a multi-channel capacitive ultrasound probe arranged in a two-dimensional array, and an ASIC chip integrated into the probe, wherein the ASIC chip includes a transmitting drive circuit and a receiving circuit; the leads of the probe are connected to the ultrasound host via a connector;

[0006] The transmitting driving circuit is used to drive each channel of the probe so that the probe transmits an ultrasonic beam in a specified direction, and the ultrasonic beam in the specified direction is used to scan the specified direction in the three-dimensional space;

[0007] Each channel of the probe is used to receive a reflected echo signal reflected back after the ultrasonic beam is scanned, and transmit the reflected echo signal to the receiving circuit; the receiving circuit is used to pre-process the reflected echo signal and reduce channel operation based on a microchip beamforming algorithm; the probe is also used to transmit the reflected echo signal after pre-processing and reducing channel operation to the ultrasound host through the connector;

[0008] The ultrasound host is used to perform a beam synthesis operation on the reflected echo signal based on a beam synthesis algorithm, thereby obtaining the grayscale values ​​of all points on the ultrasound beam; the ultrasound host is also used to calculate the coordinate value of each point on the ultrasound beam according to the echo time, spatial direction and sound speed;

[0009] Adjusting the designated direction multiple times and repeating the above process so that the ultrasound host obtains the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all points on the ultrasound beam in all directions in the three-dimensional space, converts the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​into a Cartesian coordinate system, and obtains a static three-dimensional image;

[0010] The above process is repeated so that the ultrasound host obtains a dynamic three-dimensional image composed of multiple static three-dimensional images; the ultrasound host is also used to perform rendering and sectioning operations on the display based on the dynamic three-dimensional image to obtain a four-dimensional ultrasound image.

[0011] Optionally, the multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe with a two-dimensional array arrangement includes a plurality of array elements, and the plurality of array elements are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix; each of the plurality of array elements includes a plurality of capacitive CMUT sensors connected in parallel; and each array element is integrated with the ASIC chip through a TSV process;

[0012] Each capacitive CMUT sensor comprises upper and lower electrodes and insulating silicon, with the insulating silicon forming a vacuum in the middle through a silicon wafer bonding process. In a transmitting mode, an alternating current is applied between the upper and lower electrodes of each capacitive CMUT sensor to generate mechanical oscillations. In a receiving mode, each capacitive CMUT sensor generates mechanical oscillations under the action of an external sound field, which are converted into voltage changes.

[0013] The capacitive CMUT sensor is punched on a wafer through a silicon via process, so as to connect the upper and lower electrodes of each array element to the bottom plate of the ASIC chip.

[0014] Optionally, the microchip beamforming algorithm includes delaying and adding signals corresponding to each channel of the probe based on a reflected echo signal reflected after scanning by the ultrasonic beam according to the direction of the ultrasonic beam, a transmission time difference, and a reception time difference, to obtain M signals; wherein M is a natural number greater than zero, and M is equal to the number of leads of the probe and less than the number of channels of the probe;

[0015] The beamforming algorithm includes performing delayed addition on the M signals to obtain beamformed data.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present application provides a four-dimensional ultrasound imaging method, which is applied to the four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system as described in any one of the first aspects above, and the method includes:

[0017] The probe transmits an ultrasonic beam in a specified direction into a three-dimensional space, and obtains a reflected echo signal obtained after transmitting the ultrasonic beam;

[0018] The receiving circuit of the ASIC chip preprocesses the reflected echo signal based on a microchip beamforming algorithm and reduces channel operations to obtain M signals; wherein M is a natural number greater than zero, and M is equal to the number of leads of the probe and less than the number of channels of the probe;

[0019] The ultrasound host performs a beamforming operation and a first calculation operation based on the M signals after the preprocessing and channel reduction operation to obtain a grayscale value and a coordinate value of each point on the ultrasound beam in the specified direction;

[0020] Repeat the above steps until the ultrasound host obtains the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all points in all directions in the three-dimensional space, converts the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all points into a Cartesian coordinate system, and obtains a static three-dimensional image;

[0021] The above steps are executed cyclically, so that the ultrasound host obtains a dynamic three-dimensional image composed of multiple static three-dimensional images; rendering and sectioning operations are performed on the display based on the dynamic three-dimensional image to obtain a four-dimensional ultrasound image.

[0022] Optionally, before the probe transmits an ultrasonic beam in a specified direction into a three-dimensional space, the method further includes: the transmission drive circuit obtains different transmission delays, and sequentially stimulates each channel of the probe based on the transmission delays, thereby generating the ultrasonic beam in the specified direction;

[0023] The probe acquires a reflected echo signal obtained after the ultrasonic beam is emitted, specifically including: the emitted ultrasonic beam is reflected in a corresponding medium in the three-dimensional space to generate the reflected echo signal, and the probe acquires the reflected echo signal.

[0024] Optionally, the multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe with a two-dimensional array arrangement includes a plurality of transducer array elements arranged in a two-dimensional array; and the method for calculating the transmission delay includes:

[0025] The probe calculates the distance from any one of the transducer array elements in the two-dimensional array according to the coordinates of the imaging focus and the center point coordinates of the transducer array elements, and calculates the transmission delay of the any one of the transducer array elements based on the center point coordinates and the coordinates of the imaging focus.

[0026] The spatial direction of the ultrasonic beam is changed multiple times, and the coordinates of the imaging focus point are changed according to the spatial direction. The above steps are repeated to obtain the transmission delay of all array elements.

