Data transmission on ultrasound probe signal line

Abstract

The invention relates to data transmission on an ultrasound probe signal line. Methods and systems are provided for increasing a data transmission rate and an amount of digital data transmittable to a probe of an ultrasound system (100), the digital data including beam setting data used by a probe (106) including electronics that generate a transmit signal. A transmit / receive channel (222) of a cable (220) coupling a probe (106) of an ultrasound system (100) to a console (150, 250) may be used to transmit digital data when not in use. In particular, the digital data may be transmitted during a time window at the end of the receive mode, after a receive signal has been received, and before a transmit signal for a subsequent transmit / receive cycle is initiated. In some embodiments, the use of a switch (210) may control the use of transmit / receive channels (222) for different types of data. In other embodiments, a pulse generator (214) of an ultrasound system (100) may be advantageously used to encode and transmit digital data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein relate to ultrasonic imaging. Background Art

[0002] Clinical ultrasound is an imaging modality that uses ultrasonic waves to probe the internal structures of a patient's body and generate corresponding images. For example, an ultrasound probe including a plurality of transducer elements emits ultrasonic pulses that are reflected or backscattered, refracted, or absorbed by structures in the body. The ultrasound probe then receives the reflected echoes, which are processed into an image.

[0003] The ultrasound probe may include electronics in the handle of the probe that may rely on a large amount of beam setting data transmitted from a console of an ultrasound system to the probe. To avoid latency in operating the probe, data may have to be sent in a short period of time. Additionally, the amount of data to be transmitted in the future may increase. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure solves at least one of the problems identified above, in part, via an ultrasonic imaging system including a console including a pulse generator and a controller; an ultrasound probe coupled to the console via a cable including a set of transmit / receive channel lines configured to transmit a transmit signal from the pulse generator to the ultrasound probe during a transmit mode of the ultrasonic imaging system and to transmit a receive signal from the probe to the console during a receive mode of the ultrasonic imaging system; and a non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the controller to transmit digital data from the console to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines when neither the transmit signal nor the receive signal is being transmitted.

[0005] The above advantages, as well as other advantages and features, will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the above summary is provided to introduce in a simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. This is not meant to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is uniquely defined by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure are better understood by reading the following detailed description and referring to the drawings, in which:

[0007] Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an ultrasonic system is shown;

[0008] Figure 2 Shows a first exemplary ultrasound probe coupling diagram that depicts a probe connected via a cable to a console of an ultrasound system;

[0009] Figure 3 Shows a first data stream between the console and the probe of the first exemplary ultrasound probe coupling diagram;

[0010] Figure 4 Shows a second data stream between the console and the probe of the first exemplary ultrasound probe coupling diagram;

[0011] Figure 5 Shows a third data stream between the console and the probe of the first exemplary ultrasound probe coupling diagram;

[0012] Figure 6 Shows an exemplary timing diagram indicating the event timing during probe operation;

[0013] Figure 7 Shows a second exemplary ultrasound probe coupling diagram that depicts a fourth data stream between the console and the probe;

[0014] Figure 8 Shows an exemplary encoding of digital data;

[0015] Figure 9 Is a flowchart showing a first exemplary method for controlling the data stream between the console and the probe; and

[0016] Figure 10 Is a flowchart showing a second exemplary method for controlling the data stream between the console and the probe. Detailed Description

[0017] Clinical ultrasound imaging typically involves placing an ultrasound probe of an ultrasound imaging system that includes one or more transducer elements on an imaging object (such as a patient) at the location of a target anatomical feature (e.g., abdomen, chest, etc.). Images are acquired by the ultrasound probe and displayed on a display device in real-time or near real-time (e.g., the image is displayed as soon as it is generated without intentional delay). The operator of the ultrasound probe can view the images and adjust various acquisition parameters and / or the position of the ultrasound probe in order to obtain high-quality images of the target anatomical feature (e.g., heart, liver, kidney, etc.). Adjustable acquisition parameters include transmit frequency, transmit depth, gain (e.g., time gain compensation), beam steering angle, beamforming strategy, and / or other parameters.

[0018] During the operation of an ultrasound imaging system, transmit signals are typically generated and transmitted via a coaxial cable to a probe. The transmit signals refer to signals that include multiple pulses of high-frequency, high-voltage ultrasound energy, which are used to generate acoustic waves via transducer elements of the probe, and the acoustic waves are projected into an imaging object. The acoustic waves can, for example, reflect back from the anatomical structure of a patient. The reflected acoustic waves can be received by the transducer elements, which can generate received signals. The received signals can be transmitted back to the ultrasound imaging system via the coaxial cable, and the ultrasound imaging system can process the received signals to generate an ultrasound image.

[0019] Some ultrasound probes, such as electronic four-dimensional (e4D) probes, can generate transmit signals at the probe rather than transmitting the transmit signals to the probe via a coaxial cable. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term e4D probe is intended to cover any probe that includes electronics, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), in the handle of the probe to generate transmit signals. The electronics can rely on data transmitted from the ultrasound imaging system to the probe handle during the operation of the probe and can also transmit data from the probe to the ultrasound imaging system. The data transmitted to the probe can include beam setting data (e.g., instructions for generating transmit signals). The data can also include multiplexer configuration data, which specifies, for example, how and / or when signals from multiple transducer elements are transmitted to a single channel of the console of the ultrasound system. The data transmitted from the probe to the ultrasound imaging system can include acknowledgments of received information, sensor data (e.g., indicating the orientation of the probe or whether the probe has been dropped), and / or other data. The data is typically transmitted as a digital signal via a dedicated line. However, if the amount of data exceeds a threshold amount, a bottleneck with delays due to slow data transmission speeds may occur. The amount of data may also increase with the emergence of new generations of probes and ASICs, which may rely on an increasing amount of information.

[0020] To avoid latency caused by slow data transfer speeds, systems and methods are presented herein that transmit some or all of the beam setting data and the other data described above via a coaxial cable during the time when the transmit signal is not being sent to the probe using the coaxial cable or when the received signal is not being sent from the probe to the ultrasound system. For e4D probes, since the transmit signal is generated at the probe, the coaxial cable can be used for data transfer during the transmit phase. For both e4D probes and standard probes, the coaxial cable can be used for data transfer during a short period of time at the end of the received signal and before the subsequent transmit signal is sent. By utilizing a greater number of parallel lines in the coaxial cable rather than using dedicated lines to transmit digital data, the time taken to send the digital data to the probe can be reduced, thereby reducing or eliminating latency in data transfer. Additionally, transmitting digital data via the coaxial cable can reduce the constraints on the amount of data that can be transferred, thereby allowing the use of newer probes and ASICs that may rely on an increased amount of beam setting data and other data.

