Ultrasound imaging apparatus and method for multi-probe scanning

Abstract

The application relates to a multi-probe scanning ultrasonic imaging device and method. The multi-probe scanning ultrasonic imaging method comprises the following steps: a plurality of ultrasonic probes independently acquire digital signals of ultrasonic detection; a host acquires relative position information between the plurality of ultrasonic probes; the host synchronously processes the digital signals and the relative position information to obtain ultrasonic image data; and the host sends the ultrasonic image data to a display for display. According to the imaging method, when the scanning results of the ultrasonic probes at different positions or different depths are acquired, the ultrasonic probes do not need to be moved or switched, and scanning images at different positions and different depths can be obtained. According to the imaging method, the relative position information between the plurality of ultrasonic probes working synchronously can be determined, and direct position information is provided for image registration and fusion. The multi-probe scanning ultrasonic imaging method can improve image display precision and provide more accurate information for medical ultrasonic diagnosis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device and method. Background Technology

[0002] In clinical applications of medical ultrasound, registering and fusing images acquired by ultrasound probes from different orientations can expand the field of view of ultrasound imaging and enrich clinical diagnostic information. Traditional medical ultrasound imaging equipment is equipped with only one set of ultrasound transmission, reception, and processing circuits, which can only be used by one ultrasound probe at a time. To obtain scanning results from different orientations or depths, it is necessary to move or switch ultrasound probes to obtain scanning images from different orientations and depths, and then use image processing methods to "stitch" the images together. Because the ultrasound probe needs to be moved during image acquisition, the characteristics of the scanning images obtained from different orientations often change significantly, causing subsequent image stitching errors, and the stitched images cannot be displayed dynamically in real time. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device and method to address the problem that traditional medical ultrasound imaging equipment requires moving the ultrasound probe during image acquisition, which often results in significant changes in the characteristics of scanned images obtained from different orientations, causing subsequent image stitching errors and the inability to display stitched images in real time.

[0004] A multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method, comprising:

[0005] Multiple ultrasound probes independently acquire digital signals from ultrasound detection and upload these digital signals to the host computer in real time.

[0006] The host computer acquires the relative orientation information between the multiple ultrasonic probes;

[0007] The host computer synchronously processes the digital signal and the relative orientation information to obtain ultrasound image data.

[0008] The host computer sends the ultrasound image data to the display for display.

[0009] In one embodiment, the step of the host acquiring the relative orientation information between the plurality of ultrasound probes includes:

[0010] During the ultrasonic scanning process, the ultrasonic positioning probe and ultrasonic monitoring probe included in the plurality of ultrasonic probes are identified.

[0011] The ultrasonic positioning probe includes n array elements that emit acoustic pulses, where n is greater than or equal to 1, and generates an ultrasonic pulse signal e(t) emitted by the array elements in the ultrasonic positioning probe.

[0012] The ultrasonic monitoring probe includes m array elements that receive echo signals, where m is greater than or equal to 1. The echo signal s(t) received by the array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe is obtained.

[0013] Calculate the time difference τ between the time when each element in the ultrasonic positioning probe transmits a signal and the time when each element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal. ij :

[0014] Calculate the distance r between the array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe and the array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe. ij ;

[0015] Combining the distance r between the array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe and the array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe ij The relative orientation information between the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic monitoring probe is obtained by using the coordinate information of the reference array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe and the distance vector between adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of determining the ultrasonic positioning probe and ultrasonic monitoring probe among the plurality of ultrasonic probes during the ultrasonic scanning process includes:

[0017] Under the control of the synchronization signal of the host, one or more of the ultrasonic probes in the working state are identified as the ultrasonic positioning probes, and the array elements or combinations of array elements in the ultrasonic positioning probes are controlled to emit ultrasonic pulse waves sequentially.

[0018] Among the plurality of ultrasonic probes, the other ultrasonic probes that passively receive the emitted pulse wave of the ultrasonic positioning probe are identified as the ultrasonic monitoring probes.

[0019] In one embodiment, the time difference τ between the time when each array element transmits a signal and the time when each array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal is... ij The calculation methods include:

[0020] Calculation methods based on maximum value detection and / or calculation methods based on cross-correlation detection.

[0021] In one embodiment, the step of the host computer synchronously processing the digital signal and the relative orientation information to obtain ultrasound image data includes:

[0022] Signal envelope extraction and digital scanning transformation are performed on the digital signal and the relative orientation information to determine the positional relationship between pixels in the ultrasound images acquired by the multiple ultrasound probes and the corresponding array elements of the ultrasound probes.

[0023] The ultrasound image is then subjected to a three-dimensional rotation transformation by pre-setting the viewing angle of the ultrasound image.

[0024] Under the preset viewing angle, the ultrasound image data after three-dimensional transformation is displayed synchronously.

[0025] In one embodiment, in the step of the host acquiring the relative orientation information between the plurality of ultrasound probes...

[0026] By modifying the monitoring element pairs in the ultrasonic monitoring probe, multiple hyperboloids with the monitoring element pairs in the ultrasonic monitoring probe as foci are obtained through calculation; the position vector x of the i-th element in the ultrasonic positioning probe is obtained through the multiple hyperboloids. i .

[0027] In one embodiment, before the step of each of the plurality of ultrasound probes independently acquiring digital signals from ultrasound detection and uploading the digital signals to the host in real time, the method further includes:

[0028] The host sends a configuration file to the multiple ultrasound probes through an interface circuit. The configuration file includes: scanning timing sequence, receiving timing sequence, and transmission encoding.

[0029] During the configuration of the multiple ultrasound probes, the host allocates memory space for each of the multiple ultrasound probes, so as to enable direct storage and access of the digital signals when the multiple ultrasound probes obtain the digital signals.

[0030] A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described above.

