Ultrasonic testing device

Abstract

The present application provides an ultrasonic detection device, which has high signal-to-noise ratio of detection signal, good detection effect, high resolution and can obtain more abundant information of human tissue. The ultrasonic detection device comprises a sound emitting unit, which comprises a sound emitting surface capable of reflecting ultrasonic waves, the sound emitting surface is at least a part of a predetermined spherical surface and has opposite parts through a predetermined spherical center of the predetermined spherical surface; the sound emitting unit is used for emitting focused excitation ultrasonic waves from the sound emitting surface to the predetermined spherical center to excite the to-be-detected tissue of human body located at the predetermined spherical center to emit stimulated ultrasonic waves; a detection unit comprising a detector used for detecting information of the stimulated ultrasonic waves; and a processing unit used for determining a state of the to-be-detected tissue according to the information of the stimulated ultrasonic waves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ultrasonic testing technology, and specifically relates to an ultrasonic testing device. Background Technology

[0002] Ultrasound imaging is one of the main methods of ultrasound diagnosis. Its principle is to emit ultrasound waves into the human body and detect the ultrasound waves reflected by the tissues, so as to form an image based on the differences in ultrasound waves reflected by different tissues.

[0003] However, ultrasound technology has at least the following disadvantages:

[0004] (a) Ultrasound imaging is based on reflected ultrasound waves, so it can only distinguish tissues with different reflective properties, but cannot distinguish different tissues with similar reflective properties (such as different diffuse connective tissues, for example, fibroids and scars are both fibrous connective tissues, which cannot be distinguished under ultrasound images).

[0005] (b) Ultrasound waves are inevitably absorbed and attenuated by human tissues during transmission. The ultrasound waves used in B-mode must be emitted from the body surface and then reflected back, that is, they must be "round trip". The distance they travel in the human body is long, so there is more attenuation and interference, low signal-to-noise ratio and poor image quality.

[0006] (c) Based on the imaging principle of B-mode ultrasound, the smallest size that it can distinguish is 1 / 2 of the wavelength of ultrasound, that is, its highest resolution is 1 / 2 wavelength (usually in the millimeter range), but such resolution cannot distinguish many small tissues.

[0007] (d) Based on the above principles, in order to improve the resolution of B-ultrasound, it is necessary to increase the frequency of ultrasound to reduce its wavelength. However, the higher the frequency of ultrasound, the easier it is to be absorbed by tissue. Therefore, when the resolution is improved, the signal-to-noise ratio and imaging quality will inevitably be further reduced, resulting in an unsolvable contradiction. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This invention provides an ultrasound detection device with a high signal-to-noise ratio, good detection effect, and high resolution, which can obtain richer information about human tissues.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention provides an ultrasonic testing device, comprising:

[0010] A sound-emitting unit includes an emitting surface capable of reflecting ultrasonic waves, the emitting surface being at least a portion of a predetermined sphere and having a portion opposite to a predetermined center of the predetermined sphere; the sound-emitting unit is used to emit focused excitation ultrasonic waves from the emitting surface to the predetermined center of the sphere to excite a test tissue of a human body located at the predetermined center of the sphere to emit stimulated ultrasonic waves.

[0011] The detection unit includes a detector for detecting information about the stimulated ultrasonic waves;

[0012] A processing unit is used to determine the state of the tissue to be tested based on the information from the stimulated ultrasound.

[0013] Optionally, the launching surface is at least a portion of the side surface of the predetermined table, and the main center surface is located inside the predetermined table; wherein, the side surface of the predetermined table is a portion of the predetermined spherical surface, and the main center surface is a center surface parallel to the bottom surface of the predetermined table and passing through the center of the predetermined ball.

[0014] Optionally, the launching surface is the side of the predetermined table.

[0015] Optionally, the launching surface is the side of the predetermined table after a portion of it has been cut off by a surface perpendicular to the center of the main ball.

[0016] The central angle corresponding to the arc formed by the radiating surface and the main sphere is greater than or equal to 180 degrees.

[0017] Optionally, the central angle corresponding to the arc formed by the emitting surface and the main sphere is greater than or equal to 220 degrees.

[0018] Optionally, the launching surface is symmetrically arranged relative to the center of the main sphere.

[0019] Optionally, the radius R of the predetermined sphere is greater than or equal to 30 mm and less than or equal to 1000 mm;

[0020] The height of the predetermined table tennis table is greater than or equal to 1.2R.

[0021] Optionally, the sound-generating unit is used to emit excitation ultrasonic waves of the same frequency at various positions on the emitting surface.

[0022] Optionally, the frequency of the excitation ultrasonic wave is between 300 kHz and 20 MHz.

[0023] Optionally, the emitting surface includes two emitting zones, each emitting zone having a portion that is opposite to the predetermined center of the sphere, and any two portions of the emitting surface that are opposite to the predetermined center of the sphere belong to the same emitting zone;

[0024] The sound-generating unit is used to emit excitation ultrasonic waves of the same frequency at each position in each emission zone, and the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two emission zones have different frequencies.

[0025] Optionally, the frequency difference between the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two emission zones is between 30 kHz and 100 kHz.

[0026] Optionally, of the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two emission zones, the frequency of the lower-frequency excitation ultrasonic wave is between 300 kHz and 20 MHz.

[0027] Optionally, the frequency of the excitation ultrasonic wave emitted by one of the transmitting areas is A, and the frequency of the excitation ultrasonic wave emitted by the other transmitting area is nA, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0028] Optionally, n is 2 or 3;

[0029] The value of A is between 300 kHz and 20 MHz.

[0030] Optionally, the two launch zones have the same area.

[0031] Optionally, the ultrasonic testing device further includes:

[0032] A drive unit is used to drive the sound-generating unit to move.

[0033] Optionally, when the driving unit drives the sound-emitting unit to move, the processing unit is used to form an image of the tissue to be tested on the predetermined center of the sphere moving path based on the state of the tissue to be tested at each position on the predetermined center of the sphere moving path.

[0034] Optionally, the detector is located outside the acoustic channel of the excitation ultrasound.

[0035] Optionally, the detector is disposed on the emitting surface.

[0036] Optionally, the detection unit includes multiple detectors located at different positions.

[0037] Optionally, at least a plurality of the detectors are distributed along a circle, and a straight line passing through the center of the circle and perpendicular to the plane of the circle passes through the predetermined center of the sphere.

[0038] Optionally, the detection unit is used to detect the spectral information of the stimulated ultrasonic wave within a predetermined frequency range.

[0039] Optionally, the sound-emitting unit is further configured to emit focused therapeutic ultrasound waves from the emitting surface toward the predetermined center of the sphere, the therapeutic ultrasound waves being ultrasound waves used for high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy.

[0040] Optionally, the ultrasound testing device further includes: a B-mode ultrasound unit, which is used to form an image of the tissue to be tested and its surrounding tissues through B-mode ultrasound imaging.

[0041] Optionally, the ultrasonic testing device further includes:

[0042] A medium receiving unit having a receiving space for receiving a sound transmission medium, wherein the emitting surface of the sound emitting unit is located in the receiving space.

[0043] The ultrasonic testing device of this invention has at least the following advantages:

[0044] (a) The ultrasound detection device of the present invention detects by exciting the tissue to be tested to emit ultrasound (excited ultrasound). The characteristics of the excited ultrasound emitted by the tissue to be tested are related to many aspects of the tissue. Thus, the excited ultrasound can carry more information about the tissue to be tested, and can be used to determine the state of the tissue to be tested in more detail. For example, it can distinguish some tissues that cannot be distinguished in B-mode ultrasound imaging technology.

[0045] In particular, the ultrasonic testing device of this invention generates stimulated ultrasound waves by means of "standing waves". Compared with the technology of generating stimulated ultrasound waves by means of "traveling waves", the stimulated ultrasound waves generated by "standing waves" can carry more information and better determine the state of the tissue to be tested.