[0021] Now refer to Figure 1 , which shows a schematic diagram of an ultrasound imaging system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The probe 106 includes a transmit beamformer 101 and a transmitter 102 that drives elements (e.g., transducer elements) 104 within a transducer array (referred to herein as the probe 106) to transmit pulsed ultrasound signals (referred to herein as transmit pulses) into a patient's body (not shown). The probe 106 can be a one-dimensional transducer array probe or can be a two-dimensional matrix transducer array probe. The transducer elements 104 can be composed of a piezoelectric material such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT), single crystal PMN-PT (PIN-PMN-PT), or different piezoelectric materials. It should be understood that the examples provided herein are for illustrative purposes and that different types of piezoelectric materials can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric crystal, the crystal physically expands and contracts, thereby emitting an ultrasonic spherical wave. In this way, the transducer elements 104 can convert an electrical transmit signal into an acoustic transmit beam.

[0022] After the element 104 of the probe 106 transmits a pulsed ultrasound signal into the (patient's) body, the pulsed ultrasound signal is backscattered from internal body structures (such as blood cells or muscle tissue) to generate an echo that returns to the element 104. The echo is converted by the element 104 into an electrical signal or ultrasound data, and the electrical signal is received by the receiver 108. The electrical signal representing the received echo is passed through the receive beamformer 110, which outputs the ultrasound data to the processor 116 (e.g., also described herein as the controller 116) for display on the display device 118. Additionally, the transducer element 104 may generate one or more ultrasound pulses based on the received echo to form one or more transmit beams. In the present disclosure, the term "scanning" may also be used to refer to the process of acquiring data by transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals.

[0023] Figure 1 The components of the ultrasound imaging system 100 shown in may be included in the console 150, or may be included in the probe 106, where the probe 106 may be electrically coupled to the console 150 via a cable. In some embodiments, the probe 106 may contain electronic circuitry to perform all or part of the transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming. For example, all or part of the transmit beamformer 101, transmitter 102, receiver 108, and receive beamformer 110 may be located within the probe 106, where the console 150 may include the components depicted within the dashed line 122. In other embodiments, the console 150 may include the transmit beamformer 101, transmitter 102, receiver 108, and receive beamformer 110, where the console 150 may include the components depicted within the dashed line 124. It should be understood that Figure 1 the ultrasound imaging system 100 depicted in is for illustrative purposes, and in other embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may include a greater or lesser number of components located within the probe 106 or the console 150.

[0024] The console 150 may include a user interface 115, which may be used to control the operation of the ultrasound imaging system 100. The user interface 115 may include one or more of the following: a rotary element, a mouse, a keyboard, a trackball, hard keys linked to specific actions, soft keys that may be configured to control different functions, and / or a graphical user interface displayed on the display device 118.

[0025] The processor 116 may control the transmit beamformer 101. The processor 116 is in electronic communication (e.g., communicatively coupled) with the probe 106. The term "electronic communication" may be defined to include both wired communication and wireless communication, although for the purposes of the present disclosure, the probe 106 may be coupled to the console 150 via a first set of wires for sending transmit signals to the transmit beamformer 110 and a second set of wires (e.g., cables) for receiving receive signals from the receive beamformer 101. The processor 116 may control the probe 106 to acquire data according to instructions stored on the memory 120.

[0026] As discussed herein, a memory includes any non-transitory computer-readable medium storing programming instructions. For the purposes of the present disclosure, the term tangible computer-readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device. Exemplary methods and systems may be implemented using encoded instructions (e.g., computer-readable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache, or any other storage medium in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., for an extended period of time, permanently, briefly, for temporary buffering and / or for caching of information). The computer memory of a computer-readable storage medium as referred to herein may include volatile and non-volatile or removable and non-removable media for storing information in electronic format such as computer-readable program instructions or modules of computer-readable program instructions, data, etc., which may be standalone or as part of a computing device. Examples of computer memory may include any other medium that may be used to store information in a desired electronic format and that may be accessed by at least a portion of one or more processors or computing devices.

[0027] The processor 116 and the transmit beamformer 101 control which elements of the element 104 are active and the shape of the beam emitted from the probe 106. The processor 116 is in electronic communication with the display device 118, and the processor 116 can process data (e.g., ultrasound data) into an image for display on the display device 118. According to an embodiment, the processor 116 may include a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a graphics processing unit (GPU). According to other embodiments, the processor 116 or the transmit beamformer 101 may include other electronic components capable of performing processing functions, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA). According to other embodiments, the processor 116 may include a plurality of electronic components capable of performing processing functions. For example, the processor 116 may include two or more electronic components selected from a list of electronic components including the following: a central processor, a digital signal processor, an FPGA, and a graphics board. According to another embodiment, the processor 116 may further include a complex demodulator (not shown) that demodulates RF data and generates raw data. In another embodiment, the demodulation may be performed earlier in the processing chain (e.g., the receive beamformer 110).

[0028] The processor 116 may be adapted to perform one or more processing operations according to a plurality of selectable ultrasound modalities on the data. In one example, the data may be processed in real time during a scanning session as the echo signals are received by the receiver 108 and transmitted to the processor 116. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "real time" is defined to include a program that is executed without any intentional delay. For example, an embodiment may acquire images at a real-time rate of 7 frames per second to 20 frames per second. Some embodiments of the present invention may include multiple processors (not shown) to process the processing tasks processed by the processor 116 according to the exemplary embodiments described above. For example, before displaying an image, a first processor may be utilized to demodulate and decimate the RF signal, while a second processor may be used to further process the data (e.g., by augmenting the data as further described herein). It should be understood that other embodiments may use different processor arrangements.

[0029] The ultrasound imaging system 100 can continuously acquire data at a frame rate of, for example, 10 Hz to 30 Hz (e.g., 10 frames per second to 30 frames per second). The images generated based on the data can be refreshed on the display device 118 at a similar frame rate. Other embodiments can acquire and display data at different rates. For example, depending on the size of the frame and the intended application, some embodiments can acquire data at a frame rate less than 10 Hz or greater than 30 Hz. A memory 120 is included for storing the processed frames of the acquired data. In an exemplary embodiment, the memory 120 has sufficient capacity to store at least several seconds' worth of ultrasound data frames. The data frames are stored in a manner that facilitates retrieval according to their acquisition order or time. The memory 120 can include any known data storage medium.