[0031] A multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device, comprising:

[0032] Multiple ultrasonic probes, each of the ultrasonic probes including at least one array element and an ultrasonic control circuit, the ultrasonic control circuit being connected to the array element;

[0033] A host computer, connected to the plurality of ultrasound control circuits respectively, includes: an ultrasound data processing module, which performs data imaging processing on the digital signals converted by each of the ultrasound control circuits to obtain ultrasound image data; and

[0034] A display, connected to the host computer, is used to display the ultrasound image data obtained from the host computer.

[0035] In one embodiment, the ultrasound data processing module includes:

[0036] An ultrasonic probe imaging plane relative orientation calculation unit is used to calculate the relative orientation information between the plurality of ultrasonic probes; and

[0037] The ultrasonic probe propagation delay time calculation unit is used to calculate the relative delay time of the pulse transmission signal received by adjacent array elements in the plurality of ultrasonic probes.

[0038] This application provides a multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device and method. The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method includes: multiple ultrasound probes independently acquiring digital signals from ultrasound detection and uploading these signals to a host computer in real time; the host computer acquiring relative orientation information between the multiple ultrasound probes; the host computer synchronously processing the digital signals and relative orientation information to obtain ultrasound image data; and the host computer sending the ultrasound image data to a display for display. The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method provided in this application can obtain scanning images at different orientations and depths without moving or switching the ultrasound probes when acquiring scanning results from probes at different orientations or depths. The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method can determine the relative orientation information between multiple synchronously operating ultrasound probes, thus providing direct positional information for image registration and fusion. The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method can improve the accuracy of image stitching and image fusion from ultrasound probes at different orientations and achieve synchronous fusion of images from different ultrasound probes, providing more accurate information for medical ultrasound diagnosis. Attached Figure Description

[0039] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of image scanning and image stitching provided in traditional medical ultrasound imaging equipment;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure for obtaining the relative orientation information between the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic monitoring probe in one embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating image registration and fusion after knowing the relative positional relationships between the array elements within two known ultrasonic probes in one embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a mechanism for fusion positioning and display of conventional ultrasound and intravascular ultrasound provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fusion effect of conventional ultrasound and intravascular ultrasound in a localization and display image provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0047] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0048] Multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging equipment 100

[0049] 10 ultrasonic probes

[0050] Array Element 11

[0051] Ultrasonic control circuit 12

[0052] Host 20

[0053] Ultrasonic data processing module 21

[0054] Ultrasonic probe imaging plane relative orientation calculation unit 211

[0055] Ultrasonic probe propagation delay time calculation unit 212

[0056] Monitor 30 Detailed Implementation

[0057] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings. However, this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this application.

[0058] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly attached to the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0059] It should be noted that when one element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or connected to the other element through an intermediary element. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, "connection" should be understood as "electrical connection," "communication connection," etc., if there is transmission of electrical signals or data between the connected objects.

[0060] When used herein, the singular forms of “a,” “an,” and “the” may also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” or “having,” etc., specify the presence of the stated feature, whole, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0061] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application.

[0062] Traditional medical ultrasound imaging equipment only supports real-time imaging from a single probe at a time. Therefore, it can only utilize image registration and image stitching techniques to stitch together scan results from a single probe at different times and orientations. Please refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the principle of ultrasound scanning imaging using traditional medical ultrasound imaging equipment. The image registration and stitching techniques described can be referred to as "wide-field imaging" or "extended field-of-view imaging." Because these techniques use image processing methods to "stitch" images acquired by the ultrasound probe from different orientations, the different images must be approximately on the same imaging plane; otherwise, image registration errors will occur. However, maintaining the approximate alignment of different images from different probes on the same imaging plane is currently very difficult to achieve with existing image scanning technology.

[0063] Furthermore, traditional medical ultrasound imaging equipment uses position sensors to continuously monitor the orientation of the ultrasound probe during scanning, thereby determining the relative positions between different ultrasound scan images. This provides precise spatial information for image registration and fusion from different orientations, reducing the computational complexity of "wide-view imaging" and improving the accuracy of image stitching operations. However, traditional medical ultrasound imaging equipment, including position sensors, cannot simultaneously obtain scan results from different orientations, and the image stitching results are easily affected by physiological pulsations in the human body. Moreover, traditional medical ultrasound imaging equipment including position sensors requires the use of additional positioning sensing devices (such as electromagnetic induction positioning), limiting the application range of medical ultrasound imaging equipment (e.g., it cannot be used in situations where pacemakers are implanted, or in strong magnetic field environments).

[0064] Based on this, this application provides a multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device and method. The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device integrates an ultrasound control circuit (including an ultrasound transmitting unit and a signal receiving unit) in each ultrasound probe. This device allows different ultrasound probes to independently transmit and receive ultrasound signals and initiate data transmission to the host, thereby enabling synchronous imaging of multiple probes and multiple body parts without sacrificing image quality. Simultaneously, the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method can determine the relative positions of multiple synchronously operating ultrasound probes and their imaging planes, providing direct positional information for image registration and fusion, improving the accuracy of image stitching and fusion from different orientations, and achieving synchronous fusion of images from different ultrasound probes, thus providing more accurate information for medical ultrasound diagnosis.

[0065] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 2 This application provides a multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 3 The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device described herein includes multiple ultrasound probes 10, a main unit 20, and a display 30. Each of the multiple ultrasound probes 10 includes at least one array element 11 and an ultrasound control circuit 12. The array element 11 is connected to the ultrasound control circuit 12. The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method is used to achieve registration and fusion of ultrasound images from an ultrasound imaging device including multiple ultrasound probes. The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method includes:

[0066] S100: Multiple ultrasonic probes independently acquire digital signals from ultrasonic detection and upload the digital signals to the host in real time.

