Broadband probe system and imaging method

Abstract

The invention provides a broadband probe system and an imaging method, and relates to the technical field of ultrasonic imaging, the system comprises an excitation end set, the excitation end set comprises a plurality of selectable excitation ends with different excitation modes, and the excitation end set is used for exciting an object to be imaged in the corresponding excitation mode, so that the object to be imaged emits or reflects an ultrasonic signal; the excitation modes at least comprise one or more of photoacoustic excitation, thermoacoustic excitation and ultrasonic excitation, and after the to-be-imaged object is excited by each excitation mode, the signal frequencies of ultrasonic signals emitted or reflected by the to-be-imaged object are different; the probe is provided with a transducer, and the transducer can receive ultrasonic signals emitted or reflected by an object to be imaged after the object to be imaged is excited by any excitation mode corresponding to at least one or more optional excitation ends; according to the system, sound signals of at least one or more excitation modes can be acquired on the same transducer at the same time, and the system can be used for multi-mode imaging and can also be used for broadband single-mode imaging such as ultrasonic imaging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic imaging, and in particular to a broadband probe system and an imaging method. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of medical imaging technology, the demand for imaging accuracy, functionality and multi-modality fusion is growing. At present, single-modality imaging technology often has certain limitations.

[0003] For example, although traditional ultrasound imaging technology has a high resolution in soft tissue imaging, it has limited functional information on certain specific tissues; photoacoustic imaging technology can provide high-contrast information on the optical properties of tissues, but the penetration depth is relatively shallow; thermoacoustic imaging technology is sensitive to the thermal properties of tissues, but the imaging speed and resolution may be subject to certain limitations.

[0004] In actual medical diagnosis and research, it is often necessary to combine the advantages of multiple imaging modalities to obtain more comprehensive and accurate tissue information. However, existing imaging systems can usually only achieve single-modality imaging, or there are many problems in multi-modality imaging, such as different imaging center frequencies of different modalities, difficulty in acquiring high-quality multi-modality images on the same probe, and signal processing and image fusion are also relatively complex. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned defects or deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a broadband probe system and an imaging method to achieve multi-modal imaging or broadband single-modal imaging.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a broadband probe system, comprising: An excitation end set, wherein the excitation end set includes a plurality of optional excitation ends with different excitation modes, each of the optional excitation ends is used to excite the object to be imaged in a corresponding excitation mode, so that the object to be imaged emits or reflects an ultrasonic signal; the excitation mode includes at least one or more of photoacoustic excitation, thermoacoustic excitation and ultrasonic excitation, and after each of the excitation modes excites the object to be imaged, the signal frequency of the ultrasonic signal emitted or reflected by the object to be imaged is different; A probe, wherein the probe has a transducer, and the transducer can receive the ultrasonic signal emitted or reflected by the object to be imaged after the object to be imaged is excited by an excitation mode corresponding to any at least one or more of the optional excitation ends; A signal processing unit and a display unit, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to process the ultrasonic signal received by the probe to generate a corresponding image; and the display unit is configured to display the image.

[0007] According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, the transducer is formed by integrating multiple fixed-frequency array element layers with different center frequencies in a certain configuration manner, and the configuration manner at least includes one or more of stacking, parallel, crossing, and looping; in the transducer, each of the signal frequencies has at least one or more fixed-frequency array element layers corresponding to the corresponding center frequency.

[0008] According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, each of the fixed frequency array element layers is formed by ordinary array elements arranged in a specific arrangement manner, and the ordinary array elements are made of piezoelectric materials, and the piezoelectric materials are made of one or more of piezoelectric crystals, piezoelectric ceramics or piezoelectric polymer materials combined with various composite materials.

[0009] According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, the transducer includes at least one or more adjustable frequency array element layers, and the adjustable frequency array element layers are formed by adjustable array elements with different adjustable center frequencies arranged in a specific arrangement manner, and each of the signal frequencies has at least one or more adjustable frequency array element layers corresponding to the corresponding center frequency.

[0010] According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, the adjustable array element is a CMUT array element.

[0011] According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, the adjustable array element is a PMUT array element.

[0012] According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, the specific arrangement of the common array elements includes at least one or more of a linear array, a planar array, a ring array, a spherical array or an arc array.