[0030] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor 116 can process data through different mode-related modules (e.g., B-mode, color Doppler, M-mode, color M-mode, spectral Doppler, elastography, TVI, strain, strain rate, etc.) to form 2D or 3D data. For example, one or more modules can generate B-mode, color Doppler, M-mode, color M-mode, spectral Doppler, elastography, TVI, strain, strain rate, and combinations thereof, etc. As an example, one or more modules can process color Doppler data, which can include conventional color flow Doppler, power Doppler, HD flow, etc. The image lines and / or frames are stored in the memory and can include timing information indicating the time when the image lines and / or frames are stored in the memory. These modules can include, for example, a scan conversion module that performs a scan conversion operation to convert the acquired image from beam space coordinates to display space coordinates. A video processor module can be provided, which reads the acquired image from the memory and displays the image in real time when performing a procedure on a patient (e.g., ultrasound imaging). The video processor module can include a separate image memory, and the ultrasound image can be written to the image memory for reading and display by the display device 118.

[0031] After performing a two-dimensional ultrasound scan, a data block including scan lines and their samples is generated. After applying a backend filter, a process called scan conversion is performed to transform the two-dimensional data block into a displayable bitmap image with additional scan information (such as depth, angle of each scan line, etc.). During scan conversion, interpolation techniques are applied to fill in the missing holes (e.g., pixels) in the resulting image. These missing pixels occur because each element of the two-dimensional block typically should cover many pixels in the resulting image. For example, in current ultrasound imaging systems, bicubic interpolation is applied, which utilizes adjacent elements of the two-dimensional block. Therefore, if the two-dimensional block is relatively small compared to the size of the bitmap image, the scan-converted image will include regions with poor or low resolution, especially for regions with greater depth.

[0032] In an embodiment where the transmit beamformer 101 is included in the console 150 and not in the probe 106, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may be configured to transmit signals from the transmit beamformer 101 to the probe 106 to operate the probe 106. In an embodiment where the transmit beamformer 101 is included in the probe 106 and not in the console 150, the ultrasound imaging system 100 may be configured to transmit beam setting data from the processor 116 (e.g., and / or from the FPGA of the processor 116) to the transmit beamformer 101 to operate the probe 106. The beam setting data may be transmitted as a low voltage digital signal rather than a high voltage transmit signal. A dedicated set of lines may be used for such purpose. However, the number of lines in the dedicated set may be small (e.g., four), and the amount of beam setting data transmitted from the processor 116 may be large, which may result in a delay in operating the probe 106 due to the slow data transmission rate. As described in more detail below with reference to Figure 2 To increase the speed of data transmission, as described in more detail below, a second set of lines for transmitting transmit and receive signals from the probe 106 to the ultrasound console 150 and for transmitting transmit and receive signals from the ultrasound console may be used to transmit beam setting data during times when no data is being transmitted through the lines.

[0033] Figure 2 A first ultrasound probe coupling diagram 200 is shown, which depicts a probe 202 connected to a console 250 of an ultrasound system via a cable 220, where the ultrasound system, probe 202, and console 250 may be Figure 1 non-limiting examples of the ultrasound system 100, probe 106, and console 150. For purposes of clarity, some components of the ultrasound system are not depicted in Figure 2 For purposes of clarity, some components of the ultrasound system are not depicted in

[0034] The probe 202 may be coupled and electrically connected to the console 250 via a cable 220, which may include a first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 (e.g., the solid lines connecting the probe 202 and the console 250) and a second set of digital data transmission lines 224 (e.g., the dashed lines connecting the probe 202 and the console 250). The first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 may be used to transmit transmit signals to the transducer elements of the probe to generate acoustic waves to be projected into an object, and / or to receive receive signals from these transducer elements based on the acoustic waves reflected from the object. The second set of digital data transmission lines 224 may be used to transmit other digital data between the probe and the console. For purposes of this disclosure, other digital data refers to, for example, multiplexer information regarding when connections to different elements should be turned off, sensor information, beam setting data, or processing data of electronic transmit or receive components, motor information, and / or other digital data used by the probe 202 that does not include transmit signals or receive signals.

[0035] In some embodiments, probe 202 can be a standard probe, where probe 202 may not include electronic components for transmitting transmit signals, but may include receive beamforming electronics (e.g., Figure 1 receive beamformer 110) for receiving receive signals reflected from the anatomical structure of a patient of the ultrasound system. In such embodiments, the transmit signal can be generated at console 250 by a transmit signal (Tx) generator 214 (e.g., also described herein as pulse generator 214), and the transmit signal is sent to probe 202 via a first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222. The Tx generator 214 can generate high voltage signals and high frequency signals in the MHz frequency range, and these high signals can be applied to transducer elements (e.g., element 104) of the standard probe to generate acoustic waves. The receive signal can be generated at probe 202 and sent to the receive channel electronics 216 of console 250 via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222. The receive channel electronics 216 can generate one or more ultrasound images based on the receive signal and display the one or more ultrasound images on the display device 217 of console 250.

[0036] In other embodiments, probe 202 can include various electronic components for transmitting the transmit signal and receiving the receive signal reflected from the anatomical structure of a patient of the ultrasound system. For example, probe 202 can be an e4D probe. In such embodiments, probe 202 can include transmit beamforming electronics (e.g., transmit beamformer 101 of ultrasound system 100), and the Tx generator 214 may not be used to generate the transmit signal. Based on instructions generated at FPGA 212, the transmit signal can be generated at the transmit beamforming electronics of the probe, and the transmit signal is transmitted to the electronics in the probe via a second set of digital data transmission lines 224 used by both the standard probe and the e4D probe to transmit digital data between the console and the probe. In some embodiments, FPGA 212 can be part of a processor (e.g., Figure 1 processor 116) of the ultrasound system. In other embodiments, FPGA 212 can be part of the transmit beamforming electronics.

[0037] The transmit and receive beamforming electronics of probe 202 can include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). In Figure 2depicts four ASICs: a first ASIC 204, a second ASIC 205, a third ASIC 206, and a fourth ASIC 207. In other embodiments, the probe 202 may include a different number of ASICs. The ASICs 204-207 may be coupled to both a first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 (e.g., to control the transmission of received signals) and a second set of digital data transmission lines 224 (e.g., to receive transmit beamforming instructions).