[0067] In this step, each ultrasound probe 10 independently performs ultrasound pulse transmission, echo signal amplification, and analog-to-digital conversion according to the configuration file issued by the host 20. Furthermore, each ultrasound probe 10 uploads the digital signal to the echo data via the interface circuit of the host 20 in real time. The echo data can be buffered and preprocessed in the interface circuit. The echo data can be the digital signal detected by the ultrasound probe 10.

[0068] S200, the host 20 acquires the relative orientation information between the plurality of ultrasonic probes 10.

[0069] In this step, during the ultrasound scanning process, the plurality of ultrasound probes 10 include an ultrasound positioning probe for emitting ultrasound pulses and an ultrasound monitoring probe for receiving echo pulses. During the ultrasound image processing by the host 20, the relative orientation information between the ultrasound probes for different purposes needs to be considered for calculation.

[0070] S300, the host 20 synchronously processes the digital signals detected by the plurality of ultrasound probes 10 and the relative orientation information to obtain ultrasound image data.

[0071] In this step, the digital signals of each of the ultrasound probes 10 can be uploaded to the host 20 via the interface circuit. The host 20 can transmit the digital signals to different spaces in the memory of the host 20 or the memory of the data processor within the host 20 via a high-speed data bus allocated by the bus control circuit, using direct storage access. The host 20 includes an ultrasound signal processing thread and an imaging processing thread configured in the data processor.

[0072] Specifically, both the ultrasound signal processing thread and the imaging processing thread can continuously query (or wait for interruption) the data transmission status. Once data transmission is complete, the processing threads begin to independently complete data processing. The data processing flow includes: data unpacking and rearrangement, signal decoding, complex demodulation, beamforming, envelope extraction, grayscale transformation, and image processing. The specific processes for each data processing step are not further limited here. The digital signals and relative orientation information are processed synchronously in different processing threads to achieve precise registration, synchronization, and real-time fusion display of data from different human body parts detected by different ultrasound probes 10.

[0073] S400, the host computer sends the ultrasound image data to the display for display.

[0074] In this step, the display 30 can be one or multiple. That is, the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device 100 can achieve simultaneous display or multi-probe display. Specifically, images of different modes, parameters, and body parts obtained by different ultrasound probes 10 can be displayed synchronously and in real time at different positions on the same display 30. Alternatively, images of different modes, parameters, and body parts obtained by different ultrasound probes 10 can be displayed synchronously and in real time on different displays 30. Since this embodiment uses an independently integrated ultrasound control circuit 12 in each ultrasound probe 10, the ultrasound transmission-reception sequences of each ultrasound probe 10 do not need to be interleaved, so the scanning frame rate and image quality obtained by multiple ultrasound probes 10 will not decrease.

[0075] The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method provided in this embodiment includes: the multiple ultrasound probes 10 independently acquire digital signals of ultrasound detection and upload the digital signals to the host 20 in real time. The host 20 acquires the relative orientation information between the multiple ultrasound probes 10. The host 20 performs synchronous processing on the digital signals detected by the multiple ultrasound probes 10 and the relative orientation information to obtain registered and fused ultrasound image data. The host 20 sends the ultrasound image data to the display 30 for display. In this embodiment, when realizing ultrasound image registration and fusion, the relative position information between the multiple ultrasound probes 10 is first obtained. The multiple ultrasound probes 10 can emit ultrasound scanning sequences, and the host 20 acquires tissue anatomical structure images within their respective imaging planes. The anatomical structure images of the multiple ultrasound probes 10 can be registered and stitched together using the known relative position information of the ultrasound probes 10. At this time, the stitched images may not be in the same imaging plane. Therefore, the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method provided in this embodiment can obtain scanning images at different orientations and depths without moving or switching probes when acquiring scanning results of probes at different orientations or depths. The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method can determine the relative positions of multiple synchronously operating ultrasound probes 10 and their imaging planes, thereby providing positional information directly for image registration, improving the accuracy of image stitching and fusion of ultrasound probes 10 in different orientations, and realizing synchronous fusion of images between different probes, providing more accurate information for medical ultrasound diagnosis.

[0076] In one embodiment, the step of the host 20 acquiring the relative orientation information among the plurality of ultrasound probes 10 includes:

[0077] S210, during the ultrasonic scanning process, the ultrasonic positioning probe and ultrasonic monitoring probe included in the plurality of ultrasonic probes 10 are determined.

[0078] In this step, the number of the ultrasound positioning probe and the ultrasound monitoring probe can be one or more. Both the ultrasound positioning probe and the ultrasound monitoring probe are used for imaging, and can be located outside the body, inside the body, or separately inside the body and outside the body.

[0079] S220, the ultrasonic positioning probe includes n array elements that emit acoustic pulses, generating an ultrasonic pulse signal e(t) emitted by the array elements in the ultrasonic positioning probe, where n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. For example, the ultrasonic positioning probe may include the 0th array element, the 1st array element, the 2nd array element, ... the i-th array element ... the (n-1)-th array element.

[0080] S230, the ultrasonic monitoring probe includes m array elements for receiving echo signals. The echo signal s(t) received by the array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe is acquired, where m is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. For example, the ultrasonic monitoring probe may include the 0th array element, the 1st array element, the 2nd array element, ..., the jth array element, ..., the (m-1)th array element. Wherein, s(t) and e(t) satisfy the following formula (1).

[0081] s j (t)=e(t-τ ij ) formula (1);

[0082] τ ij This represents the time difference between the time when each element in the ultrasonic positioning probe transmits a signal and the time when each element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal.

[0083] S240, calculate the time difference τ between the time when each element in the ultrasonic positioning probe transmits a signal and the time when each element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal. ij .