[0013] According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, the adjustable array elements with different center frequencies have multiple frequency difference manifestation modes, and the frequency difference manifestation modes include at least one or more of left-right difference, top-bottom difference, inside-outside difference or spiral difference along the adjustable frequency array element layer.

[0014] According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, when receiving the ultrasonic signal, each of the fixed frequency array element layers receives the ultrasonic signal layer by layer in sequence, and when transmitting the sound field, each of the fixed frequency array element layers can transmit the sound field simultaneously or non-simultaneously.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a multimodal imaging method, which is implemented based on the broadband probe system as described above, and includes the following steps: Acquiring an imaging requirement, and selecting at least one or more of the optional excitation ends in the excitation end set to excite the object to be imaged according to the imaging requirement, so as to obtain the ultrasonic signal of the corresponding signal frequency; The fixed frequency array element layer of the transducer receives the ultrasonic signal of the signal frequency corresponding to the fixed frequency array element layer according to the center frequency thereof.

[0016] In summary, the present invention proposes a broadband probe system and an imaging method, wherein the broadband probe system comprises: an excitation end set, wherein the excitation end set comprises a plurality of optional excitation ends with different excitation modes, wherein each optional excitation end is used to excite the object to be imaged in a corresponding excitation mode, so that the object to be imaged emits or reflects an ultrasonic signal; the excitation modes comprise at least photoacoustic excitation, thermoacoustic excitation and ultrasonic excitation, and after each excitation mode excites the object to be imaged, the signal frequency of the ultrasonic signal emitted or reflected by the object to be imaged is different; the probe comprises a transducer, and the transducer can receive the ultrasonic signal emitted or reflected by the object to be imaged after the object to be imaged is excited by the excitation mode corresponding to any at least one or more optional excitation ends; a signal processing unit and a display unit, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to process the ultrasonic signal received by the probe to generate a corresponding image; and the display unit is configured to display the image.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the broadband probe system integrates multiple excitation modes such as photoacoustic excitation, thermoacoustic excitation and ultrasonic excitation, and can simultaneously or separately excite the object to be imaged, obtain ultrasonic signals of different modalities, and then realize multimodal imaging or broadband single-modal imaging such as ultrasonic imaging through a probe with a transducer. The image can be displayed through a signal processing unit and a display unit, providing doctors and researchers with more comprehensive tissue information, which helps to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and the depth of research. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the broadband probe system provided by the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a structure of a transducer formed by stacking a plurality of fixed frequency array element layers provided by the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of an array formed by PMUT array elements provided by the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of an array formed by CMUT array elements provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the relevant invention, rather than to limit the invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0020] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0021] Example 1 As mentioned in the background technology, in order to solve the problems in the prior art, the present invention proposes a broadband probe system, please refer to Figure 1 As shown, including: An excitation end set, wherein the excitation end set includes a plurality of optional excitation ends with different excitation modes, each of the optional excitation ends is used to excite the object to be imaged in a corresponding excitation mode, so that the object to be imaged emits or reflects an ultrasonic signal; the excitation mode includes at least one or more of photoacoustic excitation, thermoacoustic excitation and ultrasonic excitation, and after each of the excitation modes excites the object to be imaged, the signal frequency of the ultrasonic signal emitted by the object to be imaged is different; specifically, Figure 1 The sound source is the object to be imaged; the excitation method can be any one of photoacoustic excitation, thermoacoustic excitation and ultrasonic excitation, or two or three. It should be noted that other excitation methods except these three excitation methods are also within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0022] A probe, wherein the probe has a transducer, and the transducer can receive the ultrasonic signal emitted or reflected by the object to be imaged after the object to be imaged is excited by an excitation mode corresponding to any at least one or more of the optional excitation ends; A signal processing unit and a display unit, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to process the ultrasonic signal received by the probe to generate a corresponding image; and the display unit is configured to display the image. Specifically, the image can be multi-modal imaging or broadband single-modal imaging, such as ultrasonic imaging.