[0038] The first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 and the second set of digital data transmission lines 224 may be bundled together in a cable 220. The first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 may include a first number of channels (e.g., lines), and the second set of digital data transmission lines 224 may include a second number of channels, where the first number may be different from the second number. Specifically, the first number of channels may be greater than the second number of channels. For example, in one embodiment, the second set of digital data transmission lines 224 may include four channels, and the number of channels of the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 may depend on the number of elements (e.g., Figure 1 element 104) included in the probe 202.

[0039] Each line / channel may include a separate coaxial cable. For example, the probe 202 may include 192 elements, and the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 may include 192 corresponding receive channels. Alternatively, the probe 202 may include 256 elements, and a multiplexer 226 may be used to drive 256 elements via 192 channels. Further, in some embodiments, the probe 202 may be an e4D probe including thousands of elements. Because the multiplexer 226 may not be able to drive such a large number of elements, the ASICs 204-207 may control the transmission of received signals from these large numbers of elements to the processor.

[0040] In an e4D probe, each of the ASICs 204 - 207 may include a digital communication section for receiving instructions (e.g., beam setting data) for generating transmit signals; a pre - beamforming section for controlling transmit and receive signals; and a pulse generator that may be used to apply electrical signals to transducer elements (e.g., as opposed to the Tx generator 214 for a standard probe). The ASICs 204 - 207 can determine which signals should be applied to which transducer elements. The number of ASICs may depend on the detailed design of the ASICs and the number of elements of the probe 202. The electronics inside the ASICs can be designed in such a way as to read and write data at a particular time and switch between transmitting received signals to the console 250 and receiving beam setting data. Beam setting data can be transmitted from the processor of the ultrasound system to the ASICs 204 - 207 via a second set of digital data transmission lines 224. Specifically, beam setting data can be transmitted from the FPGA 212 to the ASICs 204 - 207. However, the amount of beam setting data may be large, and thus, when operating an e4D probe, transmitting beam setting data via the second set of digital data transmission lines 224 may cause a delay, which may result in a delay in updating the display of one or more ultrasound images on the display device 217.

[0041] To avoid the delay, during the time when the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 is neither transmitting transmit signals from the Tx generator 214 to the ASICs 204 - 207 nor transmitting receive signals from the ASICs 204 - 207 to the console 250, some or all of the beam setting data can be advantageously transmitted from the FPGA 212 to the ASICs 204 - 207 via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222. Specifically, while waiting for the acoustic signal to reflect back from the patient and before generating the next transmit signal, the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 can be used to transmit some or all of the beam setting data during a short duration at the end of the previous receive phase of the ultrasound system. Since the transmit / receive channel lines 222 include a larger number of lines than the digital data transmission lines 224, the time taken to transmit the beam setting data can be reduced by sending the beam setting data from the FPGA 212 to the ASICs 204 - 207 in parallel via the transmit / receive channel lines 222.

[0042] For an embodiment where the probe 202 is a standard probe that does not include beamforming electronics in the probe, the Tx generator 214 can be used to generate transmit signals, and the transmit signals can be transmitted to the probe 202 via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222. For an embodiment where the probe 202 is an e4D probe, beam setting data can be additionally or alternatively transmitted to the probe 202 via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 during the transmit phase, since no transmit signals are transmitted from the Tx generator 214 via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222.

[0043] The console 250 can include a transmit / receive (T / R) switch 210 that is connected via a connector 208 to the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 and the second set of digital data transmission lines 224 of the cable 220. The T / R switch 210 can be controlled to switch between a transmit mode (when transmitting a transmit signal from the console to the probe via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines) and a receive mode (when transmitting a receive signal from the probe to the console via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines). The T / R switch 210 can be operated by a controller (e.g., the processor / controller 116) of the ultrasound system.

[0044] To transmit beam setting data from the console 250 to the probe 106 via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 when the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 is not in use, the T / R switch 210 can advantageously be configured to include a third position for a third digital data transmission mode. Specifically, the T / R switch 210 can include a first position 230, where when the T / R switch 210 is in the first position 230, the ultrasound system can be in a digital data transmission mode and can transmit digital data (including beam setting data) from the FPGA 212 to the probe 202 via the connector 208 and the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222. The T / R switch 210 can include a second position 232, where when the T / R switch 210 is in the second position 232, the ultrasound system can be in a receive mode and can transmit received signals from the probe 202 to the receive channel electronics 216 via the connector 208 and the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 for display on the display device 217. The T / R switch 210 can include a third position 234, where when the T / R switch 210 is in the third position 234, the ultrasound system can be in a transmit mode and can transmit transmit signals from the Tx generator 214 to the probe 202 (e.g., for a standard probe that does not include transmit beamforming electronics) via the connector 208 and the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222. In this way, by actuating the T / R switch 210 between the first position 230, the second position 232, and the third position 234, transmit signals can be transmitted to the standard probe, received signals can be transmitted to the receive channel electronics 216, and the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 can advantageously be used to transmit beam setting data for a probe 202 of an e4D probe implementation generated by the ASICs 204 - 207 for the transmit signal.

[0045] An example of how the T / R switch 210 can be adjusted during operation of the probe 202 is shown Figures 3 to 5 in Figure 3 FIG. 7 shows a first state 300 of the ultrasound system where the T / R switch 210 can be actuated to the first position 230 during the digital data transmission mode to transmit beam setting data for a first transmit signal via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222. The bold dashed line 302 indicates a first data stream (e.g., beam setting data and other digital data) from the FPGA 212 to the probe 202. Figure 4Shows the second state 400 of the ultrasound system, where during the receive mode, the T / R switch 210 is actuated to the second position 232 to receive the received signal from the probe 202 via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222. The bold dashed line 402 indicates the second data stream (e.g., the received signal) from the probe 202 to the receive channel electronics 216. After receiving the received signal, the T / R switch 210 can be actuated back to the first position 230 to transmit beam setting data from the FPGA 212 to the probe 202 for the second transmit signal ( Figure 3 ). Figure 5 Shows the third state 500 of the ultrasound system for a standard probe, where the T / R switch 210 can be actuated to the third position 234 to transmit a transmit signal from the Tx generator 214 to the probe 202 via the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 during the transmit mode. The bold dashed line 502 indicates the third data stream (e.g., the transmit signal) from the Tx generator 214 to the probe 202.