[0084] S250, calculate the distance r between the array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe and the array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe according to the following formula (2). ij ;

[0085] r ij =τ ij ×c formula (2)

[0086] Where c represents the speed of ultrasound in human tissue.

[0087] S260, considering the distance r between the array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe and the array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe. ij The relative orientation information between the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic monitoring probe is obtained by the host 20 using the coordinate information of the reference array element (which can be the 0th array element) in the ultrasonic monitoring probe and the distance vector between adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe.

[0088] In steps S210-S260 above, a method for obtaining the relative orientation information between the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic monitoring probe is provided. Please refer to [link / reference needed] for details. Figure 4 . Figure 4 The diagram provides a structural schematic for obtaining the relative orientation information between the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic monitoring probe. Figure 4 Ultrasonic probe 1 and ultrasonic probe 2 can operate independently under the control of the digital interface circuit of the host 20. Both ultrasonic probes 10 contain an ultrasonic transducer array. The ultrasonic transducer array consists of several (e.g., 64, 128, or 192) identical transducer elements. After receiving the synchronization signal from the host 20, the ultrasonic positioning probe (… Figure 4 The array elements (or a combination of a few adjacent array elements) in the ultrasonic probe 2) sequentially emit ultrasonic pulse signals e(t). e(t) can be an ultrasonic transmission coded signal, such as a traditional Barker code, linear frequency modulation code, or Golay complementary code, used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio or detection speed. The ultrasonic monitoring probe ( Figure 4 The ultrasonic probe 1) synchronously begins to passively receive the acoustic pulses emitted by the ultrasonic positioning probe, and the received echo signal can be represented as s(t). The distance between the array element i emitting the acoustic pulses in the ultrasonic positioning probe and the array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe is different, while the speed of sound in the human body is approximately constant. Therefore, the time τ for the emitted acoustic pulses from the ultrasonic positioning probe to reach each array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe is... ij If they are different, the signal received by the j-th array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe can be expressed as the above formula (1).

[0089] This embodiment provides a method for determining the relative orientation information between the ultrasound positioning probe and the ultrasound monitoring probe. The method can quickly and accurately obtain the relative orientation information between the ultrasound positioning probe and the ultrasound monitoring probe. Transmitting the relative orientation information between the ultrasound positioning probe and the ultrasound monitoring probe to the host 20 helps to enable the multiple ultrasound probes 10 to simultaneously image multiple parts of the human body without sacrificing image quality.

[0090] In one embodiment, the step of determining the ultrasonic positioning probe and ultrasonic monitoring probe included among the plurality of ultrasonic probes 10 during the ultrasonic scanning process includes:

[0091] S211, under the control of the synchronization signal of the host 20, one or more of the ultrasonic probes 10 in the working state are identified as the ultrasonic positioning probes, and the array elements or combinations of array elements in the ultrasonic positioning probes are controlled to emit ultrasonic pulse waves sequentially.

[0092] S212, among the plurality of ultrasonic probes 10, the other ultrasonic probe 10 that passively receives the emitted pulse wave of the ultrasonic positioning probe is identified as the ultrasonic monitoring probe.

[0093] In this embodiment, the ultrasonic monitoring probe demodulates and performs related detection processing on the received signal to form a sound source distribution map or an array element distribution map of the ultrasonic positioning probe. Further, the sound source distribution map or the array element distribution map is filtered and noise-reduced to obtain the azimuth information of the ultrasonic monitoring probe relative to the ultrasonic positioning probe.

[0094] In one embodiment, the time difference τ between the time when each element in the ultrasonic positioning probe transmits a signal and the time when each element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal is calculated. ij The steps include:

[0095] S241, the time difference τ is calculated using the following formula (3) based on the maximum value detection method. ij :

[0096] τ ij =arg max τ s j (τ) Formula (3)

[0097] s j (τ) represents the echo signal received by the j-th element of the ultrasonic monitoring probe.

[0098] In this embodiment, the time difference τ is calculated based on the maximum value detection method. ij The distance r between the array elements of the subsequent ultrasonic positioning probe and the array elements of the ultrasonic monitoring probe is applied to this distance. ij In operation.

[0099] In one embodiment, the time difference τ between the time when each element in the ultrasonic positioning probe transmits a signal and the time when each element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal is calculated. ij The steps include:

[0100] S243, the time difference τ is calculated using the following formulas (4) and (5) based on cross-correlation detection. ij :

[0101] τ ij =arg max τ a j (τ) Formula (4)

[0102] a j (τ)=∫e(t)s jFormula (5) dt (t-τ)

[0103] a j (τ) represents the cross-correlation function between the ultrasonic pulse signal emitted by the i-th element emitting the acoustic pulse signal in the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic pulse signal received by the j-th element receiving the acoustic pulse signal in the ultrasonic monitoring probe.

[0104] In this embodiment, the time difference τ is calculated based on a cross-correlation detection method. ij The distance r between the array elements of the subsequent ultrasonic positioning probe and the array elements of the ultrasonic monitoring probe is applied to this distance. ij In operation.

[0105] In another embodiment, the time difference calculated using a method based on maximum value detection and the time difference calculated using a method based on cross-correlation detection can be combined to realize the distance r between the array elements in the subsequent ultrasonic positioning probe and the array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe. ij The calculation can be performed by averaging the time differences obtained from the maximum value detection method and the cross-correlation detection method, respectively.