[0046] (b) The ultrasonic testing device of this embodiment detects the stimulated ultrasonic waves actively emitted by the tissue to be tested. That is, the stimulated ultrasonic waves are transmitted directly from the tissue to be tested to the testing unit without "reflection". Therefore, the stimulated ultrasonic waves carrying the detection information are actually transmitted "one way" in the human body. The path is short, the attenuation and interference are small, which can improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection signal (the signal received by the testing unit) and improve the detection effect.

[0047] (c) The ultrasonic testing device of the present invention detects by means of stimulated ultrasonic waves emitted by the tissue to be tested at the predetermined center, that is, it detects the state of the tissue at the "point" of the predetermined center. Therefore, its resolution is determined by the positioning accuracy of the predetermined center. High-precision positioning of the predetermined center can be achieved through a simple mechanical structure. Therefore, the ultrasonic testing device of the present invention can achieve higher resolution (e.g., up to the micrometer level).

[0048] In particular, the distribution of tissues within the human body is highly complex, and different tissues possess different acoustic characteristics. Therefore, when stimulated ultrasound is generated using a traveling wave, the actual focal point of the traveling wave may deviate significantly from the predetermined center of the sphere. Moreover, this deviation varies and is unpredictable for different parts of the body, making it impossible to determine the exact location of the tissue emitting the stimulated ultrasound when the traveling wave is excited. However, the ultrasound detection device of this invention excites stimulated ultrasound using a standing wave. When detecting various locations on the human body, it ensures that the actual focal point (or focal range) of the standing wave is accurately located at the predetermined center of the sphere, thus guaranteeing that the tissue actually emitting the stimulated ultrasound (the tissue to be tested) is located at the predetermined center of the sphere, thereby further improving detection accuracy.

[0049] Furthermore, the actual focal range of a traveling wave is cigar-shaped and relatively large. Therefore, when excited by a traveling wave, the stimulated ultrasound waves actually originate from a large area of ​​tissue, and cannot accurately reflect the characteristics of tissue at a single point. In contrast, the ultrasonic testing device of this invention excites stimulated ultrasound waves using a standing wave. The actual focal range of a standing wave is spherical and very small. Therefore, the stimulated ultrasound waves can be considered to originate from tissue at a predetermined center point, accurately reflecting the characteristics of the tissue under test at the predetermined center point.

[0050] (d) As mentioned above, the resolution of the ultrasonic testing device in this embodiment of the invention is not determined by the wavelength of the ultrasonic wave. Therefore, the frequency of the stimulated ultrasonic wave can be relatively low (30kHz to 100kHz). As mentioned above, the lower the frequency of the ultrasonic wave, the less attenuation and noise it experiences when propagating in the human body, thereby further improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection signal and improving the detection effect. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an ultrasonic testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 2 This is a side view of the sound-generating unit of an ultrasonic testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the sound-generating unit of an ultrasonic testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, along the central plane of the main sphere.

[0054] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of another ultrasonic testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of an ultrasonic testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the division of the emission area of ​​the emission surface of the sound-emitting unit of an ultrasonic testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of another ultrasonic testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the test results when the sound-generating unit A is excited at a single frequency.

[0059] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the test results when the sound-generating unit B is excited at a single frequency.

[0060] Figure 10 A schematic diagram showing the test results of the difference frequency when the sound-generating unit A is excited by the difference frequency.

[0061] Figure 11 A schematic diagram showing the test results of the harmonic frequency of the difference frequency when the sound-generating unit A is excited by the difference frequency;

[0062] Figure 12 A schematic diagram showing the test results of the difference frequency when the sound-generating unit B is excited by the difference frequency.

[0063] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram showing how the test results of vocal unit A change during treatment;

[0064] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the simulation results of the focal position deviation of the sound-generating unit B;

[0065] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram showing the measured results of the focal position deviation of the sound-generating unit B.

[0066] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram showing the focal position deviation of the sound-generating unit A without complex organization;

[0067] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram showing the focal position deviation of sound-generating unit A when there is a complex structure.

[0068] Figure 18 This is the spectrum diagram of the sound-generating unit A when it is excited by the difference frequency.

[0069] Figure 19 This is the spectrum diagram of the sound-generating unit B when excited by the difference frequency.

[0070] Figure 20 A cross-sectional photograph of an excised bovine liver after treatment of the sound-generating unit A, taken through the predetermined sphere core;

[0071] Figure 21 Ultrasound image of an excised bovine liver before treatment of sound unit A;

[0072] Figure 22 Ultrasound image of an excised bovine liver after treatment of vocal unit A;

[0073] Figure 23 A schematic diagram of the focal region morphology when a "traveling wave" is excited;

[0074] Figure 24 A schematic diagram of the focal region morphology when a "standing wave" is excited;

[0075] Figure 25 Photographs of complex tissues used in the test;

[0076] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1, emitting surface; 3, sound-emitting unit; 41, detector; 5, drive unit; 61, ultrasound probe; 62, probe motion structure; 9, predetermined spherical surface; 91, main spherical center surface; O, predetermined spherical center. Detailed Implementation

[0077] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0078] It is understood that the specific embodiments and accompanying drawings described herein are merely for explaining the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0079] It is understood that, without conflict, the various embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0080] It is understood that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, while the parts unrelated to the present invention are not shown in the drawings.

[0081] Ultrasonic testing equipment

[0082] Reference Figures 1 to 25 This invention provides an ultrasonic testing device.

[0083] The ultrasound detection device of this invention is used to detect (or diagnose) tissues in the human body in order to determine the state of the tissues at that location.

[0084] For example, the above tests can determine the nature of tissue at a specific location (such as what kind of tissue it is, whether it has undergone degeneration, etc.); or, the above tests can also form an "image" of tissue in a certain area (i.e., ultrasound imaging) to distinguish different tissues in that area.

[0085] The ultrasound detection device of this invention can simply detect tissues inside the human body, such as for a "physical examination"; or, the ultrasound detection device of this invention can also detect the state of the treated location in real time or at intervals during treatment by certain means (such as high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy), so as to monitor or guide the treatment process.

[0086] Reference Figure 1 The ultrasonic testing device of this invention includes:

[0087] The sound-emitting unit 3 includes an emitting surface 1 capable of reflecting ultrasonic waves, the emitting surface 1 being at least a portion of a predetermined spherical surface 9 and having a portion opposite to a predetermined center O of the predetermined spherical surface 9; the sound-emitting unit 3 is used to emit focused excitation ultrasonic waves from the emitting surface 1 toward the predetermined center O of the spherical surface to excite the tissue to be tested in the human body located at the predetermined center O of the spherical surface to emit excitation ultrasonic waves.

[0088] The detection unit includes a detector 41 for detecting information about the stimulated ultrasound waves;

[0089] The processing unit is used to determine the state of the tissue to be tested based on the information from the stimulated ultrasound.

[0090] Reference Figure 3 The ultrasonic testing device of this invention includes a sound-emitting unit 3 for emitting ultrasonic waves. Specifically, it emits excitation ultrasonic waves from each position of the emitting surface 1 in the normal direction of the corresponding position. The emitting surface 1 is at least a part of a specific sphere (predetermined sphere 9), so that the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted from each position of the emitting surface 1 all pass through the center of the predetermined sphere 9 (predetermined center O), that is, the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the sound-emitting unit 3 are "focused" at the predetermined center O.

[0091] Furthermore, the emitting surface 1 has a portion opposite to the predetermined sphere center O, meaning that the excitation ultrasonic wave emitted from a portion of the emitting surface 1 can reach the emitting surface 1 on the other side after passing through the predetermined sphere center O. Moreover, the emitting surface 1 also has the ability to reflect ultrasonic waves; therefore, the excitation ultrasonic wave that reaches the other emitting surface 1 will be "reflected" back, thus interfering with the directly emitted excitation ultrasonic wave to form a "standing wave." That is, a "standing wave field" can be formed at a portion of the sound-generating unit 3, for example, referring to... Figure 3 The diagonal area in the text.

[0092] Among them, the specific form of the sound-generating unit 3 is diverse.