[0046] In this way, for the e4D probe, the T / R switch 210 can be used to allow beam setting data and other digital data used by the probe 202 to be transmitted by the larger number of, higher voltage first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 rather than the smaller number of, lower voltage second set of digital data transmission lines 224. Other digital data can include, for example, information about when the connections to different components should be turned off (e.g., multiplexer 226), information related to one or more sensors of the probe configured to detect the configuration, orientation, or drop of the probe, and / or other digital data not related to beamforming. By transmitting the beam setting data on the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222, the delay in the operation of the probe 202 due to slow data transmission on the second set of digital data transmission lines 224 can be reduced or eliminated, and the bottleneck that may limit the amount of beam setting data that can be transmitted to the probe 202 in real time can be eliminated, thus allowing an increase in the amount of beam setting data in the future. Further, by using the higher voltage first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222 instead of the second set of digital data transmission lines 224 to transmit the beam setting data, the second set of digital data transmission lines 224 can be eliminated, thereby reducing the cost of the probe 202 and the total cost of the ultrasound system.

[0047] For a standard (e.g., non-e4D) probe, the T / R switch 210 protects the receive channel electronics 216 from high voltage transmit signals. After transmitting a high voltage transmit signal, the T / R switch 210 is actuated to switch from the pulse generator output (from the Tx generator 214) to the receive circuit input (to the receive channel electronics 216).

[0048] Now refer to Figure 6, Exemplary timing diagram 600 shows the timing of the sequence of events during the operation of a probe of an ultrasound system (such as probe 106 of ultrasound system 100 and / or probe 202 of the first ultrasound probe coupling diagram 200), where the probe can be an e4D probe including beamforming electronics located in the probe, or a standard (e.g., non-e4D) probe that does not include beamforming electronics in the probe. The operation of the probe can include a plurality of consecutive transmit / receive cycles, where during each transmit / receive cycle, an acoustic transmit signal is projected into the patient of the ultrasound system, and an acoustic receive signal is received from the patient as a reflection of the acoustic transmit signal. In Figure 6 , the operation of the probe is shown during two consecutive transmit / receive cycles of the ultrasound system, namely the first transmit / receive cycle 620 and the second transmit / receive cycle 622. Time is shown on the horizontal axis of the timing diagram 600, and the time points of interest during the first sequence of events are shown by vertical dashed lines.

[0049] Timing diagram 600 shows four curves. The first curve 602 shows when the ultrasound system is in the transmit mode, when a transmit signal is generated at the probe and the transmit signal is transmitted into the patient of the ultrasound system, where the transmit mode can be on (ON) or off (OFF). The second curve 604 shows when the ultrasound system is in the receive mode, when an acoustic receive signal is received at the probe and the acoustic receive signal is transmitted back to the ultrasound system, where the receive mode can be on or off. The third curve 606 shows when the beam setting data and other digital data of the ultrasound system can be transmitted from the FPGA of the ultrasound system (e.g., Figure 2 the FPGA 212) to the e4D ultrasound probe, where the transmission of the beam setting data and other digital data can be on or off. The beam setting data can be used to configure the acoustic transmit signal before projecting the acoustic transmit signal into the patient. The fourth curve 608 shows when the beam setting data of the ultrasound system can be transmitted from the processor to the standard ultrasound probe, where the transmission of the digital data can be on or off. Since the standard ultrasound probe does not generate a transmit signal, the amount of beam setting data transmitted to the ultrasound probe can be less (e.g., multiplexer information about when the connections to different components should be turned off and / or other digital data not related to beamforming).

[0050] At time t0, the ultrasound system may be off, whereby the ultrasound system may not be in either the transmit mode or the receive mode.

[0051] At time t1, beam setting data used by the e4D probe to generate the first acoustic emission signal and other digital data can be sent from the FPGA to the probe to initiate the first transmit / receive cycle 620, as shown in graph 606. For a standard probe, other digital data can be sent from the FPGA to the probe to initiate the first transmit / receive cycle 620, as shown in graph 608.

[0052] Between time t1 and time t2, beam setting data and other digital data can be transmitted via a set of transmit / receive channel lines (e.g., the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222) of a cable that couples the probe to the console of the ultrasound system. The ultrasound system may not be used to transmit the transmit signal between t1 and t2 during the transmit mode. The beam setting data can be received at one or more ASICs (e.g., ASICs 204 - 207) of the probe, and the one or more ASICs can process the instructions in the beam setting data for controlling the transmit signal.

[0053] At time t2, an electrical transmit signal is provided to the probe to generate the first acoustic emission signal, and when the probe generates the first acoustic emission signal and transmits the first acoustic emission signal into the patient's body, the transmit mode is initiated. For the e4D probe, the transmit signal is generated at the probe. For a standard probe, the transmit signal is generated at the console of the ultrasound system and is sent to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines.

[0054] Between time t2 and time t3, the ultrasound system is in the transmit mode, as shown in graph 602. For example, the time between t2 and t3 when the ultrasound system is in the transmit mode can be from 10 microseconds to 20 microseconds. The beam setting data can be transmitted to the e4D probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines during the transmit mode, as shown in graph 606. However, in the case of a standard probe, during the transmit mode, the beam setting data may not be transmitted via the set of transmit / receive channel lines because the set of transmit / receive channel lines can be used to transmit the transmit signal from a pulse generator located in the console (e.g., Tx generator 214).

[0055] At time t3, the transmit mode ends and no acoustic emission signal is generated. Between time t3 and time t4, the ultrasound system is in the receive mode, as shown in graph 604, where the ultrasound system can receive or wait to receive a first acoustic reception signal, where the first acoustic reception signal is a reflection of the first acoustic emission signal from the patient's internal anatomy. During the receive mode, the first acoustic reception signal is received at the probe and transmitted to the console of the ultrasound system via the receive line. Receiving the first acoustic reception signal may take longer than transmitting the first acoustic emission signal because the portion of the deepest echo of the first acoustic reception signal from a group of the patient's deepest tissues may take time. For example, based on an image depth of 150 mm, it may take 200 microseconds to receive the first acoustic reception signal.