[0106] In one embodiment, the distance r between the array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe and the array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe ij It can be expressed by the following formula (6):

[0107] r ij =sqrt[(x j -(x0+iΔx)) 2 +(y j -(y0+iΔy)) 2 +(z j -(z0+iΔz)) 2 ] Formula (6)

[0108] Here, sqrt[] represents the square root function. This indicates the coordinates of the reference element (which can be the 0th element) in the ultrasonic monitoring probe. This represents the distance vector between adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe. It represents an unknown quantity. It represents an unknown quantity. This represents the position vector of the j-th array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe. The known quantity is determined by the manufacturing structure of the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0109] Determine according to the following formula (7) and To determine the relative orientation information between the ultrasonic monitoring probes:

[0110]

[0111] Formula (7) above is an overdetermined system of equations. The center position of each transmitting element in each ultrasonic positioning probe is calculated sequentially using numerical calculation methods. By combining the known shape of the ultrasonic probe 10, the relative orientation of the imaging planes of the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic monitoring probe is obtained.

[0112] In this step, the numerical calculation method can be Newton's method. Using Newton's method, the center position of each of the ultrasonic positioning probes (or groups) can be calculated sequentially. In this embodiment, following the above steps, the relative positions of more of the ultrasonic positioning probes are obtained. Since the shape of the ultrasonic probe 10 is known, the relative orientation of the imaging planes of the two ultrasonic probes 10 can be obtained. (See reference...) Figure 4 Finally, by utilizing the relative orientation of the ultrasound probes 10 within the same plane, subsequent registration and fusion operations can be performed between the images from the two ultrasound probes 10.

[0113] In one embodiment, the step of the host 20 synchronously processing the digital signal and the relative orientation information to obtain ultrasound image data includes:

[0114] Or please see Figure 5 After the relative positional relationships between the array elements within the two ultrasound probes 10 are known, the subsequent image registration and fusion steps include:

[0115] S310, perform signal envelope extraction and digital scan conversion (DSC) on the digital signal and the relative orientation information to determine the positional relationship between pixels in the ultrasound images acquired by the plurality of ultrasound probes 10 and the corresponding array elements of the ultrasound probes 10.

[0116] S320, preset the viewing angle of the ultrasound image, and perform a three-dimensional rotation transformation on the ultrasound image.

[0117] S330, under the preset viewing angle, synchronously display the ultrasound image data after three-dimensional transformation.

[0118] In this embodiment, it may further include searching for obscured portions in the three-dimensional transformed ultrasound image. In the obscured portions, the obscured object is hidden or made transparent.

[0119] In this embodiment, multiple threads are initialized in the host 20 of the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device to synchronously process the echo signals from different ultrasound probes 10. The processed image results from different body parts and different imaging modes can be fused and displayed on the same display 30 (e.g., ...). Figure 5 The image illustrates the display of scanned images from two ultrasound probes 10 on the same display 30. Figure 5 The multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device illustrated in the diagram includes two ultrasound probes 10 (a first ultrasound probe and a second ultrasound probe). Figure 5 The display 30 on the right side shows the first ultrasound probe image and the second ultrasound image. Of course, the ultrasound imaging device 100 may also include more ultrasound probes 10. When the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device includes more ultrasound probes 10, the number of images displayed on the corresponding display 30 will also increase.

[0120] In one embodiment, the step of the host 20 acquiring the relative orientation information among the plurality of ultrasonic probes 10 further includes: determining the position vector x of the i-th array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe using the following steps. i The value;

[0121] S261, as shown in the following formula (8), determine the cross-correlation relationship a(τ) between the echo signal received by array element j and the nearby m-th array element (j±m) in the ultrasonic monitoring probe:

[0122] a(τ)=∑ i s j (i)·s j±m (i+τ) Formula (8)

[0123] Among them, s j (i) represents the echo signal received by the j-th array element, τ represents the cross-correlation function variable, m = 1, 2, 3, ...

[0124] S262, as shown in the following formula (9), determine the delay time τ at which the cross-correlation relationship a(τ) between the echo signals reaches its maximum value. j±m :

[0125] τ j±m =arg max τ a(τ) Formula (9);

[0126] S263, as in the following formula (10), the delay time τ of the maximum value k±m (m=1,2,...), the position x of array element i in the ultrasonic positioning probe i The following relationship is satisfied between the position of the array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe and the position of the array element:

[0127]

[0128] Where, x i d represents the position vector of the i-th element in the ultrasonic positioning probe. j The unknown in formula (10) represents the position vector of the j-th array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe; the unknown in formula (10) represents the position x of array element i in the ultrasonic positioning probe. i Located at d j and d j±m On a hyperboloid with focus .

[0129] S264, change the monitoring element pairs in the ultrasonic monitoring probe, and repeat the process of formulas (8) to (10) above to obtain more hyperboloids with the monitoring element pairs in the ultrasonic monitoring probe as the focus; the intersection of all the hyperboloids is the position vector x of the i-th element in the ultrasonic positioning probe. i .

[0130] This embodiment provides a method for calculating the propagation delay time of an ultrasonic probe 10. In traditional medical ultrasound imaging systems, due to the low signal sampling rate, the accuracy of ultrasonic pulse transmission and pulse signal reception is insufficient, making it difficult to guarantee the positioning accuracy among multiple ultrasonic probes 10. This embodiment proposes a solution. The inventors have discovered that the ultrasonic pulses received by adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe have certain waveform similarities. Therefore, the relative delay of signal reception time between adjacent probes can be calculated using a cross-correlation method. Using the steps S261-S264 described above, combined with the propagation delay time of the ultrasonic probe 10, the position vector x of the i-th array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe is determined. i In this embodiment, considering the propagation delay time of the ultrasonic probe 10, the calculated position vector x of the i-th element in the ultrasonic positioning probe is... i The value is more accurate.

[0131] In one embodiment, before the step of the plurality of ultrasound probes 10 independently acquiring digital signals of ultrasound detection and uploading the digital signals to the host 20 in real time, the method further includes:

[0132] S010, the host 20 sends configuration files to different ultrasound probes 10 through the interface circuit. The configuration files include: scanning timing, receiving timing, and transmission encoding.