[0027] Optionally, the plurality of transducer elements arranged in a two-dimensional array are divided into M groups; and the receiving circuit of the ASIC chip preprocesses the reflected echo signals based on a microchip beamforming algorithm and reduces channel operations to obtain M signals, specifically including:

[0028] The receiving circuit of the ASIC chip calculates the total delay of the reflected echo signal, and performs interpolation operations on the reflected echo signal based on the total delay to obtain M signals;

[0029] The step of calculating the total delay of the reflected echo signal and performing interpolation operations on the reflected echo signals based on the total delay to obtain M signals specifically includes: calculating a first distance from the imaging focus point to each array element in each group of array elements and a second distance from the imaging focus point to the center array element of each group, dividing the difference between the first distance and the second distance by the speed of sound to obtain a time difference, applying a corresponding delay to the signal of each array element based on the time difference, and then adding the signals to obtain the M signals;

[0030] Wherein, M is a natural number greater than zero, and M is equal to the number of leads of the probe and less than the number of channels of the probe.

[0031] Optionally, the total delay includes the transmission delay and the reception delay.

[0032] Optionally, the ultrasound host performs a beamforming operation and a first calculation operation based on the M signals after the preprocessing and channel reduction operation to obtain a grayscale value and a coordinate value of each point on the ultrasound beam in a certain direction, specifically including:

[0033] The ultrasound host performs delayed addition on the M signals to obtain summed data based on the emission direction of the ultrasound beam, the emission delay, and the reception delay, calculates the signal delay corresponding to each channel of the probe, and then performs delayed addition on the signals based on the signal delays;

[0034] An interpolation operation is performed based on the delayed added signal to obtain the grayscale value and coordinate value of each point on the ultrasonic beam in a certain direction.

[0035] Optionally, the interpolation operation and the operation of converting the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all the points into a Cartesian coordinate system are performed in multiple threads in a GPU or a CPU. Beneficial effects

[0036] Implementing the embodiments of this application will have the following beneficial effects:

[0037] The present application provides a four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system, which includes: an ultrasound host, a multi-channel capacitive ultrasound probe arranged in a two-dimensional array, and an ASIC chip integrated into the probe, wherein the ASIC chip includes a transmitting drive circuit and a receiving circuit; the leads of the probe are connected to the ultrasound host via a connector. Specifically, the system includes: the ASIC chip has a built-in transmitting drive circuit, which drives each channel of the probe to transmit an ultrasound beam in different spatial directions to scan any direction of the three-dimensional imaging space; after each channel of the probe receives the reflected echo signal reflected after the ultrasound beam is scanned, the signals received by these multiple channels are pre-processed by a microchip beam synthesis algorithm in the receiving circuit of the ASIC chip, and the channel is reduced. The signals are then transmitted to the ultrasound host through the lead wires of the probe through the connector for beam synthesis to obtain the grayscale value and coordinate value of each point in the beam direction; the above steps are repeated until grayscale images of all points in all directions in the imaging space are obtained, and the grayscale images of all points form a static three-dimensional image; the above steps are repeated to obtain a dynamic three-dimensional image; and the dynamic three-dimensional image is rendered and sliced ​​on a display to obtain a four-dimensional ultrasound image. In this application, by integrating ASIC into the probe end, the driving and post-processing of the multi-channel probe can be achieved with fewer lead wires, and subsequent imaging processing can be performed in the ultrasound host processor, which greatly reduces the difficulty of packaging and lead processing, and enables the miniaturization of the endoscope with fewer cables. At the same time, data processing is simple, the data volume is smaller, and data processing efficiency is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0039] in:

[0040] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe with a two-dimensional array arrangement according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a bonding structure between an array element and an ASIC according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG4 is a flow chart of a four-dimensional ultrasound imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG5a is a schematic diagram of a workflow of connecting an ASIC and an ultrasound host processor according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG5 b is a schematic diagram of a multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe arranged in a two-dimensional array emitting an ultrasonic beam according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG6 is a flow chart of a method for preprocessing data using an ASIC chip according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of various ultrasound probes according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG8 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present application. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0049] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0050] In the embodiments of the present application, ICE (Intracardiac Echocardiography) refers to intracardiac ultrasound, which involves installing a miniature transducer at the tip of a cardiac catheter and then delivering it to the cardiac cavity through peripheral blood vessels (veins). The transducer emits sound waves to scan a specified direction in three-dimensional space, and then processes the received echoes through a computer to form an ultrasound image. This can provide high-resolution real-time images of the intracardiac anatomical structures and other intracardiac catheters and equipment, and real-time monitoring of hemodynamic status.

[0051] ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) is an application-specific integrated circuit chip. It is a proprietary application chip designed and manufactured for specific user requirements and specific electronic systems. Its computing power and efficiency can be customized according to algorithm requirements.

[0052] CMUT (Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers) is a capacitive electrostatic transducer that uses micromachining technology and capacitive sensing principles to achieve high-precision and high-sensitivity ultrasonic detection and measurement.

[0053] Flip Chip is flip-chip welding or flip-chip packaging, which is a type of chip packaging technology. It is to connect the contact points of the chip to the substrate, carrier, and circuit board. During the connection process, since the bumps of the chip are connected downward, it is called flip-chip.

[0054] TSV (Through Silicon Via) is a through-silicon via (TSV) process, essentially a form of flip-chip bonding mentioned above. Specifically, it creates vertical connections between chips and wafers. TSV technology achieves vertical electrical interconnection through silicon vias by filling them with conductive materials such as copper, tungsten, and polysilicon.