[0093] For example, the sound-generating unit 3 can be an ultrasonic transducer including transducer devices (such as piezoelectric ceramic transducers). For instance, the ultrasonic transducer may include an "array" composed of multiple transducer devices, each transducer device being an "element" of the array and having a substantially planar sound-generating surface, with the sound-generating surfaces of the multiple elements arranged along the aforementioned emission surface 1, thereby constituting the aforementioned emission surface 1; alternatively, the ultrasonic transducer may also have a single transducer device whose sound-generating surface directly corresponds to the form of the emission surface 1; or alternatively, the ultrasonic transducer may have multiple transducer devices, each transducer device whose sound-generating surface corresponds to a portion of the emission surface 1.

[0094] For example, the sound-emitting surface of the transducer device can be directly used to form the emission surface 1; or, a sound-transmitting membrane that can reflect ultrasonic waves can be provided outside the sound-emitting surface of the transducer device, and the surface of the sound-transmitting membrane can be used as the emission surface 1.

[0095] In this embodiment of the invention, the excitation ultrasonic wave emitted by the sound-emitting unit 3 is focused at the predetermined center O of the sphere, which can excite and vibrate the tissue (tissue to be tested) located at the predetermined center O of the sphere. This vibration can then cause the tissue to be tested to actively emit ultrasonic waves, that is, to emit stimulated ultrasonic waves.

[0096] Obviously, under the same excitation ultrasound, the properties of the excited ultrasound (such as spectrum distribution, amplitude, phase, etc.) are determined by the state of the tissue under test. That is, under the same excitation ultrasound, different tissues under test will emit different excited ultrasound.

[0097] For example, patting different parts of the human body with your hand can produce different sounds, and this patting is equivalent to "stimulation". The sound produced is the sound wave generated by the human tissue after being stimulated. Moreover, different human tissues produce different sounds when subjected to the same stimulation (patting with the same force), which shows that the sound can reflect the properties of the stimulated human tissue.

[0098] The ultrasonic testing device of this invention further includes a detection unit and a processing unit. The detection unit has a detector 41, which can receive stimulated ultrasonic waves to detect information about the stimulated ultrasonic waves (such as spectral distribution, amplitude, phase, etc.); while the processing unit is electrically connected to the detector 41, so that by analyzing the information of the stimulated ultrasonic waves detected by the detection unit, the state of the tissue to be tested (the tissue currently located at the predetermined center O) emitting the stimulated ultrasonic waves can be determined, such as determining what kind of tissue it is, whether it has undergone denaturation, etc., thereby realizing the detection of tissue at a predetermined location.

[0099] The detection unit (detector 41) can take various forms, as long as it has the ability to detect certain characteristics of ultrasound. For example, detector 41 can be a hydrophone.

[0100] The specific form of information detected by the detection unit (detector 41) can be diverse, as long as it can acquire some aspect of the characteristics of ultrasound. For example, the detection unit can detect the characteristics of ultrasound at a specific frequency, or it can detect the characteristics of ultrasound at multiple frequencies (i.e., spectral characteristics); furthermore, the detection unit can detect the intensity (sound intensity) of ultrasound, or it can detect other characteristics of ultrasound such as phase, amplitude, and waveform.

[0101] The processing unit can take various forms, as long as it has the ability to analyze the information detected by the detection unit. For example, the detection unit can be a central processing unit (CPU).

[0102] The ultrasonic testing device of this invention has at least the following advantages:

[0103] (a) The ultrasound detection device of the present invention detects by exciting the tissue to be tested to emit ultrasound (excited ultrasound). The characteristics of the excited ultrasound emitted by the tissue to be tested are related to many aspects of the tissue. Thus, the excited ultrasound can carry more information about the tissue to be tested, and can be used to determine the state of the tissue to be tested in more detail. For example, it can distinguish some tissues that cannot be distinguished in B-mode ultrasound imaging technology.

[0104] In particular, the ultrasonic testing device of this invention generates stimulated ultrasound waves by means of "standing waves". Compared with the technology of generating stimulated ultrasound waves by means of "traveling waves", the stimulated ultrasound waves generated by "standing waves" can carry more information and better determine the state of the tissue to be tested.

[0105] (b) The ultrasonic testing device of this embodiment detects the stimulated ultrasonic waves actively emitted by the tissue to be tested. That is, the stimulated ultrasonic waves are transmitted directly from the tissue to be tested to the testing unit without "reflection". Therefore, the stimulated ultrasonic waves carrying the detection information are actually transmitted "one way" in the human body. The path is short, the attenuation and interference are small, which can improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection signal (the signal received by the testing unit) and improve the detection effect.

[0106] (c) The ultrasonic testing device of the present invention detects by means of stimulated ultrasonic waves emitted by the tissue to be tested at the predetermined center O, that is, it detects the state of the tissue at the "point" of the predetermined center O. Therefore, its resolution is determined by the positioning accuracy of the predetermined center O. High-precision positioning of the predetermined center O can be achieved through a simple mechanical structure. Therefore, the ultrasonic testing device of the present invention can achieve higher resolution (e.g., up to the micrometer level).

[0107] In particular, the distribution of tissues within the human body is highly complex, and different tissues possess different acoustic characteristics. Therefore, when stimulated ultrasound is generated using a traveling wave, the actual focal point of the traveling wave may deviate significantly from the predetermined center O. Moreover, this deviation varies and is unpredictable for different parts of the body, making it impossible to determine the exact location of the tissue emitting the stimulated ultrasound when the traveling wave is excited. However, the ultrasound detection device of this invention excites stimulated ultrasound using a standing wave. When detecting various locations on the human body, it ensures that the actual focal point (or focal range) of the standing wave is accurately located at the predetermined center O, thus guaranteeing that the tissue actually emitting the stimulated ultrasound (the tissue under test) is located at the predetermined center O, thereby further improving detection accuracy.

[0108] Furthermore, the actual focal range of a traveling wave is cigar-shaped and relatively large. Therefore, when excited by a traveling wave, the stimulated ultrasound waves actually originate from a large area of ​​tissue, and cannot accurately reflect the characteristics of tissue at a single point. In contrast, the ultrasonic testing device of this invention excites stimulated ultrasound waves using a standing wave. The actual focal range of a standing wave is spherical and very small. Therefore, it can be considered that the stimulated ultrasound waves are emitted from the tissue at a predetermined center O of the sphere, accurately reflecting the characteristics of the tissue to be tested at the predetermined center O.

[0109] (d) As mentioned above, the resolution of the ultrasonic testing device in this embodiment of the invention is not determined by the wavelength of the ultrasonic wave. Therefore, the frequency of the stimulated ultrasonic wave can be relatively low (30kHz to 100kHz). As mentioned above, the lower the frequency of the ultrasonic wave, the less attenuation and noise it experiences when propagating in the human body, thereby further improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection signal and improving the detection effect.

[0110] Optionally, the launching surface 1 is at least a part of the side surface of the predetermined table, and the main center surface 91 is located inside the predetermined table; wherein, the side surface of the predetermined table is a part of the predetermined spherical surface 9, and the main center surface 91 is a spherical surface that is parallel to the bottom surface of the predetermined table and passes through the predetermined center O.

[0111] The "table" is the part of the sphere that is cut off by two parallel surfaces. The two parallel surfaces are the bottom surfaces of the table, and the surface connecting the two bottom surfaces is the side surface. Obviously, the side surface of the table is part of the surface of the corresponding sphere.

[0112] Reference Figure 2 In this embodiment of the invention, the sphere corresponding to the above-mentioned launching surface 1 can be "cut out" to form a predetermined table, and the side or part of the side of the predetermined table (which is also part of the predetermined spherical surface 9) is the launching surface 1. Moreover, the above-mentioned predetermined table should include a central surface parallel to the bottom surface (hereinafter referred to as "main central surface 91"), that is, referring to Figure 2 The reserved table should include the "center" of the ball, or the "upper hemisphere" and "lower hemisphere", and not just be located in one of the "upper hemisphere" or "lower hemisphere".