[0023] Specifically, an excitation end set is set, which includes optional excitation ends corresponding to photoacoustic excitation, thermoacoustic excitation and ultrasonic excitation, respectively. For example, the photoacoustic excitation end can be a laser transmitter of a specific wavelength, the thermoacoustic excitation end can be a radio frequency pulse generator, and the ultrasonic excitation end can be an ultrasonic probe driving device. The object to be imaged is placed in a suitable position, and one or more optional excitation ends are selected as needed to excite it. After excitation, the object to be imaged will emit or reflect ultrasonic signals of different signal frequencies. The probe is close to the object to be imaged, and the transducer inside it is ready to receive these ultrasonic signals. The signal processing unit and the display unit are in standby mode, waiting to receive and process the signals from the probe and display the image.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the transducer is formed by integrating a plurality of fixed frequency array element layers with different center frequencies in a certain configuration, wherein the configuration includes at least one or more of stacking, paralleling, crossing, and ferrule; in the transducer, each of the signal frequencies has at least one or more fixed frequency array element layers corresponding to the corresponding center frequency; please refer to Figure 2 As shown, a transducer is obtained by stacking multiple fixed frequency array element layers. It should be further explained that: Figure 2 The low frequency transducer and the high frequency transducer sandwiched between the middle backing layer and the matching layer are the fixed frequency array element layers with different center frequencies described in the present invention, wherein the center frequency of the low frequency transducer is lower than the center frequency of the high frequency transducer.

[0025] Furthermore, each of the fixed frequency array element layers is formed by common array elements arranged in a specific arrangement, and the common array elements are made of piezoelectric materials, and the piezoelectric materials are made of one or more of piezoelectric crystals, piezoelectric ceramics or piezoelectric polymer materials combined with various composite materials.

[0026] Furthermore, when receiving the ultrasonic signal, each of the fixed-frequency array element layers receives the ultrasonic signal layer by layer in sequence, and when transmitting the sound field, each of the fixed-frequency array element layers can transmit the sound field simultaneously or non-simultaneously.

[0027] Specifically, this embodiment proposes a frequency composite transducer array stacking method to achieve the reception of signals with different signal frequencies. First, determine the number of fixed frequency array element layers with different center frequencies that need to be stacked and the specific frequency range (the center frequency of photoacoustic excitation is generally around 5MHz, and the frequency of ultrasonic excitation is generally above 10MHz). Exemplarily, three fixed frequency array element layers can be designed, corresponding to the main frequency ranges generated by photoacoustic, thermoacoustic and ultrasonic excitation. Then, each fixed frequency array element layer is made, and polycrystalline or single crystal piezoelectric ceramics are combined with composite materials to make ordinary array elements, and arranged in a specific arrangement (such as a plane array). Finally, these fixed frequency array element layers are stacked according to the design requirements to ensure that the connection between the layers is stable and the signal transmission is good. When receiving ultrasonic signals, according to the signal characteristics of different frequencies, each array element layer is received layer by layer, for example, the signal is first received by the fixed frequency array element layer of the first layer, and then gradually transmitted to the fixed frequency array element layer of the higher layer. When transmitting the sound field, each fixed frequency array element layer can be controlled to transmit simultaneously or non-simultaneously as needed to achieve different imaging effects.

[0028] Specifically, when making ordinary array elements, high-quality polycrystalline or single-crystal piezoelectric ceramic materials are selected and combined with suitable composite materials to improve the performance and stability of the array elements. Determine the specific arrangement method according to the imaging requirements. For example, if a large area of ​​the object to be imaged needs to be imaged, a planar array arrangement can be selected. Arrange the ordinary array elements accurately according to the selected arrangement method to ensure that the position of each array element is accurate and the connection between the array elements is reliable to ensure effective transmission and reception of signals.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the transducer includes at least one or more adjustable frequency array element layers, and the adjustable frequency array element layers are formed by arranging adjustable array elements with different adjustable center frequencies in a specific arrangement manner, and each of the signal frequencies has at least one or more adjustable frequency array element layers corresponding to the corresponding center frequency.

[0030] For further information, please refer to Figure 4 As shown, the adjustable array element is a CMUT array element.

[0031] For further information, please refer to Figure 3 As shown, the adjustable array element is a PMUT array element.