[0055] Cardiac ultrasound imaging is an ultrasound image that is displayed after an ultrasound probe emits a beam for scanning, obtaining a certain scanning result. As can be seen from the above, in current technology, the ASIC in the probe processes data in a complex and slow manner. For this reason, the embodiment of the present application innovatively proposes a method for processing data in different parts, that is, the obtained data is first pre-processed by a microchip beam synthesis algorithm in the ASIC chip of the probe, and then the pre-processed data is transmitted to the ultrasound host for further imaging processing. This greatly reduces the burden of processing data and effectively improves the speed of processing data; at the same time, it can significantly reduce the number of probe leads, making miniaturized 4D ultrasound endoscopes possible. Before processing data in different parts, the embodiment of the present application also proposes a probe. Compared with the probes in the prior art, this probe greatly reduces the production cost and uses fewer leads to connect the probe to the ultrasound host, thereby reducing the amount of data and processing data faster.

[0056] Based on the above, the present embodiment will first introduce a multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe with a two-dimensional array arrangement, then introduce a four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging system based on this ultrasonic probe, and finally propose a four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging method based on the four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging system including this ultrasonic probe. This embodiment of the present application solves the problems of high probe cost and high manufacturing difficulty currently encountered, and further addresses the initial issue of slow data processing in four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging.

[0057] Example 1:

[0058] Currently, clinically used 3D / 4D intracardiac ultrasound (ICE) systems include single-element and phased array. Single-element ICE suffers from shortcomings such as shallow penetration depth and slow 4D imaging. Phased array ICE, however, is the most successful clinical and commercial technology and product, offering advantages such as greater imaging depth and faster imaging speed. 4D phased array ICE, on the other hand, typically uses a piezoelectric ceramic array ultrasound probe, which scans the imaging volume via electronically deflected plane waves. This method enables real-time, deep-depth imaging. This method typically requires a large number of ultrasonic transducer units arranged in a planar array to rapidly scan the 3D space with ultrasound beams in all directions. Furthermore, endoscopic ultrasound imaging requires reducing the number of transducer connection cables to avoid the risk of harm to the patient due to the large size of the endoscope. This typically requires integrating a disposable application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) at the catheter tip for image preprocessing. This results in high development costs and integration and processing difficulties for piezoelectric ceramic-based 4D phased array ICE.

[0059] In this application, a multi-channel capacitive ultrasound probe with a two-dimensional array is proposed. Based on a silicon chip, this probe contains a two-dimensional array of capacitive electrostatic transducers (CMUTs) and an ASIC chip. These two components are bonded together using the TSV process used in flip-chip packaging. This significantly reduces the manufacturing complexity and enables large-scale, low-cost mass production. This is expected to reduce the price of a single area array ultrasound probe from hundreds of thousands of RMB to just a few hundred RMB.

[0060] In a feasible implementation, please refer to FIG1 , which is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe with a two-dimensional array arrangement according to an embodiment of the present application. The ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of array elements 101, and these array elements 101 are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix. Each array element 101 includes a plurality of capacitive CMUT sensors. These capacitive CMUT sensors are connected in parallel and driven with the same drive signal to enhance the transmitted signal, and at the same time, the signal amplitude is enhanced by the parallel superposition of the signals. Please continue to refer to FIG2 , which is a schematic diagram of the bonding structure of an array element and an ASIC chip according to an embodiment of the present application. Among them, the TSV process realizes the high integration of the ASIC chip and the CMUT sensor by drilling holes on the wafer to connect the upper and lower electrodes of each array element 101 to the bottom plate of the ASIC 201. Assuming that there are n ultrasonic array elements 101 in total, there are n connection points connected to the ASIC chip.

[0061] Specifically, in conjunction with Figures 1 and 2, the multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe with a two-dimensional array arrangement includes an application-specific integrated circuit chip ASIC 201 and a transducer 100 with a two-dimensional array arrangement containing a plurality of array elements. The transducer 100 includes a plurality of array elements 101, and the plurality of array elements 101 are randomly divided into M groups of array elements 102, each group of array elements 102 includes a plurality of array elements 101, wherein the number of array elements 101 included in each group of array elements 102 is random and can be the same or different. Each array element 101 includes multiple capacitive electrostatic transducers (CMUTs) connected in parallel and driven by the same drive signal. The capacitive electrostatic transducers (CMUTs) are bonded to the application-specific integrated circuit chip (ASIC) 201 via flip-chip packaging technology. Each capacitive electrostatic transducer (CMUT) includes upper and lower electrodes and insulating silicon, with the insulating silicon forming a vacuum in the middle through a silicon wafer bonding process. In the transmitting mode, an alternating current is applied between the upper and lower electrodes of each capacitive electrostatic transducer (CMUT) to generate mechanical oscillations. In the receiving mode, each capacitive electrostatic transducer (CMUT) undergoes mechanical oscillations under the influence of an external sound field, which are converted into voltage changes. The capacitive electrostatic transducers (CMUTs) are drilled into the wafer using a through-silicon via (TSV) process to connect the upper and lower electrodes of each array element 101 to the bottom plate of the application-specific integrated circuit chip (ASIC).