[0113] Optionally, the launching surface 1 is the side of the predetermined table.

[0114] Reference Figure 4 As one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned emitting surface 1 is the entire side of the predetermined ball table. Thus, the sound-emitting unit 3 (ultrasonic transducer) can be an approximately "ring-shaped" structure, which can be "fitted" onto the part of the human body to be detected, so that the part of the human body to be detected is located at the predetermined center O of the ball.

[0115] Optionally, the launching surface 1 is the side of the predetermined table after a portion of it is cut off by a surface perpendicular to the main center surface 91; the central angle corresponding to the arc cut off by the main center surface 91 of the launching surface 1 is greater than or equal to 180 degrees.

[0116] Optionally, the central angle corresponding to the arc intercepted by the main sphere center surface 91 of the emitting surface 1 is greater than or equal to 220 degrees.

[0117] Reference Figure 5As another embodiment of the present invention, the launching surface 1 can also be the surface remaining after a portion of the entire side surface of the predetermined table is cut off by a longitudinal surface (the surface perpendicular to the main center surface 91). Furthermore, referring to... Figure 3 The central angle α corresponding to the arc formed by the emitting surface 1 and the main spherical center surface 91 is greater than or equal to 180 degrees, further greater than or equal to 220 degrees, and further greater than or equal to 260 degrees. In other words, the portion of the side of the predetermined spherical table that is "cut off" should be less than half. Therefore, the sound-emitting unit 3 (ultrasonic transducer) can have an approximately "C-shaped" structure, so that the part of the human body to be detected can enter through the "C-shaped" opening and reach the predetermined spherical center O.

[0118] Of course, it should be understood that if the central angle α corresponding to the launching surface 1 at the center of the main ball 91 is 360 degrees, then the launching surface 1 is equivalent to the complete side of the predetermined table.

[0119] Optionally, the emitting surface 1 is symmetrically arranged relative to the main sphere center surface 91.

[0120] Reference Figure 2 The launching surface 1 can be symmetrically set relative to the main sphere center surface 91, that is, the portions intercepted by the predetermined ball table in the "upper hemisphere" and "lower hemisphere" should be equal (symmetrical).

[0121] Optionally, the radius R of the predetermined sphere 9 is greater than or equal to 30 mm and less than or equal to 1000 mm; the height of the predetermined table is greater than or equal to 1.2R.

[0122] Reference Figure 2 Depending on the body part to be detected, the radius R of the predetermined spherical surface 9 can be between 30 and 1000 mm, further between 80 and 800 mm, and even further between 120 and 600 mm. Correspondingly, the height h of the predetermined ball table can satisfy 1.2R ≤ h < 2R (if it equals 2R, the predetermined ball table is a sphere), further satisfy 1.4R ≤ h ≤ 1.9R, and even further satisfy 1.5R ≤ h ≤ 1.8R.

[0123] Of course, it should be understood that the above "side of the table" are just examples of some specific forms of the emitting surface 1. As long as the requirement of forming a focused standing wave is met, the emitting surface 1 can also be in other forms. For example, the emitting surface 1 can also be a basically complete sphere (such as a sphere lacking a spherical cap); for another example, the emitting surface 1 can also be two unconnected spherical cap surfaces opposite each other through a predetermined center O; for yet another example, the emitting surface 1 can also be the above "side of the table" with some other surfaces "added" to the predetermined spherical surface 9.

[0124] Optionally, the sound-generating unit 3 is used to make the emitting surface 1 emit excitation ultrasonic waves of the same frequency at each position.

[0125] Optionally, the frequency of the excitation ultrasound is between 300 kHz and 20 MHz.

[0126] As one embodiment of the present invention, each position of the emitting surface 1 can emit excitation ultrasonic waves of the same frequency, that is, the tissue under test can be excited to emit stimulated ultrasonic waves by a single frequency ultrasonic wave (i.e., single-frequency excitation). The frequency of the excitation ultrasonic wave used for single-frequency excitation can be between 300kHz and 20MHz, further between 300kHz and 15MHz, and even further between 400kHz and 10MHz.

[0127] To ensure that all positions on the emitting surface 1 emit excitation ultrasonic waves of the same frequency, the sound-generating unit 3 may include only one transducer device; or, the sound-generating unit 3 may include multiple transducer devices (such as an array of multiple transducer devices), but all transducer devices are controlled by a single signal source, so that the frequency and phase of the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by all transducer devices are the same; or, the sound-generating unit 3 may include multiple transducer devices (such as an array of multiple transducer devices), and the multiple transducer devices are controlled independently in an active manner, but each emits an excitation ultrasonic wave of the same frequency.

[0128] Furthermore, the phase of the stimulated ultrasound can be adjusted through phase control to achieve better excitation.

[0129] Optionally, the emitting surface 1 includes two emitting regions, each emitting region having a portion that is opposite to the predetermined sphere center O, and any two portions of the emitting surface 1 that are opposite to the predetermined sphere center belong to the same emitting region;

[0130] The sound-generating unit 3 is used to make each position in each emission zone emit excitation ultrasonic waves of the same frequency, and the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two emission zones have different frequencies.

[0131] As another embodiment of the present invention, the emitting surface 1 can also be divided into two emitting zones. Each position in each emitting zone emits excitation ultrasonic waves of the same frequency, but the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by different emitting zones have different frequencies, so that excitation is achieved by two excitation ultrasonic waves of different frequencies (i.e., dual-frequency excitation).

[0132] In order for the excitation ultrasonic frequencies emitted by the two transmitting zones to form "standing waves" respectively, each transmitting zone must have a portion that passes through a predetermined sphere center O and is opposite to the other. Furthermore, any portion on the transmitting surface 1 that passes through the predetermined sphere center O and is opposite to the other must belong to the same transmitting zone; that is, different transmitting zones cannot be opposite each other. For example, refer to... Figure 6 The regions with different fillings in the emitting surface 1 are the two emitting regions.

[0133] To enable different emission zones to emit excitation ultrasonic waves at different frequencies, the sound-generating unit 3 may include two transducer devices, each corresponding to one emission zone, and both are controlled separately; alternatively, the sound-generating unit 3 may include multiple transducer devices (such as an array of multiple transducer devices), where the transducer device corresponding to one emission zone is controlled by a single signal source, while the transducer devices corresponding to different emission zones are controlled by different signal sources; or alternatively, the sound-generating unit 3 may include multiple transducer devices (such as an array of multiple transducer devices), and the multiple transducer devices are controlled independently and actively, but the transducer devices in each emission zone have the same emission frequency, while the transducer devices in different emission zones have different emission frequencies.

[0134] Furthermore, the phase of the stimulated ultrasound can be adjusted through phase control to achieve better excitation.

[0135] Optionally, the frequency difference between the excitation ultrasound emitted by the two emission zones is between 30kHz and 100kHz.

[0136] Optionally, of the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two emission zones, the frequency of the lower-frequency excitation ultrasonic wave is between 300 kHz and 20 MHz.

[0137] When the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two transmitting areas have different frequencies, as one embodiment of this disclosure, the frequency difference between the two excitation ultrasonic waves can be 30kHz to 100kHz, further 40kHz to 80kHz, and even further 50kHz to 60kHz. Moreover, the frequency of the lower-frequency excitation ultrasonic wave is between 300kHz and 20MHz, further between 300kHz and 15MHz, and even further between 400kHz and 10MHz.

[0138] Therefore, the most dominant frequency in the spectrum of the stimulated ultrasound emitted by the tissue under test is also in the range of 30kHz to 100kHz, thus achieving "difference frequency excitation".

[0139] It is evident that the frequency of the difference frequency (30kHz~100kHz) is much lower than the frequency of the excitation ultrasound. As mentioned before, the higher the frequency of ultrasound, the more severe the attenuation during transmission in the human body. However, by using "differential frequency excitation", the frequency range of the excitation ultrasound that actually carries tissue information can be lower, thus reducing its attenuation during transmission. This can further improve the signal-to-noise ratio and enhance the detection effect.