[0032] Specifically, when designing the transducer, determine the structure and parameters of the adjustable frequency array element layer. Select adjustable array elements that can adjust different center frequencies, such as capacitive micromechanical ultrasonic transducer array elements (CMUT array elements) or piezoelectric micromechanical ultrasonic transducer array elements (PMUT array elements). According to the imaging requirements and signal frequency range, arrange these adjustable array elements in a specific arrangement. For example, a linear array arrangement can be used for high-resolution imaging of the object to be imaged in a specific direction. Ensure that each adjustable array element can work properly and its center frequency can be adjusted as needed to adapt to different signal reception requirements.

[0033] Specifically, if the adjustable array element is a CMUT array element, the size, shape and mechanical properties of the membrane of the CMUT array element are precisely controlled during the manufacturing process to achieve the adjustment of the center frequency. Multiple CMUT array elements are arranged in a specific manner to form an adjustable frequency array element layer, and are well connected and integrated with other parts of the transducer. In actual use, according to different excitation modes and signal frequencies, the corresponding ultrasonic signals are received and processed by adjusting the parameters of the CMUT array element.

[0034] Specifically, when the adjustable array element is a PMUT array element, the center frequency is adjusted by changing the physical parameters of the array element, such as the piezoelectric coefficient and elastic modulus of the material. Multiple PMUT array elements are arranged in a specific manner (such as a ring array arrangement can be used for omnidirectional imaging of a circular object to be imaged) to form an adjustable frequency array element layer. Ensure that the PMUT array element can work stably in the transducer and that the center frequency can be quickly adjusted as needed to meet the requirements of different imaging modalities.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the specific arrangement of the common array elements or the adjustable array elements includes at least one or more of a linear array, a planar array, a ring array, a spherical array or an arc array.

[0036] Specifically, according to the specific imaging scene and requirements, a specific arrangement of common array elements or adjustable array elements is selected. During use, the selection of one or more of the linear array, planar array and spherical array is often based on whether the contact part with the object is suitable, the difficulty of scanning and the improvement of imaging performance. During the arrangement process, the spacing between the array elements is ensured to be reasonable to ensure the reception and transmission effect of the signal. At the same time, according to different arrangement methods, the corresponding signal transmission and processing circuits are designed to improve the performance and stability of the system.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the adjustable array elements of different center frequencies have multiple frequency difference manifestation modes, and the frequency difference manifestation modes include at least one or more of left-right difference, up-down difference, inside-outside difference or spiral difference along the adjustable frequency array element layer. The frequency difference manifestation modes also include other irregular difference manifestation modes.

[0038] Specifically, for adjustable array elements with different center frequencies, the frequency difference expression method is determined according to specific imaging requirements. For example, if it is necessary to image an object to be imaged with different frequency characteristics on the left and right sides, the left and right frequency expression method can be selected, and the adjustable array elements with different center frequencies can be arranged on the left and right sides of the adjustable frequency array element layer. If it is necessary to image tissues at different depths above and below, the upper and lower differences can be selected, and the array elements with different frequencies can be arranged at different positions above and below. For objects to be imaged with complex shapes, the spiral difference method can be selected, and the array elements can be arranged in a spiral shape to achieve more comprehensive signal reception and imaging effects. In actual use, according to different frequency difference expression methods, the center frequency and arrangement of the adjustable array elements are adjusted to obtain the best imaging quality.

[0039] Specifically, when preparing the broadband probe system, the following steps are specifically included: the step of selecting an optional excitation end: determining the properties of the object to be imaged, the target area, and the required imaging information, the required imaging information at least including the structural characteristics of the organ, the possible lesion type, and the requirements for imaging resolution and contrast; determining the required imaging modality according to the properties of the object to be imaged, the target area, and the required imaging information, and then obtaining the optional excitation end corresponding to the imaging modality in the excitation end set; The step of determining the array distribution mode is as follows: obtaining the requirements to be tested, and selecting the corresponding array distribution mode according to the shape, size and required imaging performance of the imaging target in the requirements to be tested. Exemplarily, the array distribution mode is selected through the array matching database, and the array matching database includes multiple shapes of objects to be imaged, and the array distribution mode corresponding to each shape of the object to be imaged. Exemplarily, if the object to be imaged is a long strip structure, it corresponds to a linear array distribution; for imaging of a large range of plane areas, it corresponds to a surface array distribution; if it is a spherical or nearly spherical object, or for higher imaging performance, it corresponds to a spherical array distribution, which can achieve all-round imaging coverage; for annular or small-sized structural objects, it corresponds to a ring array distribution, which can better adapt to its shape characteristics; for objects to be imaged on curved surfaces, it corresponds to an arc array distribution. It is determined whether there are higher requirements for imaging in a specific direction or area in the requirements to be tested. If so, an array distribution mode with a directionality corresponding to the higher requirements is adopted, such as left-right difference, up-down difference, inside-outside difference or spiral difference. By adjusting the distribution of the center frequency of the array element at different positions, focused imaging of a specific direction or area is achieved.