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, it can be seen that a transducer 100 is bonded to an ASIC chip 201, wherein the ASIC chip includes two functions: excitation and receiving signals. In the transmitting mode, the ASIC chip implements selective voltage excitation for each array element; in the receiving mode, the ASIC chip receives analog signals from multiple channels and performs signal post-processing. Since the bonding process of traditional ceramic probes and ASICs is complex and extremely expensive, in the embodiment of the present application, the CMUT sensor is bonded to the ASIC chip through the TSV silicon via process. This allows multiple CMUT sensors to be connected in parallel to enhance the amplitude of the transmission and excitation signals; and the four-dimensional ultrasonic probe integrated with the CMUT arranged in a two-dimensional array and the ASIC chip greatly reduces the process difficulty and production cost. At the same time, compared with existing commercial ceramic-based array ultrasonic transducers, this ultrasonic probe in the embodiment of the present application can significantly reduce equipment costs and process difficulty, thereby making the production of integrated large-scale 4D ultrasonic probes possible.

[0063] Example 2:

[0064] Based on the above-mentioned multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe arranged in a two-dimensional array, an embodiment of the present application proposes a four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging system. Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic structural diagram of a four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging system according to an embodiment of the present application. The system includes: an ultrasonic host 310, a multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe 320 arranged in a two-dimensional array, and an ASIC chip 321 integrated in the probe. The ASIC chip includes a transmitting drive circuit 3211 and a receiving circuit 3212; the leads of the probe 320 are connected to the ultrasonic host 310 through a connector 330. In an embodiment of the present application, the four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging system displays four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging in five steps of transmission, reception, beam synthesis, image synthesis, and rendering display. Specifically:

[0065] Transmitting step: The transmitting driving circuit 3211 is used to drive each channel of the probe so that the probe 320 transmits an ultrasonic beam in a specified direction. The ultrasonic beam in the specified direction is used to scan a certain direction in the three-dimensional space.

[0066] Receiving step: Multiple channels of the probe 320 are used to receive reflected echo signals reflected after the ultrasonic beam is scanned; the receiving circuit 3212 is used to preprocess the reflected echo signals and reduce channel operations; the probe 320 is also used to transmit the reflected echo signals after preprocessing and reducing channel operations to the ultrasound host 310 through the connector 330.

[0067] The probe 320 includes multiple channels. After being transmitted, the ultrasonic beam enters the tissue to be examined in three-dimensional space and reflects back as a reflected echo signal. It is understood that the ASIC chip's receiving circuit 3212 pre-processes the reflected echo signal using a microchip beamforming algorithm and reduces channel operations, thereby allowing the originally large amount of channel data to be extracted through fewer lead channels and then transmitted back to the ultrasound host 310 for subsequent processing.

[0068] Beamforming step: The ultrasound host 310 is used to perform beamforming operations on the reflected echo signals after preprocessing and channel reduction operations, thereby obtaining the grayscale values ​​of all points on the ultrasound beam in the specified direction; the ultrasound host 310 is also used to calculate the coordinate value of each point on the ultrasound beam in the specified direction based on the echo time, spatial direction and sound speed.

[0069] Image synthesis: The direction of the transmitted ultrasonic beam is repeatedly changed, and the aforementioned transmission, reception, and beam synthesis steps are repeated to obtain the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all points on the ultrasonic beam in different directions. This can be understood as scanning all directions in three-dimensional space and obtaining a static three-dimensional image based on these grayscale values ​​and coordinate values. One feasible method for obtaining a static three-dimensional image based on these grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​is to convert them into a Cartesian coordinate system to obtain the static three-dimensional image.

[0070] The beamforming operation includes calculating corresponding signals of multiple channels of the probe based on the reflected echo signal according to the direction of the ultrasonic beam, the transmission time difference and the reception time difference.

[0071] Rendering and displaying step: looping through the transmitting step, receiving step, beamforming step, and image forming step to obtain a dynamic three-dimensional image; rendering and sectioning the dynamic three-dimensional image on a display to obtain a four-dimensional ultrasound image.

[0072] It should be noted that the dynamic 3D image here is essentially a 4D ultrasound image. The dynamic 3D image is rendered, sliced, and displayed on the monitor using the ultrasound host, resulting in a 4D ultrasound image. It should also be noted that the rendering and slicing operations here refer to performing certain operations on the monitor to enable the dynamic 3D image to be displayed clearly and completely on the monitor. Therefore, the techniques used here are not limited to rendering and slicing alone; all techniques that can achieve similar purposes can be used in the embodiments of this application.

[0073] In an embodiment of the present application, by integrating the ASIC chip into the probe end, the driving and post-processing of the multi-channel probe can be achieved with fewer lead wires, and subsequent imaging processing can be performed in the ultrasound host processor, making data processing simple, with less data volume, and improving data processing efficiency.

[0074] Example 3:

[0075] Based on the above-mentioned four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system, the present application embodiment proposes a four-dimensional ultrasound imaging method. Please refer to Figure 4, which is a flow chart of a four-dimensional ultrasound imaging method according to an embodiment of the present application, specifically:

[0076] Step 401: A multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe arranged in a two-dimensional array transmits an ultrasonic beam in a specified direction into a three-dimensional space, and obtains a reflected echo signal obtained after the ultrasonic beam is transmitted.

[0077] Step 402: The receiving circuit of the ASIC chip performs microchip beamforming algorithm preprocessing on the reflected echo signal and reduces channel operations.

[0078] Step 403: The ultrasound host performs a beamforming operation and a first calculation operation based on the reflected echo signal after preprocessing and channel reduction operation to obtain the grayscale value and coordinate value of each point on the ultrasound beam in a certain direction.