[0056] At time t4, the first acoustic reception signal has been fully received and the receive mode ends, the first transmit / receive cycle 620 ends and the second transmit / receive cycle 622 begins. Between time t4 and time t5, since the first acoustic reception signal has been fully received, the set of transmit / receive channel lines may not be in use, whereby the set of transmit / receive channel lines can be used to transmit a second set of beam setting data (and other digital data) to generate a second acoustic emission signal from the FPGA to the probe, thus initiating the second transmit / receive cycle 622. The second set of beam setting data can be processed by the ASIC of the probe before transmitting the transmit signal.

[0057] At time t5, when the probe generates a second acoustic emission signal based on the second set of beam setting data and transmits the second acoustic emission signal into the patient's body, the transmit mode is initiated. Between time t5 and time t6, the ultrasound system is in the transmit mode, as shown in graph 602. During the transmit mode, as described above, the beam setting data can continue to be transmitted to the e4D probe via the receive line, as shown in graph 606. However, during the transmit mode, no beam setting data can be transmitted to the standard probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines, as shown in graph 608.

[0058] At time t6, the transmit mode ends and no acoustic emission signal is generated. The receive mode is initiated, during which the second acoustic reception signal can be received and transmitted to the console of the ultrasound system via the receive line.

[0059] Thus, as shown in graph 602 and graph 604, during each transmit / receive cycle, the ultrasound system oscillates between a transmit mode and a receive mode. However, at the end of the receive mode, there may be a portion of each transmit / receive cycle where the acoustic receive signal has been fully received and the transmit mode has not yet started. During this portion, no data is transmitted from the receive beamforming electronics of the probe to the console via the set of transmit / receive channel lines. Thus, the set of transmit / receive channel lines can advantageously be used to transmit beam setting data for configuring the corresponding upcoming transmit signals of the e4D probe and other digital information used by a standard probe. Additionally, for the e4D probe, beam setting data can be transmitted via the set of transmit / receive channel lines during the transmit mode.

[0060] In some embodiments, all of the beam setting data for configuring the first acoustic transmit signal and the second acoustic transmit signal can be sent via the set of transmit / receive channel lines in this manner. In other embodiments, a first portion of the beam setting data can be transmitted via other digital data transmission lines (e.g., the second set of digital data transmission lines 224), and a second portion of the beam setting data can be transmitted via the set of transmit / receive channel lines. The transmission of the beam setting data via the set of transmit / receive channel lines is described in more detail below with reference to Figure 9 method 900.

[0061] Figure 9 An exemplary method 900 is shown, which is for controlling the T / R switch of the ultrasound system as described above to advantageously use a set of transmit / receive channels (e.g., Figure 2 the first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222) to transmit beam setting data when the receive signal generated at the probe of the ultrasound system is not being transmitted to the console of the ultrasound system using the transmit / receive channels. The ultrasound system can be a Figure 1 non-limiting example of the ultrasound system 100, and the T / R switch can be the same as or similar to the Figures 2 to 5 T / R switch 210. The steps of method 900 can also be applied as described above with respect to the Figure 6 timing diagram 600. In various embodiments, method 900 can be executed by a processor of the ultrasound system (such as the Figure 1 processor 116) and / or the FPGA of the ultrasound system (such as the Figure 2 FPGA 212).

[0062] Method 900 begins at 902, where method 900 includes actuating a T / R switch to a first position (e.g., first position 230) corresponding to a digital data transmission mode to transmit beam setting data for generating a transmit signal to the probe via a set of transmit / receive channel lines or a channel generally used for transmit / receive signals to and from the probe (e.g., first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222). According to conventional techniques known in the art, a portion of the line can be used for each ASIC, and data can be transmitted in parallel on that portion of the line. The beam setting data can be received at beamforming electronics of the probe, such as one or more ASICs (e.g., ASICs 204 - 207) located in the handle of the probe. The beamforming electronics can process the beam setting data configuring the acoustic emission signal.

[0063] At 904, method 900 includes determining whether a start of the transmit signal is scheduled. During operation of the ultrasound system, the start of the transmit signal can be scheduled at a predetermined interval of a transmit / receive cycle. If it is determined at 904 that the start of the transmit signal is not scheduled, method 900 proceeds to 906. At 906, method 900 includes waiting until the start of the transmit signal is scheduled.

[0064] If it is determined at 904 that the start of the transmit signal is scheduled, method 900 proceeds to 908. At 908, method 900 includes initiating a beam transmit mode and initiating transmission of the transmit signal from the probe to the body of the patient or the object being scanned. In the case of an e4D probe, the transmit signal is generated at the probe based on the beam setting data. In the case of a standard probe, the transmit signal is generated at the console of the ultrasound system and transmitted to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines.

[0065] At 909, method 900 includes holding the T / R switch in the first position and continuing to transmit beam setting data and other digital data to the e4D probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines. However, for a standard probe, method 900 includes actuating the T / R switch to a third position (e.g., third position 234) to abort transmission of other digital data to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines and to allow transmission of the transmit signal to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines.

[0066] At 910, method 900 includes determining whether the transmit signal has ended. If it is determined at 910 that the transmit signal has not ended, method 900 proceeds to 912. At 912, method 900 includes waiting until the transmission of the transmit signal has ended.

[0067] If it is determined at 910 that the transmit signal has ended, method 900 proceeds to 914. At 914, method 900 includes actuating the T / R switch to a second position (e.g., second position 232) to initiate the receive mode of the ultrasound system. At the second position, received signals transmitted via the set of transmit / receive channel lines are received by the receive channels at the console of the ultrasound system. During the receive mode, the reflected signals are received at the probe and these reflected signals are sent to the console. The reflected signals can reach the probe and be transmitted via the transmit / receive channel lines over a period of time (e.g., between time t3 and time t4 of Figure 6 ), depending on the depth of the reflecting structures within the patient or object being scanned. For example, a first portion of the reflected signal can arrive at a first time of the duration; a second portion of the reflected signal can arrive at a second time of the duration; and so on until all of the reflected signals among the reflected signals have been received at the probe and these signals have been sent to the console via the set of transmit / receive channel lines.

[0068] At 916, method 900 includes determining whether a received signal is still being transmitted from the probe to the console (e.g., whether the reflected signals continue to reach the probe). If it is determined at 916 that a reflected signal is still being detected at the probe and a receive signal is still being transmitted, method 900 proceeds to 918. At 918, method 900 includes waiting until the transmission of the received signal has ended.