[0140] Optionally, the frequency of the excitation ultrasonic wave emitted by one transmitting zone is A, and the frequency of the excitation ultrasonic wave emitted by the other transmitting zone is nA, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0141] Optional, n is 2 or 3; A is between 300kHz and 20MHz.

[0142] When the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two transmitting areas have different frequencies, as another embodiment of this disclosure, the frequency of one excitation ultrasonic wave can be an integer multiple of the frequency of the other excitation ultrasonic wave, such as 2 times, 3 times, etc. Moreover, the frequency of the lower-frequency excitation ultrasonic wave can be between 300kHz and 20MHz, further between 300kHz and 15MHz, and even further between 400kHz and 10MHz.

[0143] In other words, the frequencies of two different excitation ultrasonic waves can be integer multiples of each other, which means that "frequency doubling excitation" can be used.

[0144] Optionally, the two launch zones can have the same area.

[0145] On the emitting surface 1, the two emitting areas can occupy the same area, so the total amount of the two excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two emitting areas is also basically the same, which is conducive to better generating stimulated ultrasonic waves.

[0146] Of course, the frequency distribution of the excitation ultrasound described above is not a limitation of the embodiments of the present invention. For example, the emitting surface 1 may also be divided into three or more emitting zones to emit excitation ultrasound of three or more frequencies.

[0147] Optionally, the ultrasonic testing device may also include a drive unit 5 for driving the sound-generating unit 3 to move.

[0148] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 7 The sound-generating unit 3 can be mounted on the drive unit 5, so that the drive unit 5 can drive the sound-generating unit 3 to move, that is, to move the predetermined sphere center O.

[0149] As previously stated, this embodiment of the invention achieves detection by stimulating ultrasonic waves emitted from the tissue to be tested at a predetermined center O, meaning it detects the current state of the tissue at the predetermined center O. Therefore, when the predetermined center O moves, it is equivalent to the "detection position" moving, thus enabling detection at different locations. Consequently, the smallest tissue size (i.e., resolution) that the ultrasonic detection device of this embodiment can distinguish is also the minimum positioning (movement) accuracy that the drive unit 5 can achieve.

[0150] Obviously, the driving unit 5 drives the sound-generating unit 3 to move mechanically. For mechanical movement, very high positioning accuracy can be easily achieved, such as at the micrometer level (e.g., minimum movement of tens of micrometers). This can greatly reduce the size of the smallest tissue that the ultrasonic detection device of this embodiment can distinguish, that is, improve its resolution.

[0151] The specific way in which the driving unit 5 moves the sound-producing unit 3 is varied. For example, the driving unit 5 may only be able to move the sound-producing unit 3 in a straight line; or, the driving unit 5 may be able to move the sound-producing unit 3 in a plane; or, the driving unit 5 may be able to enable the sound-producing unit 3 to move in three-dimensional space; moreover, the driving unit 5 may also drive the sound-producing unit 3 to rotate along one or more axes.

[0152] The specific structure of the drive unit 5 is varied, as long as it can control the sound-generating unit 3 to move in the desired manner. Since the specific structure of the drive unit 5 that can realize physical movement is varied, its structure will not be described in detail here.

[0153] Optionally, when the driving unit 5 drives the sound-generating unit 3 to move, the processing unit is used to form an image of the tissue to be tested on the predetermined sphere center O moving path according to the state of the tissue to be tested at each position on the predetermined sphere center O moving path.

[0154] As previously stated, when the driving unit 5 drives the sound-emitting unit 3 to move, it can detect tissues at multiple different locations along the movement path. The processing unit can then analyze the state of the tissues at these locations to form an "image" representing the state of the tissues at these locations (e.g., different tissues are distinguished by different gray levels and / or colors)." In other words, the ultrasonic testing device of this embodiment can not only detect the properties of tissues at certain locations, but can further form an image of the tissues within a certain range, i.e., achieve "ultrasonic imaging," to provide more user-friendly detection results.

[0155] Optionally, the detector 41 is located outside the acoustic channel that excites the ultrasonic waves.

[0156] As one embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 Each detector 41 in the above detection unit can be located outside the acoustic channel of the excitation ultrasound, that is, outside the theoretical operating area of ​​the excitation ultrasound. In this way, the ultrasound received by the detector 41 is all stimulated ultrasound emitted by the tissue under test, making the signal processing process easier to implement; moreover, the setting of the detector 41 will not affect the transmission of the excitation ultrasound.

[0157] Optionally, detector 41 is located on the emitting surface 1.

[0158] As another embodiment of the present invention, each detector 41 of the above detection unit can also be disposed in the acoustic channel of the excitation ultrasonic wave, more specifically, disposed along the emission surface 1.

[0159] Of course, following the above method, detector 41 will also receive excitation ultrasonic waves at the same time. However, since the frequency and intensity of the excitation ultrasonic waves are known, the part of the signal received by detector 41 corresponding to the excitation ultrasonic waves can be removed by conventional filtering to obtain the signal of the excitation ultrasonic waves.

[0160] The specific manner in which the detector 41 is arranged along the emitting surface 1 is varied. For example, one or more detectors 41 may be arranged on the emitting surface 1, and the sensitive surface of the detector 41 may be flush with or protrude from the emitting surface 1; or, one or more detectors 41 may be arranged in an array (emitting array) of multiple transducer devices of the sound-emitting unit 3, such as forming an array (receiving array) of detectors 41; or, the transducer devices of the sound-emitting unit 3 may have both emitting and detection functions.

[0161] It should be understood that, regardless of its location, the stimulated ultrasonic waves that the detector 41 needs to detect all originate from the tissue to be tested at the predetermined center O. Therefore, the sensitive surface of each detector 41 should be set towards the predetermined center O.

[0162] Optionally, the detection unit includes multiple detectors 41 located at different positions.

[0163] In other words, referencing Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 7 Multiple detectors 41 can be set at different locations (such as forming an array of detectors 41) to detect stimulated ultrasound waves emitted from the tissue under test in different directions (i.e., the stimulated ultrasound waves emitted by the tissue under test may be directional), thereby obtaining more detailed information about the tissue under test.

[0164] Optionally, at least a plurality of detectors 41 are distributed along a circle, and a straight line passing through the center of the circle and perpendicular to the plane of the circle passes through a predetermined sphere center O.

[0165] In other words, multiple detectors 41 can be distributed along a circle, and a straight line passing through the center of the circle and perpendicular to the plane of the circle passes through a predetermined center O, or in other words, the circle is "facing" the predetermined center O.

[0166] Of course, the multiple detectors 41 can also be distributed in other ways. For example, the multiple detectors 41 can be distributed on multiple concentric circles; or, the multiple detectors 41 can be distributed symmetrically along a certain plane; or, the multiple detectors 41 can be asymmetrically distributed.

[0167] Optionally, the detection unit is used to detect the spectral information of the stimulated ultrasound within a predetermined frequency range.

[0168] Unlike ultrasound waves emitted by B-mode ultrasound, stimulated ultrasound waves emitted by the tissue under test may be distributed across many different frequencies; in other words, stimulated ultrasound waves are ultrasound waves with a specific spectrum. Therefore, the detection unit can also be used to detect spectral information (such as the intensity of ultrasound waves at each frequency) within a predetermined frequency range. This can be achieved by each detector 41 detecting information within the predetermined frequency range, or by different detectors 41 detecting ultrasound waves at different frequencies.

[0169] Of course, it is also feasible if the detection unit only detects information about ultrasound at one or more predetermined frequencies.

[0170] The excitation ultrasound used for detection should have sufficient intensity to generate sufficiently strong and accurately detectable stimulated ultrasound waves.

[0171] However, if the excitation ultrasound is only used for detection, its intensity should not be too high, so as not to damage the tissue at the acoustic channel (especially the predetermined center O).

[0172] Optionally, the sound-emitting unit 3 is also used to emit focused therapeutic ultrasound waves from the emitting surface 1 toward the predetermined center of the sphere O, the therapeutic ultrasound waves being ultrasound waves used for high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy.