[0079] Step 404: Repeat the above steps until the ultrasound host obtains the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all points in all directions in the three-dimensional space, and obtains a static three-dimensional image based on the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all points.

[0080] Step 405 , looping through the above steps, so that the ultrasound host obtains a dynamic three-dimensional image; performing corresponding processing based on the dynamic three-dimensional image to obtain a four-dimensional ultrasound image.

[0081] It is understood that in step 402, it is assumed that the ultrasound probe includes 1024 array elements, the ASIC chip pre-processes the 1024 collected signals using the microchip beamforming algorithm, and the number of lead wires M is 32. Therefore, the microchip beamforming algorithm can significantly reduce the difficulty of wire bonding and packaging, reduce the size of the wiring harness and catheter, and reduce the number of host channels and data volume;

[0082] Combining Example 2 with Example 3, this embodiment of the present application actually divides the synthesis of ultrasound images into two computational parts. The specific imaging part, namely steps 403 to 405, is based on the ultrasound host processor; while the early data preprocessing, namely the preprocessing and channel reduction data obtained in steps 401 to 402, is based on the ASIC chip in the probe. This approach of dividing the synthesis into the "front end (ASIC)" and "back end (ultrasound host processor)" greatly reduces the computational workload of data processing and, similarly, greatly improves the original computing efficiency.

[0083] Specifically, for the portion of the ASIC chip in the probe that performs preliminary data preprocessing, please refer to FIG5a, which is a schematic diagram of the workflow of connecting an ASIC and an ultrasound host processor according to an embodiment of the present application. When the ASIC chip acquires initial data, it first scans a certain three-dimensional space based on the probe. Please continue to refer to FIG5b, which is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic beam emitted by a multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe with a two-dimensional array arrangement according to an embodiment of the present application. That is, in actual imaging, scanning a three-dimensional object requires emitting multiple ultrasonic beams in different directions, such as the lines in FIG5a. After scanning hundreds of lines, beam synthesis (i.e., image reconstruction) is performed to obtain a three-dimensional image. Subsequently, the next frame of the 3D image is captured. In this embodiment of the present application, after the multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe with a two-dimensional array arrangement emits an ultrasonic beam, it receives information reflected back from the imaging space after the beam scan, i.e., the reflected echo signal here, and then further processes the reflected echo signal to obtain the final four-dimensional image.

[0084] Further, please refer to FIG. 6 in conjunction with FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b , which is a flow chart of a method for preprocessing data by an ASIC chip according to an embodiment of the present application. The method includes:

[0085] Step 601: Calculate the transmit delay based on the transducer and a number of array elements.

[0086] In an embodiment of the present application, the coordinates of the transducer's focal point and the coordinates of the center point of any one of the multiple array elements are obtained. The distance from the arbitrary array element to the focal point is calculated based on the center point coordinates and the coordinates of the focal point. The transmit delay of the arbitrary array element is calculated based on this distance. The spatial direction of the ultrasonic beam is changed multiple times, and the coordinates of the focal point are changed according to the spatial direction. The above steps are repeated to obtain the transmit delay of all array elements. The center point coordinates are obtained based on the sequence number of the array element.

[0087] Step 602: Based on the transmission delay, set the same preset waveform to sequentially excite each of a plurality of array elements, thereby achieving beam scanning in any direction in the imaging space.

[0088] In one feasible implementation, after calculating the transmit delay, it is necessary to begin emitting excitation—that is, emitting an ultrasonic beam—toward the imaging space. Specifically, the ASIC chip excites each array element with the same preset waveform based on its transmit delay, and then sequentially excites all—thousands of array elements—to achieve beam scanning in any direction within the imaging space.

[0089] Step 603: Receive the reflected echo signal obtained after the beam scanning, and perform corresponding processing on the reflected echo signal based on pre-processing and channel reduction operation to obtain M data.

[0090] The reflected ultrasonic beam is reflected in the corresponding medium in the three-dimensional space, generating a reflected echo signal. For example, when scanning a patient's head, a reflected echo signal is obtained by reflection in the human body medium. Furthermore, the above-mentioned preprocessing and channel reduction operation is as follows: the total delay of the reflected echo signal is calculated, and the reflected echo signals received by all array elements are subjected to a microchip beamforming algorithm and interpolation operation based on the total delay to obtain M data. The interpolation operation is to perform a corresponding delay on the reflected echo signals received by all array elements and add them together. It should be noted that the total delay includes the aforementioned transmission delay and reception delay. The reception delay is calculated by dividing the straight-line distance from each voxel to all array elements by the speed of sound.

[0091] Furthermore, a plurality of transducer ultrasonic array elements arranged in a two-dimensional array are divided into M groups, a first distance from the focusing point to each array element in each group of array elements and a second distance from the imaging focusing point to the central array element in each group are calculated, and then a distance difference between the first distance and the second distance is obtained; the distance difference is divided by the speed of sound to obtain a time difference; and based on the time difference, a corresponding delay is applied to the signal of each array element in each group of array elements, and the delayed signals are added.

[0092] Where M is a natural number greater than zero. M is equal to the number of lead wires in the probe and less than the number of channels in the probe. Assuming an ultrasound probe has 1024 array elements and 32 lead wires, the number of channels is reduced by a factor of 1024 divided by 32.