[0069] If it is determined at 916 that all of the reflected signals among the reflected signals have been detected at the probe and a receive signal is no longer being transmitted, method 900 proceeds to 920. At 920, method 900 includes actuating the T / R switch from the second position to the first position to transmit beam setting data for generating a new transmit signal to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines, thereby initiating a new transmit / receive cycle. In other words, when the set of transmit / receive channel lines is not being used to transmit beamformed or ultrasound data, during the time window between the end of the receive mode and the start of the subsequent transmit mode, the T / R switch is operated to advantageously use the set of transmit / receive channel lines to transmit beam setting data (and other digital data). For e4D probes, beam setting data can also be sent during the transmit mode.

[0070] Now referring to Figure 7, shows a second ultrasound probe coupling diagram 700, which depicts a second alternative embodiment of the ultrasound system 100, in which the probe 202 is connected to the console 250. In the second embodiment, the beam setting data and other digital data can be advantageously transmitted from the FPGA 212 to the transmit beamforming electronics (e.g., ASICs 204 - 207) via a first set of lines 222 using a Tx generator 214 (e.g., a pulse generator), as shown by the dashed line 702.

[0071] In other words, for the e4D probe, during the transmit mode, the transmit signal is generated by the ASICs 204 - 207, rather than by the Tx generator 214. Thus, the Tx generator 214 can be configured to transmit beam setting data during the transmit mode. Additionally or alternatively, for both the e4D probe and the standard probe, the Tx generator 214 can be used to transmit beam setting data via the first set of lines 222 during a portion of the receive mode after the receive signal has been received and before the subsequent transmit mode has been initiated, as described above with reference to Figure 6 the description. The Tx generator 214 can be configured to transmit beam setting data and / or other digital data via pulses of low voltage signals, as described below with reference to Figure 8 the description. A method for using the Tx generator 214 to transmit beam setting data and / or other digital data via pulses of low voltage signals is described below with reference to Figure 10 the description.

[0072] Figure 7 The advantage of the second embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 5 over the first embodiment shown in

[0073] Figure 8 is that an off-the-shelf pulse generator can be used without modification. However, the disadvantage of the second embodiment relative to the first embodiment is that using a pulse generator to generate digital data may have bandwidth and / or speed limitations, and the data transmission rate may be slower. Figure 1during the transmit mode of the ultrasonic imaging system 100) is transmitted to a standard probe (e.g., probe 202). The transmit signal of voltage graph 807 is a high voltage signal that oscillates between a high positive voltage as shown in portion 808 of voltage graph 807 and a high negative voltage as shown in portion 809 of voltage graph 807. For example, the high positive voltage can be a voltage up to 200V, and the high negative voltage can be a voltage up to -200V. The transmit signal can be converted into sound waves by a transducer array (e.g., Figure 1 transducer element 104) of the probe.

[0074] The pulse generator can be configured to send the transmit signal to the probe via a set of transmit / receive channel lines, which can include coaxial cables capable of transmitting signals with high positive and negative voltages. For e4D probes or other probes that include electronics (e.g., ASIC 204 - 207 in the embodiment shown in Figure 2 for generating the transmit signal at the probe rather than at the pulse generator), the beam setting data can be transmitted to the probe together with instructions for generating the transmit signal, and the transmit signal can be sent via a second set of lines (e.g., second set of digital data transmission lines 224). However, the pulse generator can advantageously be configured to send the beam setting data to the probe via the transmit / receive channel lines rather than the second set of lines. The pulse generator can have multiple output terminals, and each of the multiple output terminals can be connected to a different signal line in the transmit / receive channel lines. Thus, the beam setting data can be transmitted in parallel via different signal lines. By doing so, a larger amount of beam setting data and other digital data can be sent to the probe in a shorter amount of time without incurring delays due to slow data transmission rates. Additionally, the second set of lines can be eliminated, which can reduce the stiffness, weight, and / or cost of the cable, as well as the cost and complexity of the ultrasonic system.

[0075] To protect the electronics of the probe from damage, the standard integrated electronics of the pulse generator can be used to send the beam setting data via a low voltage signal as shown in exemplary graph 810 of low voltage graph 804. The low voltage signal can be a binary signal that transmits digital data including ones and zeros by transmitting a low voltage pulse 811 within a predefined time increment 815 to represent one and not transmitting a low voltage pulse 811 within the predefined time increment to represent zero (e.g., at position 812). In this way, the beam setting data and / or other digital data can be encoded by the pulse generator for transmission via the transmit / receive channel lines in a manner that does not damage the electronics.

[0076] One problem with transmitting low-voltage signals in this manner is that in the case of an external electromagnetic field, an additional voltage may be generated on the line transmitting the low-voltage signal. Due to the noise caused by the additional voltage, a false state may be detected, where a zero may be decoded as a one, or vice versa. To solve this problem, an alternative coding strategy as shown in FIG. 806 of the third low voltage can be used, which relies on differential data transmission between a first signal 822 (e.g., graph 810) transmitted on a first line in the transmit / receive channel line and a second signal 824 transmitted on a second line in the transmit / receive channel line. The second signal 824 can be an inverted form of the first signal 822. The receivers of the first signal 822 and the second signal 824 (e.g., ASIC) can calculate the voltage difference between the first signal 822 and the second signal 824 to determine the coding of ones and zeros based on the difference, thereby decoding the digital data transmitted via the first signal 822 and the second signal 824. In the case of an external electromagnetic field that causes an additional voltage on the line, the additional voltage can be observed on both the first signal 822 and the second signal 824. Therefore, the difference between the first signal 822 and the second signal 824 is not affected by the additional voltage, and the external electromagnetic field does not affect the result. Therefore, the alternative coding strategy based on differential data transmission can provide a more robust and reliable data transmission.

[0077] Figure 10 Method 1000 is shown, which is for transmitting beam setting data and / or other digital data via pulsed emission of low-frequency signals, to advantageously use a set of transmit / receive channels (e.g., Figure 2 a first set of transmit / receive channel lines 222) to transmit beam setting data and / or other digital data when the transmit / receive channels are not in use. The ultrasound system can be Figure 1 a non-limiting example of the ultrasound system 100. When the ultrasound system includes a probe having electronics for generating transmit signals such as an e4D probe, method 1000 can be used, where the pulse generator typically used for generating transmit signals may not be in use. When the ultrasound system includes a standard probe without electronics for generating transmit signals, method 1000 can also be used, where the pulse generator is used to generate transmit signals and is also used to generate and transmit digital data such as MUX configuration data, etc. The pulse generator can be used to generate pulses of low-frequency signals to transmit beam setting (and other) data. The steps of method 1000 can also be applied as described above with respect to Figure 6 the timing diagram 600. In various embodiments, method 1000 can be performed by a processor (such as Figure 1 the processor 116) of the ultrasound system and / or the FPGA (such as Figure 2 the FPGA 212) of the ultrasound system.