[0133] In this step, the host 20 sends configuration files to the different ultrasound probes 10 via an interface circuit. The configuration files include: scanning timing, receiving timing, and transmission encoding. After configuration, the multiple ultrasound probes 10 enter the working state. Unconfigured ultrasound probes 10 are in a "sleep" state to reduce power consumption.

[0134] S020, during the process of configuring the file for the ultrasonic probe 10, the host 20 allocates memory space for each of the multiple ultrasonic probes 10, so as to realize direct storage access of the digital signal when the multiple ultrasonic probes 10 obtain the digital signal of ultrasonic detection.

[0135] In this step, during the configuration process, the host 20 will allocate memory space for each of the different ultrasound probes 10 for direct storage and access. The virtual address of the memory space will be sent to the interface circuit. Simultaneously, the imaging software in the host 20 will start independent ultrasound signal processing and imaging processing threads for each of the different ultrasound probes 10.

[0136] This embodiment provides specific steps for file configuration and processing thread allocation before the multiple ultrasound probes 10 receive the digital signals from ultrasound detection. These preliminary steps help the ultrasound imaging device construct a complete image processing flow. Each ultrasound probe 10 integrates the ultrasound control circuit 12. Different ultrasound probes 10 can transmit and receive different ultrasound signals and can initiate data transmission to the host 20. The processor unit in the host 20 uses the acquired data for final image reconstruction or filtering, ultimately for image display.

[0137] In one embodiment, both the ultrasound positioning probe and the ultrasound monitoring probe are used for imaging, and can be located externally, internally, or separately. The number of ultrasound probes 10 serving as both the ultrasound positioning probe and the ultrasound monitoring probe is not limited. Application scenarios for the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method may include: using intracavitary probes and external convex array probes for obstetric and gynecological examinations, simultaneously obtaining high-resolution intracavitary probe images and wide-angle external probe images, achieving complementary image information. Application scenarios for the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method may also include: using external high-frequency probes and external low-frequency probes for large-volume thyroid examinations, obtaining high-resolution superficial local images and low-resolution full-frame images. Application scenarios for the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method may also include: a fusion of conventional ultrasound and intravascular ultrasound for positioning display and ultrasound image fusion.

[0138] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein, in one embodiment, the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the methods described above.

[0139] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the methods described above. Any references to memory, storage, databases, or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, or optical storage, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM), etc.

[0140] Please refer to it again. Figure 3 In one embodiment, this application also provides a multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device 100, which includes a plurality of ultrasound probes 10, a host 20, and a display 30.

[0141] Each of the ultrasound probes 10 includes at least one array element 11 and an ultrasound control circuit 12. The ultrasound control circuit 12 is connected to the array element 11. The host computer 20 is connected to each of the multiple ultrasound control circuits 12 and is used to perform data imaging processing on the digital signals converted by each ultrasound control circuit 12. The display 30 is connected to the host computer 20 to generate an ultrasound image from the signals after data imaging processing by the host computer 20. The host computer 20 includes an ultrasound data processing module 21. The function of the ultrasound data processing module 21 can be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU) combined with a graphics processing unit (GPU). The ultrasound data processing module 21 can include different processing threads to implement different imaging processing programs.

[0142] In this embodiment, the ultrasound control circuit 12 is independently integrated in each of the ultrasound probes 10. The ultrasound transmission-reception sequences of each ultrasound probe 10 do not need to be interleaved, thus the scanning frame rate and image quality obtained from the multiple ultrasound probes 10 will not decrease. Different ultrasound probes 10 can transmit and receive different ultrasound signals respectively, and can initiate data transmission to the host 20 separately. The digital signals acquired by the ultrasound control circuit 12 within each ultrasound probe 10 can be transmitted to the host 20 via a high-speed bus. The interface circuit of the host 20 can route the signal data uploaded by the multiple ultrasound probes 10 to different processing threads of the imaging processing program in the ultrasound data processing module 21. Different threads can process ultrasound signal data synchronously, thereby achieving synchronous imaging of multiple probes and multiple body parts without loss of image quality.

[0143] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic data processing module 21 includes an ultrasonic probe imaging plane relative orientation calculation unit 211 and an ultrasonic probe propagation delay time calculation unit 212. The ultrasonic probe imaging plane relative orientation calculation unit 211 is used to calculate the relative orientation information between the plurality of ultrasonic probes 10. The ultrasonic probe propagation delay time calculation unit 212 is used to calculate the relative delay time of the received pulse transmission signal between adjacent array elements in the plurality of ultrasonic probes 10. The ultrasonic probe imaging plane relative orientation calculation unit 211 is used to perform the calculations of the above formulas (1) to (7). The ultrasonic probe propagation delay time calculation unit 212 is used to perform the calculations of the above formulas (8) to (10).

[0144] Furthermore, since the ultrasonic probe 10 performs virtually no processing on the digital signal, it reduces power consumption, prevents overheating, and extends its lifespan. The multi-probe scanning ultrasonic imaging device 100 centrally processes data within the host 20. For example, the relative orientation of the imaging planes of the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic monitoring probe is obtained through the ultrasonic probe imaging plane relative orientation calculation unit 211. Then, using the relative orientation between the planes of the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic monitoring probe, subsequent registration and fusion operations between the two probe images are performed.

[0145] Furthermore, based on the waveform similarity of the ultrasonic pulses received by adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe, a cross-correlation method is used to calculate the relative delay of signal reception time between adjacent probes. Specifically, in this embodiment, the relative delay of signal reception time between adjacent probes is calculated by the ultrasonic probe propagation delay time calculation unit 212, solving the technical problem of insufficient accuracy in ultrasonic pulse transmission and pulse signal reception, and improving the positioning accuracy between multiple ultrasonic probes 10.