[0093] It can be understood that in step 603, after the channel reduction operation is performed on the initial reflected echo signal, the original hundreds or thousands of data are reduced to M data suitable for M leads of the probe, which greatly reduces the complexity of transmitting data, not only improves the speed of transmitting data, but also improves the speed and efficiency of overall data processing, and also makes the miniaturization of ultrasonic endoscopes possible and reduces the connection cost between the probe and the ultrasound host.

[0094] Step 604: Transmit the M data to the ultrasound host processor.

[0095] In a feasible implementation, the probe is connected to an input end of an ultrasound host through M cables via a connector, and then M data are transmitted to a processor of the ultrasound host for subsequent processing.

[0096] In the embodiments of this application, a technical solution is implemented on an ASIC chip to group the signals received by all channels and perform delayed addition on each channel to reduce the number of ultrasound lead cables. This significantly reduces the number of cables, making miniaturized four-dimensional endoscopic ultrasound possible.

[0097] In an embodiment of the present application, the imaging step for the data pre-processed by the ASIC on the ultrasound host side is specifically as follows: obtaining M data transmitted by the ASIC and simultaneously obtaining the coordinate value of each point in that direction. Here, any random direction in the imaging space is any transmit beam direction. It should be noted that M is the number of groups of ultrasonic array elements on the array transducer connected to the ASIC. That is, as described in Figures 1 and 2, the M groups of ultrasonic array elements 102 on the transducer 100. Specifically, steps i to v are the process of the ultrasound host performing subsequent imaging processing on the data:

[0098] i. Obtain M data in any direction of the imaging space transmitted by the ASIC chip, and obtain the coordinate value of each point in any direction of the imaging space, where M is the number of groups of ultrasonic array elements on the area array transducer connected to the application-specific integrated circuit chip.

[0099] ii. Perform a first operation based on the coordinate value of each point in any direction and M data to obtain a grayscale image of each point in any direction.

[0100] In one feasible implementation, the first operation involves sequentially performing a summation and an interpolation operation. Specifically, the M acquired data are summed, and then interpolation is performed based on the acquired coordinate values ​​of each point in the transmit beam direction, thereby obtaining a grayscale image of each point in the transmit beam direction. Interpolation calculations are typically computationally intensive and can therefore be performed using multi-threaded parallel computing on a GPU or CPU, without further limitation here.

[0101] iii. Repeat the above steps until the grayscale images of all points in all directions in the imaging space are obtained. The grayscale images of all points in all directions in the imaging space constitute a static three-dimensional image.

[0102] In an embodiment of the present application, the above steps are repeated, that is, different scanning beam directions are used, that is, steps i and ii are repeated to obtain M data and coordinate values ​​in different transmission beam directions and subsequent operations until the entire imaging space is scanned, and further grayscale images of all points in all directions in the imaging space are obtained. The grayscale images of all points in all directions in the imaging space constitute a static three-dimensional image.

[0103] iv. Repeat the above steps to obtain a dynamic three-dimensional image.

[0104] It can be understood that the above steps i to iii are executed cyclically so that a plurality of static three-dimensional images are composed into a dynamic three-dimensional image to represent the three-dimensional characteristics of the imaging space.

[0105] v. Perform a second operation based on the dynamic three-dimensional image to obtain a four-dimensional ultrasound image.

[0106] In one feasible implementation, the second operation includes rendering, displaying, and cutting. Specifically, based on the dynamic 3D image obtained in step iv, the image is rendered and displayed on the ultrasound system's display, further presenting a 4D ultrasound image to the clinician. The rendering and display methods are conventional techniques and are not described in detail in this embodiment.

[0107] It is understandable that the aforementioned operations such as interpolation, 3D reconstruction, rendering, sectioning, and conversion of grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​into a Cartesian coordinate system are all performed in multiple threads in the GPU or CPU to improve computational efficiency.

[0108] In an embodiment of the present application, by acquiring M data transmitted in the application-specific integrated circuit chip, and the subsequent imaging steps are in the ultrasound host processor, the data processing in the application-specific integrated circuit chip ASIC and the ultrasound host is simple and regular, further improving the speed of data processing.

[0109] Furthermore, the present embodiment divides ultrasound image synthesis (i.e., beamforming algorithm) into two parts: one on the ASIC chip and the other on the ultrasound host. This means that by grouping and preprocessing the ultrasound array elements in the ASIC and then exporting the preprocessed signals to the ultrasound host processor, the amount of post-processing data and computational complexity is significantly reduced. This significantly improves the efficiency of data processing for four-dimensional ultrasound imaging.

[0110] In one embodiment, an ultrasound host processor is provided. The ultrasound host processor stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the ultrasound host processor, the ultrasound host processor performs the method of any one of the above-mentioned method embodiments based on the ultrasound host.

[0111] In one embodiment, an ASIC chip is provided. The chip stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the chip, the chip performs a method according to any one of the above-mentioned method embodiments based on the ASIC chip.

[0112] As can be understood, the complete implementation steps of this four-dimensional ultrasound imaging system and method, exemplified in a practical scenario, are as follows: a multi-channel capacitive ultrasound probe arranged in a two-dimensional array is connected to a back-end ultrasound host processor. The four-dimensional ultrasound imaging algorithm consists of two parts: a microchip beamforming algorithm in an ASIC chip and a back-end beamforming algorithm in the ultrasound host. The microchip beamforming algorithm is on the ASIC chip, while the back-end beamforming algorithm is on the ultrasound host. The ASIC chip is located at the probe tip, separate from the host.