[0173] As one embodiment of the present invention, the sound-emitting unit 3 can also emit high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) towards the predetermined center of the sphere O to treat the tissue to be tested located at the center of the sphere (such as causing coagulative necrosis of the diseased tissue).

[0174] The frequency and intensity of the therapeutic ultrasound may differ from those of the excitation ultrasound (i.e., therapeutic ultrasound and excitation ultrasound are different types of ultrasound), with the aim of achieving the desired therapeutic effect (such as causing coagulative necrosis of the tissue at the predetermined center O of the sphere).

[0175] In this case, when the therapeutic ultrasound and the excitation ultrasound are different, the therapeutic ultrasound and the excitation ultrasound can be sent in a time-sharing manner (such as alternating transmission) to ensure that when the excitation ultrasound is transmitted, the detected excitation ultrasound is excited by the excitation ultrasound. The treatment effect (e.g., whether the tissue has degenerated and to what extent) can be evaluated by the excitation ultrasound generated when the excitation ultrasound is transmitted, thus guiding the treatment.

[0176] The time interval between these alternating transmissions can be very short, which essentially enables real-time monitoring of the treatment effect.

[0177] Alternatively, as another embodiment of the present invention, the excitation ultrasound can also be therapeutic ultrasound. That is, the therapeutic ultrasound can denature the tissue at the predetermined center O of the sphere, but at the same time it can excite the tissue at the predetermined center O to generate stimulated ultrasound waves. Therefore, the excitation therapeutic ultrasound is also the excitation ultrasound.

[0178] Furthermore, as the tissue at the predetermined center O of the sphere gradually denatures due to the therapeutic ultrasound, the state of the generated stimulated ultrasound waves will also differ. Therefore, the state of the stimulated ultrasound waves can be detected simultaneously with the emission of therapeutic ultrasound waves (which are also excitation ultrasound waves) to analyze the treatment effect and guide further treatment. Clearly, this method allows for real-time monitoring of the treatment effect.

[0179] In this process, therapeutic ultrasound and excitation ultrasound can be emitted by the same transducer device, that is, by changing the control signal applied to the transducer device, the transducer device can emit different ultrasounds; or, therapeutic ultrasound can also be excitation ultrasound, so both are emitted by the same transducer device; or, in the array of transducer devices, one part is used to emit excitation ultrasound and the other part is used to emit therapeutic ultrasound.

[0180] Of course, the ultrasound detection device in this embodiment of the invention is not limited to guiding high-intensity focused ultrasound; it can also be used to guide other treatment methods.

[0181] Optionally, the ultrasound testing equipment may also include: a B-mode ultrasound unit, which is used to form an image of the tissue to be tested and its surrounding tissues through B-mode ultrasound imaging.

[0182] In order to achieve rapid imaging of the area near the tissue to be tested (such as for guiding treatment), a B-mode ultrasound unit can also be set in the ultrasound detection equipment for B-mode ultrasound imaging.

[0183] The specific layout of the ultrasound unit can vary. For example, you can refer to... Figure 4 , Figure 5 The ultrasound unit includes an ultrasound probe 61 extending from the emitting surface 1, and a probe motion structure 62 that drives the ultrasound probe 61 to move (such as extending or retracting into the emitting surface 1); or, the ultrasound probe 61 is also located outside the emitting surface 1, and is relatively independent of the sound-generating unit 3.

[0184] Of course, it is also feasible to image the area near the tissue being tested using other methods (such as CT imaging).

[0185] Optionally, the ultrasonic testing device may also include: a medium receiving unit having a receiving space for receiving the sound transmission medium, wherein the emitting surface 1 of the sound-emitting unit 3 is located in the receiving space.

[0186] Reference Figure 7 The ultrasonic testing device of this invention may further include a medium-containing unit (such as a structure similar to a "water tank") for holding a sound-transmitting medium such as degassed water. The emitting surface 1 of the sound-emitting unit 3 is located in the containing space of the containing unit, so that the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by it can directly enter the sound-transmitting medium (such as degassed water) in the containing space and be transmitted to the human body through the sound-transmitting medium, thereby improving the transmission efficiency.

[0187] Of course, at this time, each detector 41 of the detection unit can also be located in the accommodating space of the accommodating unit so that the stimulated ultrasound can be directly transmitted to the detector 41 through the sound transmission medium after leaving the human body.

[0188] It should be understood that each unit of the above-mentioned ultrasonic testing equipment may also include other necessary structures. For example, the testing unit may also include signal amplifiers, filters, etc., to process the signals detected by the detector 41; the sound generating unit 3 may also include a bracket, housing, etc., to support the transducer device, as well as a signal generator, power supply, etc., for driving the transducer device to work.

[0189] It should be understood that the above-mentioned ultrasound testing equipment may also include other necessary structures. For example, the ultrasound testing equipment may also include a display unit for displaying test results (such as images), a storage unit for storing test results, an input unit (or control unit) for receiving operator commands, a purification unit (such as a degassing device) for providing the sound transmission medium, a support unit (such as a treatment chair or treatment bed) for supporting the user's body, and a receiving / transmitting unit for remote information interaction with other devices, etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0190] Experimental data

[0191] The effectiveness of the ultrasonic testing device according to the embodiments of the present invention will be further explained below through the following experiments and results.

[0192] The following experiments were conducted using sound-generating unit A, as an embodiment of the present invention, and sound-generating unit B, as a comparative example.

[0193] The emitting surface 1 of the sound-generating unit A is the side of a predetermined ball table with a radius R of 110 mm and a height h of 1.8R. The emitting surface 1 is symmetrical with respect to the central surface 91 of the main ball. Furthermore, the emitting surface 1 of the sound-generating unit A is divided into two emitting areas, which are symmetrically distributed and can be controlled independently.

[0194] The emitting surface 1 of the sound-emitting unit B is a spherical cap with a radius R of 170 mm and a height of 0.2R. Furthermore, the emitting surface 1 of the sound-emitting unit B is divided into two emitting areas, which are distributed in a symmetrical concentric circle manner at the same frequency, and the two can be controlled independently.

[0195] As can be seen, the emitting surface 1 of the above-mentioned sound-emitting unit A has opposing portions, which can form a "standing wave", and therefore it is the sound-emitting unit 3 of the ultrasonic testing device of the present invention. However, the emitting surface 1 of the sound-emitting unit B does not have opposing portions and can only form a "traveling wave", so it does not meet the requirements of the ultrasonic testing device of the present invention.

[0196] During the test, sound-generating unit A and sound-generating unit B were respectively immersed in degassed water, and the stimulated ultrasonic waves were detected by a hydrophone (detector 41) located in the degassed water but outside the acoustic channel of the excitation ultrasonic waves.

[0197] (1) Comparison of sound-generating unit A (standing wave) and sound-generating unit B (traveling wave) under single-frequency excitation

[0198] Using sound-emitting unit A, excitation ultrasound with a frequency of 1.01 MHz was emitted to stimulate isolated bovine liver, isolated bovine myocardium, isolated porcine fat, and isolated porcine kidney, and the corresponding stimulated ultrasound waves were collected. The intensity distribution of the 100 kHz ultrasound wave over time was referenced. Figure 8 (Time in the figure is in seconds, and intensity is represented by sound intensity in dB, the same below).

[0199] Using sound-emitting unit B, excitation ultrasound with a frequency of 1.2 MHz was emitted to stimulate isolated bovine liver, isolated bovine myocardium, isolated porcine fat, and isolated porcine kidney, and the corresponding stimulated ultrasound waves were collected. The intensity distribution of the 100 kHz ultrasound waves over time was referenced. Figure 9 .

[0200] Reference Figure 9 When using the traveling wave generated by the sound-generating unit B for single-frequency excitation, the differences in the excitation ultrasound emitted by different tissues are not obvious, and they are almost mixed together and difficult to distinguish. This indicates that many tissues cannot be effectively distinguished by excitation with the traveling wave.