[0146] In this embodiment, the ultrasound signal is accurately acquired through the ultrasound probe imaging plane relative orientation calculation unit 211 and the ultrasound probe propagation delay time calculation unit 212, thereby improving the imaging quality of the ultrasound imaging equipment and enriching its clinical application functions.

[0147] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a mechanism for fusion positioning and display of conventional ultrasound and intravascular ultrasound provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fusion effect of conventional ultrasound and intravascular ultrasound in a localization and display image provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0148] Figure 6 The system includes external ultrasound probes and intravascular ultrasound probes. The host 20 sends configuration files to different probes via an interface circuit. The configuration content includes: scanning timing, receiving timing, and transmission encoding. After the multiple ultrasound probes 10 are configured, they enter the working state.

[0149] During the configuration process, the host 20's memory or the data processing circuit memory within the host 20 will allocate separate memory spaces for different ultrasound probes 10 for DMA access. The virtual addresses of the memory spaces will be sent to the digital interface circuit. Simultaneously, the host 20's imaging software will activate independent ultrasound signal processing and imaging processing threads for different ultrasound probes 10.

[0150] Each of the ultrasound probes 10, according to the configuration file and under the synchronous control of the digital interface circuit, independently performs positioning ultrasound pulse transmission, echo signal amplification, analog-to-digital conversion, and uploads the digital signal in real time via the digital interface circuit of the host 20. The data can be buffered and preprocessed in the interface circuit beforehand.

[0151] The interface circuit of the host 20 transmits the data uploaded by each probe to different spaces of the host 20's memory or processing circuit memory via a high-speed data bus in a DMA manner.

[0152] The ultrasound signal processing and imaging processing threads continuously query (or wait for interruption) the data transmission status. Once data transmission is complete, the processing threads process the data independently. The processing flow includes: data unpacking and rearrangement, signal decoding, complex demodulation, beamforming, envelope extraction, grayscale transformation, and image processing.

[0153] The ultrasonic positioning probe emits ultrasonic pulses, and the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives the ultrasonic pulses emitted by the ultrasonic positioning probe. The host 20 uses this signal to calculate the relative position of the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0154] After a slight time delay relative to the aforementioned transmission and reception of ultrasonic pulse signals, the different ultrasonic probes 10 respectively transmit ultrasonic imaging pulses to independently image human tissue within their respective imaging planes.

[0155] Finally, the imaging results of the different ultrasound probes 10 obtained from different threads can be fused and displayed on the display 30. Figure 7 This involves the fusion of in vitro ultrasound images and intravascular ultrasound images.

[0156] In this embodiment, the ultrasound monitoring probe is a conventional external probe, and the ultrasound positioning probe is an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) probe. In traditional medical procedures, the location of the IVUS often requires X-ray imaging, resulting in additional X-ray exposure for both the patient and the physician. The technical solution of this application, by registering and fusing images from the external probe and the IVUS probe, allows for real-time positioning of the IVUS and also enables the fusion of images from the two probes to provide more medical imaging information. Furthermore, based on the multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method of this application, using an external ultrasound positioning IVUS probe can reduce the radiation dose to both the operator and the patient during interventional procedures. In this embodiment, the IVUS probe can also rotate stepwise under the control of an external mechanical structure, scanning cross-sectional images of the human blood vessel wall, while the external probe simultaneously scans the same vascular region. The IVUS probe contains only a single array element; during monitoring, the monitoring probe can select the moment with the largest echo signal amplitude to calculate the relative position of the IVUS, thereby ensuring the accuracy of IVUS image matching.

[0157] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, 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.

[0158] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging method, characterized in that, include: Multiple ultrasound probes independently acquire digital signals from ultrasound detection and upload these digital signals to the host computer in real time. The host acquires the relative orientation information between the plurality of ultrasonic probes; the relative orientation information is obtained based on the time information of the echo signals received by multiple array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe included in the plurality of ultrasonic probes and the distance between adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe; the echo signals correspond to the ultrasonic pulse signals emitted by array elements in the ultrasonic positioning probe included in the plurality of ultrasonic probes; the time information includes the time difference between the time when each array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe emits a signal and the time when each array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal, the time difference being obtained by a calculation method based on maximum value detection and / or a calculation method based on cross-correlation detection; wherein, the calculation method based on maximum value detection includes obtaining the time difference based on the time when each array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe emits a signal and the time when the maximum value of the echo signal received by each array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe is reached; or, the time information includes the relative delay time of the signals received by adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe, the relative delay time being obtained based on the cross-correlation relationship of the echo signals received by adjacent array elements. The host acquires the relative orientation information between the multiple ultrasonic probes, including: obtaining the position information of the array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe that emits the ultrasonic pulse signal based on the time information of the echo signal received by the multiple monitoring array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe corresponding to the same ultrasonic pulse signal, and the distance between adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe; and obtaining the relative orientation information between the multiple ultrasonic probes based on the position information of each array element in the positioning probe. The host computer synchronously processes the digital signal and the relative orientation information to obtain registered and fused ultrasound image data. The registered and fused ultrasound image data is obtained by image registration and stitching of the scanned images within the imaging planes of each ultrasound probe based on the relative orientation information. The scanned images within the imaging planes of the ultrasound probes are obtained based on the digital signals acquired by the ultrasound probes. The relative orientation information includes the relative orientation of the imaging planes of each of the multiple ultrasound probes. The host computer sends the ultrasound image data to the display for display.