[0040] The step of determining which implementation method to adopt to construct the transducer: According to the requirements to be tested, a fixed frequency array element layer or an adjustable frequency array element layer is selected to prepare the transducer, specifically: if the requirements to be tested are only a few determined center frequency ranges, a fixed frequency array element layer is selected, that is, an ordinary array element made of polycrystalline or single crystal piezoelectric ceramics combined with composite materials is selected. According to the signal frequency range in the requirements to be tested, the number, specific material parameters and dimensions of the ordinary array elements are determined so that the center frequency can match the required received signal frequency. If the requirements to be tested require the flexibility of adjustable center frequency, CMUT array elements or PMUT array elements are selected as adjustable array elements. If the requirements to be tested have requirements for high frequency response and small size, CMUT array elements are selected as adjustable array elements, and the center frequency is adjusted by precisely controlling the size, shape and mechanical properties of the array element membrane. If the requirements to be tested require low cost and easy integration, PMUT array elements are selected as adjustable array elements, and the center frequency is adjusted by changing the physical parameters of the array element such as piezoelectric coefficient, elastic modulus, etc.

[0041] Example 2 On the basis of Example 1, this embodiment proposes an imaging method, which is implemented based on the broadband probe system as described in Example 1, and includes the following steps: Acquiring an imaging requirement, and selecting at least one or more of the optional excitation ends in the excitation end set to excite the object to be imaged according to the imaging requirement, so as to obtain the ultrasonic signal of the corresponding signal frequency; Specifically, first communicate with doctors, researchers or users to understand the nature of the object to be imaged, the target area and the required imaging information. For example, if human tissue is to be examined, it is necessary to understand the specific body part, the type of suspected lesions, etc. Imaging requirements may include high-resolution imaging of specific tissues, acquisition of specific functional information, etc.

[0042] Specifically, according to the imaging requirements, at least one or more optional excitation ends are selected from the excitation end set. If high-contrast tissue optical property information needs to be obtained, a photoacoustic excitation end can be selected; if there is a need for sensitive imaging of the thermal properties of the tissue, a thermoacoustic excitation end can be selected; if high-resolution soft tissue imaging is required, an ultrasonic excitation end can be selected. It is also possible to select multiple excitation ends for combined excitation at the same time according to the specific situation. For example, for the examination of liver lesions, a combination of an ultrasonic excitation end and a photoacoustic excitation end may be selected to obtain the structural information and optical property information of the tissue.

[0043] The fixed frequency array element layer of the transducer receives the ultrasonic signal of the signal frequency corresponding to the fixed frequency array element layer according to the center frequency thereof.

[0044] Specifically, the fixed frequency array element layer of the transducer receives the ultrasonic signal of the signal frequency corresponding to it according to its center frequency. Different fixed frequency array element layers have different center frequencies, corresponding to different signal frequency ranges. When the ultrasonic signal propagates to the probe, each fixed frequency array element layer will receive the signal layer by layer according to its frequency characteristics. For example, if there are three fixed frequency array element layers, corresponding to the low, medium and high frequency ranges respectively, when the ultrasonic signal reaches the probe, the low frequency signal is first received by the first layer, then the medium frequency signal is received by the second layer, and the high frequency signal is received by the third layer.