[0201] Reference Figure 8 When the "standing wave" single-frequency excitation generated by the sound-generating unit A is used, the difference in the excitation ultrasound emitted by different tissues is relatively obvious. This indicates that the state of tissues can be more effectively detected and distinguished through "standing wave" excitation.

[0202] Since the hydrophone (detector 41) is located outside the acoustic channel of the excitation ultrasound and the detection results are different for different tissues, the signal it detects must be the stimulated ultrasound emitted by the tissue under test after being stimulated, rather than the excitation ultrasound itself.

[0203] (2) Comparison of sound-generating unit A (standing wave) and sound-generating unit B (traveling wave) during difference frequency excitation

[0204] The two transmitting areas of the sound-emitting unit A emitted excitation ultrasound waves at frequencies of 1.01 MHz and 1.05 MHz, respectively, to stimulate isolated bovine liver, isolated bovine myocardium, isolated porcine fat, and isolated porcine kidney, and the corresponding stimulated ultrasound waves were collected. The intensity distribution of the 40 kHz frequency (i.e., the difference frequency) ultrasound wave over time was referenced. Figure 10 The intensity distribution of ultrasound at a frequency of 80kHz (i.e., a harmonic of the difference frequency) over time is referenced. Figure 11 .

[0205] The two transmitting areas of the sound-emitting unit B emit excitation ultrasound waves at frequencies of 1.2 MHz and 1.14 MHz, respectively, to excite isolated bovine liver, isolated bovine myocardium, isolated porcine fat, and isolated porcine kidney, and the corresponding excited ultrasound waves are collected. The intensity distribution of the 60 kHz frequency (i.e., the difference frequency) ultrasound wave over time is referenced. Figure 12 .

[0206] Reference Figure 12 Compared to single-frequency excitation, the ability of the traveling wave generated by the sound-generating unit B to distinguish different tissues is enhanced under differential-frequency excitation. However, the detection results for isolated bovine myocardium and isolated porcine fat remain very similar and difficult to distinguish. Furthermore, the detection results (intensity) for each tissue change significantly over time (especially for isolated porcine kidney). This indicates that when differential-frequency excitation is used, the ability of the traveling wave generated by the sound-generating unit B to distinguish tissues remains weak, and the stability of the generated stimulated ultrasound waves is poor, making effective detection difficult.

[0207] And reference Figure 10 and Figure 11 During differential frequency excitation, the standing wave generated by sound-generating unit A demonstrated a significantly stronger ability to distinguish between different tissues. The detection results (intensities) of the four different tissues were completely separated, and the changes in the detection results of each tissue over time were also very small. This indicates that when differential frequency excitation is used, the standing wave generated by sound-generating unit A can more effectively and stably distinguish between different tissues.

[0208] In particular, refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 When excited by the "standing wave" generated by the sound-generating unit A, in addition to the difference frequency signal at 40kHz, there is also a high-intensity ultrasonic wave at a frequency of 80kHz in the excited ultrasound, that is, there is also a "harmonic of the difference frequency" signal. This further indicates that the ultrasonic wave detected by the hydrophone (detector 41) is the excited ultrasound emitted by the tissue under test after being excited, rather than the signal generated by the excitation ultrasound (because there is no "harmonic of the difference frequency" signal in the excitation ultrasound).

[0209] Moreover, refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The intensity distribution patterns of different tissues differ in the detection results at 40kHz and 80kHz frequencies. For example, the signal intensity of the isolated bovine liver sample at 40kHz is lower than that of the isolated porcine fat sample, while at 80kHz, the signal intensity of the isolated bovine liver sample is lower than that of the isolated porcine fat sample. This indicates that the state of the stimulated ultrasound is determined by various properties of the tissue under test. Therefore, by analyzing different information from the stimulated ultrasound (such as the intensity at different frequencies), the state of the tissue under test can be better determined, more tissues can be distinguished, and more accurate detection can be achieved.

[0210] Furthermore, the spectral distributions generated when the isolated bovine liver is excited by the above-mentioned sound-generating unit A and sound-generating unit B are respectively... Figure 18 and Figure 19 The different colors represent the intensity of ultrasound at different frequencies.

[0211] It is evident that, compared to the spectrum corresponding to the "traveling wave" of sound-generating unit B, the intensity difference of ultrasonic waves at different frequencies is more pronounced in the spectrum generated by the "standing wave" of sound-generating unit A.

[0212] Meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, in the spectrum corresponding to the "standing wave" of sound unit A, in addition to the difference frequency signal at 40kHz, very obvious high-intensity signals were also generated at many other frequencies such as 2 times, 1.5 times, and 0.5 times the difference frequency. This further indicates that the excitation ultrasound generated by the tissue under test carries very rich tissue information, which can achieve more accurate detection of tissue status.

[0213] (3) Source of stimulated ultrasound, comparison of the embodiments of the present invention with B-mode ultrasound

[0214] The two transmitting areas of the sound-emitting unit A emit excitation ultrasonic waves with frequencies of 1.2 MHz and 1.14 MHz, respectively, to excite the isolated bovine liver, and the corresponding excited ultrasonic waves are collected. The temporal distribution of the 60 kHz frequency (i.e., the difference frequency) ultrasonic wave is referenced... Figure 13 .

[0215] In this process, after 3 seconds, the emitting surface 1 of the sound-emitting unit A emits therapeutic ultrasound (which is also excitation ultrasound), causing the tissue to be tested at the predetermined center O of the sphere to gradually undergo coagulative necrosis. A photograph of the necrotic excised bovine liver is shown below. Figure 20 (The light-colored areas in the image indicate necrosis).

[0216] from Figure 13As can be seen, the amplitude of the 60kHz ultrasound began to gradually decrease after 3 seconds (after the therapeutic ultrasound was emitted). This is because, after 3 seconds, the tissue to be tested at the predetermined center O of the sphere began to undergo coagulative necrosis, and its properties gradually changed, thus the information of the stimulated ultrasound emitted by it also changed.

[0217] It is evident that since necrosis only occurs at the predetermined center O, and the information (amplitude) of the stimulated ultrasound changes after necrosis, the stimulated ultrasound must be emitted by the tissue to be tested at the predetermined center O. This is because the isolated bovine liver at other locations has not denatured. If the stimulated ultrasound were emitted by the isolated bovine liver at other locations, its information should not change after the start of treatment.

[0218] Furthermore, ultrasound images of the isolated bovine liver before and after the application of the above treatment were compared with those obtained by referring to... Figure 21 , Figure 22 As shown. It can be seen that necrosis did indeed occur in the isolated bovine liver tissue (see reference). Figure 20 However, the ultrasound images could not distinguish the necrotic tissue.

[0219] This indicates that the ultrasonic testing device of the present invention can distinguish some structures that existing ultrasonic testing technology (B-mode ultrasound) cannot distinguish, thus achieving better detection.

[0220] (4) Comparison of focal range between traveling waves and standing waves

[0221] For the emitting surface 1 formed by truncating a portion of the side of the frustum, when the central angles corresponding to the arcs intercepted by the main sphere's central surface 91 are 60 degrees and 220 degrees respectively, the sound field intensity distribution of the excitation ultrasonic wave emitted by it near the predetermined sphere center O is simulated. The results are respectively referred to... Figure 23 and Figure 24 As shown in the figure. The sound field intensity is represented by sound pressure, with the unit being Pa. X, Y, and Z are three mutually perpendicular coordinate axes that pass through the predetermined center O of the sphere.

[0222] It is evident that when the corresponding central angle is 60 degrees, the emitting surface 1 does not actually have a portion "relative to the predetermined sphere center O," meaning that the ultrasonic waves it emits are in the form of "traveling waves." (Refer to...) Figure 23 At this point, the region of highest intensity (focal area) near the predetermined center O is longer in some directions, so the focal area is approximately "cigar-shaped" and relatively large in size.