[0113] First, the information preprocessing after ultrasonic array element grouping is performed based on the ASIC chip:

[0114] I. Calculate the transmission delay. In the transmission mode, the ASIC chip calculates the transmission delay based on the distance from each array element to the focus point. Assume that the serial number of an ultrasonic array element is , then the coordinates of its center point are Assume that the coordinate position of the focus is , then the distance from each array element to the focus is , so the transmission delay from the array element to the focus is , where c is the speed of sound, which is generally 1540 m / s in tissues.

[0115] II. Transmit Excitation. The ASIC chip excites each array element with the same preset waveform based on its transmit delay. This excitation process is repeated for thousands of array elements, achieving beam scanning in a specific direction in space.

[0116] III. Microchip Beamforming Algorithm. The array elements of the ultrasound probe are divided into M groups, where each group includes a number of array elements (the number of array elements in each group can be the same or different) and are denoted as At each excitation, the total delay from each array element to the focus (i.e., transmission delay + reception delay) is calculated, and then the distance from the focus to the geometric center of the array element group is calculated. The difference between the two distances divided by the speed of sound is the delay, which is recorded as The signals received by all array elements in each group are delayed and added together. This means that two adjacent sampling values ​​are taken based on the delay and linearly interpolated. This results in a total of M data points, which are then output to the ultrasound host input via M cables.

[0117] Secondly, the ultrasound host processor performs imaging processing on the pre-processed information:

[0118] IV. In the ultrasound host processor, the M data are summed and then interpolated based on the coordinates of each point in the transmit beam direction to obtain a grayscale image for each point in that scanning direction. This interpolation calculation is typically computationally intensive and can be performed in parallel using multiple threads on a GPU or CPU.

[0119] V. Repeat steps II through IV using different scanning beam directions until the entire imaging space is scanned, resulting in a 3D image. This process is then repeated to create a dynamic 3D image. This dynamic 3D image is then rendered and displayed on the ultrasound system's monitor, resulting in the 4D ultrasound image presented to the clinician.

[0120] It should be understood that the above is merely an example provided according to the embodiment of the present application, and does not limit other related technologies based on the embodiment of the present application.

[0121] In a feasible implementation, the transducer used in the embodiment of the present application can be a two-dimensional array ultrasonic transducer, which can be arranged in a rectangular or hemispherical shape, as shown in Figure 7, which is an example schematic diagram of various ultrasonic probes in an embodiment of the present application. Its material can be different materials such as PZT ceramics, CMUT or PMUT. At the same time, the four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging system can be applied to endoscopic ultrasonic imaging such as intracardiac ultrasound, esophageal ultrasound, vaginal ultrasound, gastrointestinal ultrasound, bronchial ultrasound, and can also be applied to in vitro probes such as transthoracic ultrasound probes. Furthermore, in the solution of the embodiment of the present application, ADC analog-to-digital converters, gain units and the like can be added to the ASIC chip to improve signal quality. It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application can also be used for diagnostic ultrasonic probes, and can also be applied to therapeutic ultrasonic probes such as focused ultrasound.

[0122] FIG8 shows an internal structure diagram of a computer device in one embodiment. The computer device may specifically be a terminal, a server, or a gateway. As shown in FIG8 , the computer device includes a processor, a memory, and a network interface connected via a system bus. The memory includes a non-volatile storage medium and an internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium of the computer device stores an operating system and may also store a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor may implement the various steps in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The internal memory may also store a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor may implement the various steps in the above-mentioned method embodiment. Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure shown in FIG8 is merely a block diagram of a partial structure related to the present application solution and does not constitute a limitation on the computer device to which the present application solution is applied. A specific computer device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different arrangement of components.

[0123] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to memory, storage, database or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include non-volatile and / or volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM) or flash memory. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in various forms, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link (Synchlink) DRAM (SLDRAM), memory bus (Rambus) direct RAM (RDRAM), direct memory bus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and memory bus dynamic RAM (RDRAM).

[0124] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0125] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging system, characterized in that: The system comprises: an ultrasound host, a multi-channel capacitive ultrasound probe arranged in a two-dimensional array, and an ASIC chip integrated in the probe, wherein the ASIC chip comprises a transmitting drive circuit and a receiving circuit; the lead wire of the probe is connected to the ultrasound host through a connector; The transmitting driving circuit is used to drive each channel of the probe so that the probe transmits an ultrasonic beam in a specified direction, and the ultrasonic beam in the specified direction is used to scan a specified direction in a three-dimensional space; Each channel of the probe is used to receive the reflected echo signal reflected back after the ultrasonic beam is scanned, and transmit the reflected echo signal to the receiving circuit; the receiving circuit is used to pre-process the reflected echo signal and reduce channel operation based on the microchip beam synthesis algorithm; the probe is also used to transmit the reflected echo signal after pre-processing and reducing channel operation to the ultrasound host through the connector; The ultrasound host is used to perform a beam synthesis operation on the reflected echo signal based on a beam synthesis algorithm, thereby obtaining the grayscale values ​​of all points on the ultrasound beam; the ultrasound host is also used to calculate the coordinate value of each point on the ultrasound beam according to the echo time, spatial direction and sound speed; Adjust the designated direction multiple times and repeat the above process, so that the ultrasound host obtains the grayscale value and coordinate value of all points on the ultrasound beam in all directions in the three-dimensional space, and converts the grayscale value and coordinate value into a Cartesian coordinate system to obtain a static three-dimensional image; The above process is repeated so that the ultrasound host obtains a dynamic three-dimensional image composed of multiple static three-dimensional images; the ultrasound host is also used to render and slice the dynamic three-dimensional image on a display to obtain a four-dimensional ultrasound image.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe with a two-dimensional array arrangement includes a plurality of array elements, and the plurality of array elements are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix; each of the plurality of array elements includes a plurality of capacitive CMUT sensors connected in parallel; each of the array elements is integrated with the ASIC chip through a TSV process; Each of the capacitive CMUT sensors includes two upper and lower electrodes and insulating silicon, and the insulating silicon forms a vacuum in the middle through a silicon wafer bonding process; in a transmitting mode, an alternating current is applied between the upper and lower electrodes of each of the capacitive CMUT sensors to form a mechanical oscillation; in a receiving mode, each of the capacitive CMUT sensors undergoes a mechanical oscillation under the action of an external sound field, which is converted into a voltage change; The capacitive CMUT sensor is punched on a wafer by a silicon through-hole process, so as to connect the upper and lower electrodes of each array element to the bottom plate of the ASIC chip.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The microchip beamforming algorithm includes delaying and adding the signals corresponding to each channel of the probe based on the reflected echo signal reflected after the ultrasonic beam is scanned, according to the direction of the ultrasonic beam, the transmission time difference and the reception time difference, to obtain M signals; wherein M is a natural number greater than zero, and M is equal to the number of leads of the probe and less than the number of channels of the probe; The beamforming algorithm includes delaying and adding the M signals to obtain beamformed data.