2. The ultrasound imaging method using multi-probe scanning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for the host to acquire the relative orientation information between the plurality of ultrasound probes include: During the ultrasonic scanning process, the ultrasonic positioning probe and ultrasonic monitoring probe included in the plurality of ultrasonic probes are identified. The ultrasonic positioning probe includes n array elements that emit acoustic pulses, where n is greater than or equal to 1, generating ultrasonic pulse signals emitted by the array elements in the ultrasonic positioning probe. ; The ultrasonic monitoring probe includes m array elements for receiving echo signals, where m is greater than 1. The echo signals received by the array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe are acquired. ; Calculate the time difference between the time when each element in the ultrasonic positioning probe transmits a signal and the time when each element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal. : Calculate the distance between the array element of the ultrasonic positioning probe and the array element of the ultrasonic monitoring probe. ; Combining the distance between the array elements of the ultrasonic positioning probe and the array elements of the ultrasonic monitoring probe The relative orientation information between the ultrasonic positioning probe and the ultrasonic monitoring probe is obtained by using the coordinate information of the reference array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe and the distance vector between adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe.

3. The ultrasound imaging method using multi-probe scanning according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of determining the ultrasonic positioning probe and ultrasonic monitoring probe among the plurality of ultrasonic probes during the ultrasonic scanning process includes: Under the control of the synchronization signal of the host, one or more of the ultrasonic probes in the working state are identified as the ultrasonic positioning probes, and the array elements or combinations of array elements in the ultrasonic positioning probes are controlled to emit ultrasonic pulse waves sequentially. Among the plurality of ultrasonic probes, the other ultrasonic probes that passively receive the emitted pulse wave of the ultrasonic positioning probe are identified as the ultrasonic monitoring probes.

4. The ultrasound imaging method with multi-probe scanning according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steps of the host computer synchronously processing the digital signal and the relative orientation information to obtain the registered and fused ultrasound image data include: Signal envelope extraction and digital scanning transformation are performed on the digital signal and the relative orientation information to determine the positional relationship between pixels in the ultrasound images acquired by the multiple ultrasound probes and the corresponding array elements of the ultrasound probes. The ultrasound image is then subjected to a three-dimensional rotation transformation by pre-setting the viewing angle of the ultrasound image. Under the preset viewing angle, the ultrasound image data after three-dimensional transformation is displayed synchronously.

5. The ultrasound imaging method using multi-probe scanning according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the step of the host acquiring the relative orientation information between the multiple ultrasound probes... By modifying the monitoring array element pairs in the ultrasonic monitoring probe, multiple hyperboloids with the monitoring array element pairs in the ultrasonic monitoring probe as foci are obtained through calculation; the position vectors of the array elements or array element combinations in the ultrasonic positioning probe are obtained through the multiple hyperboloids.

6. The ultrasound imaging method using multi-probe scanning according to claim 5, characterized in that, Before the step of having the multiple ultrasound probes independently acquire digital signals from ultrasound detection and upload the digital signals to the host computer in real time, the method further includes: The host sends a configuration file to the multiple ultrasound probes through an interface circuit. The configuration file includes: scanning timing sequence, receiving timing sequence, and transmission encoding. During the configuration of the multiple ultrasound probes, the host allocates memory space for each of the multiple ultrasound probes, so as to enable direct storage and access of the digital signals when the multiple ultrasound probes obtain the digital signals.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A multi-probe scanning ultrasound imaging device, characterized in that, include: Multiple ultrasonic probes, each of the ultrasonic probes including at least one array element and an ultrasonic control circuit, the ultrasonic control circuit being connected to the array element; A host computer, connected to multiple ultrasound control circuits respectively, includes: an ultrasound data processing module, which performs data imaging processing on the digital signals converted by each ultrasound control circuit to obtain ultrasound image data; and A display, connected to the host, is used to display the ultrasound image data obtained from the host; The ultrasound data processing module includes: An ultrasonic probe propagation delay time calculation unit is used to calculate the relative delay time of pulse transmission signals received by adjacent array elements in the plurality of ultrasonic probes; the relative delay time is obtained based on the cross-correlation relationship of the echo signals received by the adjacent array elements; and An ultrasonic probe imaging plane relative orientation calculation unit is used to calculate the relative orientation information between the multiple ultrasonic probes based on the time information of the echo signals received by multiple array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe, which is included in the plurality of ultrasonic probes, and the distance between adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe. The echo signals correspond to the ultrasonic pulse signals emitted by array elements in the ultrasonic positioning probe, which is included in the plurality of ultrasonic probes. The time information includes the time difference between the time when each array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe emits a signal and the time when each array element in the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal. The time difference is obtained by a calculation method based on maximum value detection and / or a calculation method based on cross-correlation detection. The calculation method based on maximum value detection includes calculating the relative orientation information between the time when each array element in the ultrasonic positioning probe emits a signal and the time when the ultrasonic monitoring probe receives a signal. The time difference is obtained by determining the time when each array element receives the maximum value of the echo signal; or, the time information includes the relative delay time of the signals received by adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe; the calculation of the relative orientation information between the multiple ultrasonic probes based on the time information of the echo signals received by the multiple array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe and the distance between adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe includes: obtaining the position information of the array element emitting the ultrasonic pulse signal in the ultrasonic positioning probe based on the time information of the echo signals corresponding to the same ultrasonic pulse signal received by the multiple monitoring array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe and the distance between adjacent array elements in the ultrasonic monitoring probe; obtaining the relative orientation information between the multiple ultrasonic probes based on the position information of each array element in the positioning probe; The ultrasound data processing module is further configured to synchronously process the digital signal and the relative orientation information to obtain registered and fused ultrasound image data; wherein, the registered and fused ultrasound image data is obtained by image registration and stitching of the scanned images in the imaging plane of each ultrasound probe according to the relative orientation information; the scanned images in the imaging plane of the ultrasound probe are obtained according to the digital signal acquired by the ultrasound probe; the relative orientation information includes the relative orientation of the imaging planes of the plurality of ultrasound probes.

Images