[0223] Conversely, when the corresponding central angle is 220 degrees, the emitting surface 1 has a portion "opposite to the predetermined sphere center O", that is, it is the emitting surface 1 of the sound-emitting unit 3 in this embodiment of the invention, so the emitted ultrasonic waves can form a "standing wave". (Refer to...) Figure 24At this point, the area with the highest intensity near the predetermined center O (focal region) has a size that is basically equal and small in all directions, so the focal region is basically "spherical", and the radius of the sphere is even smaller.

[0224] This indicates that when using "traveling wave" excitation, the actual focal zone is large and irregularly shaped, and the stimulated ultrasound waves are emitted from a large area of ​​tissue. Therefore, it is impossible to determine the relationship between the stimulated ultrasound waves and the tissue at the predetermined center O. However, the ultrasonic testing device of this invention can accurately focus within a very small area at the predetermined center O, so the stimulated ultrasound waves it generates are also emitted from this small area. This accurately reflects the information of the tissue (the tissue to be tested) at the predetermined center O, achieving accurate detection.

[0225] (5) Comparison of focal positions of sound-generating unit A (standing wave) and sound-generating unit B (traveling wave)

[0226] Single-frequency ultrasound waves were emitted using sound-generating unit B. The focal range was determined with and without an ultrasound phantom placed in the sound channel. The results were referenced... Figure 14 and Figure 15 .

[0227] The focal region is defined as the area with a sound intensity exceeding -3 dB, and the coordinate system is defined in the same way as above. Figure 14 The results of the simulation calculation, Figure 15 The results were obtained using a fiber optic hydrophone.

[0228] It is evident that, with and without an ultrasound phantom, the actual focal position deviation of the "traveling wave" of sound-generating unit B can reach 1.06 times the wavelength. Furthermore, when multiple layers of soft tissue are placed in the acoustic channel of sound-generating unit B, the focal position deviation can reach 1.82 times the wavelength.

[0229] This indicates that different tissues within the acoustic channel cause a significant shift in the focal position of traveling wave ultrasound. Furthermore, the tissues present in the acoustic channel vary across different locations in the human body, and the situation is highly complex (the acoustic channel may contain multiple tissues, each with different content and location). Therefore, the actual focal position of traveling wave ultrasound within the human body is unstable and fundamentally unpredictable. Consequently, accurate detection using traveling waves is impossible (because it's impossible to determine exactly which tissue emitted the stimulated ultrasound).

[0230] For comparison, single-frequency ultrasound was emitted using sound-emitting unit A, and the focal position was determined with and without a complex tissue model placed in the sound channel. The results were compared with... Figure 16 , Figure 17 .

[0231] Among them, the complex tissue model is the pelvic bone that encloses pork (refer to...). Figure 25 In each test, the FOPH2000 fiber optic hydrophone is moved along the X, Y, and Z axes (scanning accuracy 0.1 mm, coordinate system defined as above) and the relative amplitude at each position is measured, with the position of maximum relative amplitude as the focal point. Figure 16 The results are from a test without complex tissue (the vertical line in the figure represents the theoretical focal point), with an excitation ultrasonic frequency of 661.8 kHz and a driving voltage of 30 V. Figure 17 The test results are for a complex structure (the vertical line in the figure represents the theoretical focal point), with an excitation ultrasonic frequency of 661.8 kHz and a driving voltage of 80 V.

[0232] Reference Figure 16 In the absence of complex structures, the extreme values ​​of the relative amplitudes along each axis almost coincide with the theoretical focal point, meaning that the "standing wave" ultrasound can be accurately focused at the focal point.

[0233] Reference Figure 17 After setting up the complex structure, the extreme positions of the relative amplitude along the X and Y axes hardly changed, indicating that the actual focal position remained unchanged; while on the Z axis, the extreme position of the relative amplitude shifted by about 0.38 mm, which is only equivalent to 0.22 times the wavelength.

[0234] It can be seen that even when ultrasound passes through very complex tissues (pelvis + pork), the actual focal position shift of the "standing wave" ultrasound is very small (0.22 times the wavelength); in contrast, even when passing through relatively uniform phantom tissues, the focal position shift of the "standing wave" ultrasound is very large (1.06 times the wavelength).

[0235] This indicates that when traveling waves are used as excitation ultrasound, the excitation ultrasound can be accurately focused at its theoretical focal point in the complex human body, thus ensuring that the excited ultrasound waves do indeed come from the tissue (the tissue to be tested) at the predetermined center O, and accurate detection can be achieved.

[0236] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic testing device, characterized in that, include: A sound-emitting unit includes an emitting surface capable of reflecting ultrasonic waves, the emitting surface being at least a portion of a predetermined sphere and having a portion opposite to a predetermined center of the predetermined sphere; the sound-emitting unit is used to emit focused excitation ultrasonic waves from the emitting surface to the predetermined center of the sphere to excite a test tissue of a human body located at the predetermined center of the sphere to emit stimulated ultrasonic waves. The detection unit includes a detector for detecting information about the stimulated ultrasonic waves; A processing unit is used to determine the state of the tissue to be tested based on the information from the stimulated ultrasound. A driving unit is used to drive the sound-generating unit to move; The emitting surface includes two emitting zones, each emitting zone having a portion that is opposite to the center of the predetermined sphere, and any two portions of the emitting surface that are opposite to the center of the predetermined sphere belong to the same emitting zone; The sound-generating unit is used to make each position in each emission zone emit excitation ultrasonic waves of the same frequency, and the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two emission zones have different frequencies. The sound-emitting unit is also used to emit focused therapeutic ultrasound waves from the emitting surface to the predetermined center of the sphere. The therapeutic ultrasound waves are ultrasound waves used for high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy. The therapeutic ultrasound waves and the excitation ultrasound waves are different ultrasound waves, and the therapeutic ultrasound waves and the excitation ultrasound waves are transmitted in a time-division manner. The detector is located outside the acoustic channel of the excitation ultrasonic wave; the detection unit includes multiple detectors located at different positions, with at least a plurality of the detectors distributed along a circle, and a straight line passing through the center of the circle and perpendicular to the plane of the circle passes through the predetermined center of the sphere; the detection unit is used to detect the spectral information of the excitation ultrasonic wave within a predetermined frequency range. When the driving unit drives the sound-emitting unit to move, the processing unit is used to form an image of the tissue to be tested on the predetermined center of the sphere moving path based on the state of the tissue to be tested at each position on the predetermined center of the sphere moving path.

2. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The launching surface is at least a portion of the side surface of the predetermined table, and the main center surface is located inside the predetermined table; wherein, the side surface of the predetermined table is a portion of the predetermined spherical surface, and the main center surface is a center surface parallel to the bottom surface of the predetermined table and passing through the center of the predetermined ball.

3. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The launching surface is the side of the predetermined ball table.

4. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The launching surface is the side of the predetermined table after a portion of it has been cut off by a surface perpendicular to the center of the main ball. The central angle corresponding to the arc formed by the radiating surface and the main sphere is greater than or equal to 180 degrees.

5. The ultrasonic testing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The central angle corresponding to the arc formed by the radiating surface and the main sphere is greater than or equal to 220 degrees.

6. The ultrasonic testing device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The launching surface is symmetrically arranged relative to the center of the main sphere.

7. The ultrasonic testing device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The radius R of the predetermined sphere is greater than or equal to 30 mm and less than or equal to 1000 mm; The height of the predetermined table tennis table is greater than or equal to 1.2R.

8. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frequency difference between the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two emission zones is between 30 kHz and 100 kHz.

9. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, Of the excitation ultrasonic waves emitted by the two emission zones, the frequency of the lower-frequency excitation ultrasonic wave is between 300 kHz and 20 MHz.

10. The ultrasonic testing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The two launch zones have the same area.

11. The ultrasonic testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detector is located on the emitting surface.

12. The ultrasonic testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The ultrasound unit is used to form an image of the tissue under test and its surrounding tissue through ultrasound imaging.

13. The ultrasonic testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A medium receiving unit having a receiving space for receiving a sound transmission medium, wherein the emitting surface of the sound emitting unit is located in the receiving space.

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