4. A four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging method, characterized in that: The method is applied to the four-dimensional ultrasonic imaging system as claimed in claim 1, and the method comprises: The probe transmits an ultrasonic beam in a specified direction into a three-dimensional space, and obtains a reflected echo signal obtained after transmitting the ultrasonic beam; The receiving circuit of the ASIC chip pre-processes the reflected echo signal based on the microchip beamforming algorithm and reduces the channel operation to obtain M signals; wherein M is a natural number greater than zero, and M is equal to the number of leads of the probe and less than the number of channels of the probe; The ultrasound host performs a beam synthesis operation and a first calculation operation based on the M signals after the preprocessing and channel reduction operation to obtain a grayscale value and a coordinate value of each point on the ultrasound beam in the specified direction; Repeat the above steps until the ultrasound host obtains the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all points in all directions in the three-dimensional space, and converts the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all points into a Cartesian coordinate system to obtain a static three-dimensional image; The above steps are executed cyclically, so that the ultrasound host obtains a dynamic three-dimensional image composed of multiple static three-dimensional images; rendering and sectioning operations are performed on the display based on the dynamic three-dimensional image to obtain a four-dimensional ultrasound image.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that Before the probe transmits an ultrasonic beam in a specified direction into the three-dimensional space, the method further includes: the transmitting driving circuit acquires different transmitting delays, and sequentially stimulates each channel of the probe based on the transmitting delays, thereby generating the ultrasonic beam in the specified direction; The probe acquires a reflected echo signal obtained after the ultrasonic beam is emitted, specifically including: the emitted ultrasonic beam is reflected in a corresponding medium in the three-dimensional space to generate the reflected echo signal, and the probe acquires the reflected echo signal.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The multi-channel capacitive ultrasonic probe arranged in a two-dimensional array includes a plurality of transducer array elements arranged in a two-dimensional array; the calculation method of the transmission delay includes: The probe calculates the distance from any one of the transducer array elements in the two-dimensional array array according to the coordinates of the imaging focus point and the center point coordinates of the transducer array elements, and calculates the emission delay of the any one of the transducer array elements based on the distance. The spatial direction of the ultrasonic beam is changed multiple times, and the coordinates of the imaging focus point are changed according to the spatial direction, and the above steps are repeated to obtain the transmission delay of all array elements.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The transducer array elements arranged in the two-dimensional array are divided into M groups; the receiving circuit of the ASIC chip pre-processes the reflected echo signal based on the microchip beamforming algorithm and reduces the channel operation to obtain M signals, specifically including: The receiving circuit of the ASIC chip calculates the total delay of the reflected echo signal, and performs interpolation operations on the reflected echo signal based on the total delay to obtain M signals; The step of calculating the total delay of the reflected echo signal and performing interpolation operations on the reflected echo signal based on the total delay to obtain M signals specifically includes: calculating a first distance from the imaging focus point to each array element in each group of array elements and a second distance from the imaging focus point to the central array element of each group, dividing the distance difference between the first distance and the second distance by the speed of sound to obtain a time difference, applying a corresponding delay to the signal of each array element based on the time difference, and then adding the signals to obtain M signals; Wherein, M is a natural number greater than zero, and M is equal to the number of leads of the probe and less than the number of channels of the probe.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The total delay includes the transmission delay and the reception delay.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The ultrasound host performs a beam synthesis operation and a first calculation operation based on the M signals after the preprocessing and channel reduction operation to obtain a grayscale value and a coordinate value of each point on the ultrasound beam in a certain direction, specifically including: The ultrasound host performs delayed addition on the M signals to obtain the sum data based on the emission direction of the ultrasound beam, the emission delay, and the reception delay, calculates the signal delay corresponding to each channel of the probe, and then performs delayed addition on the signals based on the signal delay; An interpolation operation is performed based on the delayed added signal to obtain the grayscale value and coordinate value of each point on the ultrasonic beam in the certain direction.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The interpolation operation and the operation of converting the grayscale values ​​and coordinate values ​​of all the points into a Cartesian coordinate system are performed in multiple threads in a GPU or a CPU.

Images