[0045] Specifically, an adjustable frequency array element layer formed by arranging adjustable array elements with different center frequencies in a specific arrangement mode can also be used to realize multimodal imaging, specifically: the adjustable array elements are arranged in a specific arrangement mode (such as a linear array, a planar array, a circular array, a spherical array or an arc array, etc.) to form an adjustable frequency array element layer. According to the imaging requirements and the signal frequency range, the positions and spacings of the adjustable array elements are arranged to ensure the signal reception effect. For example, for an object to be imaged of a specific shape, a circular array arrangement can be selected to achieve omnidirectional signal reception. When the ultrasonic signal generated by the object to be imaged after being excited propagates to the probe, the adjustable frequency array element layer receives the ultrasonic signal of the signal frequency corresponding to it according to its adjustable center frequency. By adjusting the center frequency of the array element in real time, it is possible to better adapt to different signal frequencies and improve the sensitivity and accuracy of signal reception. For example, during the imaging process, the center frequency of the adjustable frequency array element layer is dynamically adjusted according to different excitation modes and the characteristics of the object to be imaged to ensure that ultrasonic signals of various frequencies can be effectively received.

[0046] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present invention and its core ideas. The above is only a preferred implementation method of the present invention. It should be pointed out that due to the limitations of textual expression, there are objectively infinite specific structures. For ordinary technicians in this technical field, without departing from the principles of the present invention, several improvements, modifications or changes can be made, and the above technical features can be combined in an appropriate manner; these improvements, modifications, changes or combinations, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution to other occasions without improvement, should be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A broadband probe system, characterized in that: include: An excitation end set, wherein the excitation end set includes a plurality of optional excitation ends with different excitation modes, each of the optional excitation ends is used to excite the object to be imaged in a corresponding excitation mode, so that the object to be imaged emits or reflects an ultrasonic signal; the excitation mode includes at least one or more of photoacoustic excitation, thermoacoustic excitation and ultrasonic excitation, and after each of the excitation modes excites the object to be imaged, the signal frequency of the ultrasonic signal emitted or reflected by the object to be imaged is different; A probe, wherein the probe has a transducer, and the transducer can receive the ultrasonic signal emitted or reflected by the object to be imaged after the object to be imaged is excited by an excitation mode corresponding to any at least one or more of the optional excitation ends; A signal processing unit and a display unit, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to process the ultrasonic signal received by the probe to generate a corresponding image; and the display unit is configured to display the image.

2. The broadband probe system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transducer is formed by integrating a plurality of fixed frequency array element layers with different center frequencies in a certain configuration, wherein the configuration at least includes one or more of stacking, paralleling, crossing, and looping; in the transducer, each of the signal frequencies has at least one or more fixed frequency array element layers corresponding to the corresponding center frequency.

3. The broadband probe system according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each fixed frequency array element layer is formed by arranging common array elements in a specific arrangement manner, wherein the common array elements are made of piezoelectric material, and the piezoelectric material is made of one or more of piezoelectric crystals, piezoelectric ceramics or piezoelectric polymer materials combined with various composite materials.

4. The broadband probe system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transducer includes at least one or more adjustable frequency array element layers, wherein the adjustable frequency array element layers are formed by arranging adjustable array elements with different adjustable center frequencies in a specific arrangement manner, and each of the signal frequencies has at least one or more adjustable frequency array element layers corresponding to its corresponding center frequency.

5. The broadband probe system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The adjustable array element is a CMUT array element.

6. The broadband probe system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The adjustable array element is a PMUT array element.

7. The broadband probe system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The specific arrangement of the common array elements includes at least one or more of a linear array, a planar array, a ring array, a spherical array or an arc array.

8. The broadband probe system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The adjustable array elements with different center frequencies have multiple frequency difference manifestation modes, and the frequency difference manifestation modes at least include one or more of left-right difference, top-bottom difference, inside-outside difference or spiral difference along the adjustable frequency array element layer.

9. The broadband probe system according to claim 2, characterized in that: When receiving the ultrasonic signal, each of the fixed frequency array element layers receives the ultrasonic signal layer by layer in sequence. When transmitting the sound field, each of the fixed frequency array element layers can transmit the sound field simultaneously or non-simultaneously.

10. An imaging method, implemented based on the broadband probe system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Acquiring an imaging requirement, and selecting at least one or more of the optional excitation ends in the excitation end set to excite the object to be imaged according to the imaging requirement, so as to obtain the ultrasonic signal of the corresponding signal frequency; The fixed frequency array element layer of the transducer receives the ultrasonic signal of the signal frequency corresponding to the fixed frequency array element layer according to the center frequency thereof.

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