[0078] Method 1000 begins at 1002, where method 1000 includes initiating a digital data transmission mode and transmitting beam setting data and other digital data for generating a transmit signal to the probe via a set of transmit / receive channel lines that are typically used for transmit / receive signals to and from the probe using a pulse generator (e.g., Tx generator 214). The beam setting data can be converted by the pulse generator into a series of pulses as described above with reference to Figure 8 as described. The beam setting data can be received at beamforming electronics of the probe, such as one or more ASICs (e.g., ASICs 204 - 207) located in the handle of the probe. The beamforming electronics can process the beam setting data that configures the acoustic transmit signal.

[0079] At 1004, method 1000 includes determining whether a start of a transmit signal is scheduled. During operation of the ultrasound system, a start of a transmit signal can be scheduled at a predetermined interval of a transmit / receive cycle. If it is determined at 1004 that a start of the transmit signal is not scheduled, method 1000 proceeds to 1006. At 1006, method 1000 includes waiting until a start of the transmit signal is scheduled.

[0080] If it is determined at 1004 that a start of the transmit signal is scheduled, method 1000 proceeds to 1008. At 1008, method 1000 includes initiating a beam transmit mode and initiating transmission of the transmit signal from the probe to the body of the patient or object being scanned. For an e4D probe, a transmit signal can be generated at the probe based on the beam setting data. For a standard probe, a transmit signal can be generated by the pulse generator and sent to the probe via the transmit / receive channel lines.

[0081] At 1009, method 1000 can include continuing to transmit beam setting data and other digital data to the e4D probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines while the transmit signal is being generated by the electronics of the probe. However, for a standard probe where the pulse generator is used to generate the transmit signal, method 1000 includes aborting transmission of other digital data to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines and allowing the transmit signal to be generated by the pulse generator and transmitted to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines.

[0082] At 1010, method 1000 includes determining whether the transmit signal has ended. If it is determined at 1010 that the transmit signal has not ended, method 1000 proceeds to 1012. At 1012, method 1000 includes waiting until the transmission of the transmit signal has ended.

[0083] If it is determined at 1010 that the transmit signal has ended, method 1000 proceeds to 1014. At 1014, method 1000 includes stopping transmitting beam setting data to the probe via the transmit / receive channel lines, and initiating the receive mode of the ultrasound system. During the receive mode, receive signals are transmitted from the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines, and the receive signals are received by the receive channels at the console of the ultrasound system. During the receive mode, the reflected signals are received at the probe and sent to the console. The reflected signals may reach the probe and be transmitted via the transmit / receive channel lines for a period of time (e.g., between time t3 and time t4 of Figure 6 ), depending on the depth of the reflecting structures within the patient or object being scanned. For example, a first portion of the reflected signal may arrive at a first time of the duration; a second portion of the reflected signal may arrive at a second time of the duration; and so on until all of the reflected signals in the reflected signals have been received at the probe and sent to the console via the set of transmit / receive channel lines.

[0084] At 1016, method 1000 includes determining whether the receive signal is still being transmitted from the probe to the console (e.g., whether the reflected signals continue to reach the probe). If it is determined at 1016 that the reflected signals are still being detected at the probe and the receive signal is still being transmitted, method 1000 proceeds to 1018. At 1018, method 1000 includes waiting until the transmission of the receive signal has ended.

[0085] If it is determined at 1016 that all of the reflected signals in the reflected signals have been detected at the probe and the receive signal is no longer being transmitted, method 1000 proceeds to 1020. At 1020, method 1000 includes initiating a digital data transmission mode, and transmitting beam setting data for generating a new transmit signal to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines using a pulse generator to initiate a new transmit / receive cycle. In this way, when the set of transmit / receive channel lines is not being used to transmit beamformed or ultrasound data, the pulse generator can be operated during the transmit mode (for e4D probes) and / or during the time window between the end of the receive mode and the start of the subsequent transmit mode (for both standard probes and e4D probes) to advantageously use the set of transmit / receive channel lines to transmit beam setting data (and other digital data) to the probe.

[0086] Accordingly, methods and systems are disclosed that can increase the data transfer rate of digital data from the console of an ultrasound system to a probe of the ultrasound system and from the probe to the ultrasound system. The digital data includes beam setting data used by a modern e4D probe to control electronics for generating transmit signals and other digital data used by the probe, such as MUX configuration data and / or sensor data of the probe. When transmit and receive signals are not sent via the transmit / receive channel, the data transfer rate can be increased by sending digital data through the transmit / receive channel of the cable that couples the probe to the console. Specifically, digital data can be transmitted during a time window at the end of the receive mode, after a receive signal has been received from a first transmit / receive cycle, and before the transmit signal of a subsequent transmit / receive cycle is initiated. Additionally, for an e4D probe, digital data can be transmitted during the transmit mode when the transmit / receive channel is not in use. In some embodiments, the T / R switch used to switch between the transmit mode and the receive mode can be configured to include a third position, where when the T / R switch is in the third position, low voltage signals are used to transmit digital data via the transmit / receive channel to prevent damage to the probe electronics. In other embodiments, the pulse generator of the ultrasound system can advantageously be used to encode and transmit digital data. By transmitting digital data to the probe via the transmit / receive channel rather than a separate set of dedicated lines, a greater amount of beam setting data and other digital data can be sent to the probe in a shorter amount of time. Accordingly, delays due to slow data transfer rates can be avoided, and the transfer of a greater amount of digital data used by next-generation ASICs can be facilitated. Additionally, the separate dedicated lines can be eliminated, which can reduce the weight of the cable and increase the flexibility of the cable, and reduce the cost and complexity of the ultrasound system. The technical effect of using the transmit / receive channel rather than separate dedicated lines to transmit digital data is that the amount of digital data transferred between the console and the probe and the data transfer rate can be increased, and the cost and complexity of the ultrasound system can be reduced.

[0087] The present disclosure also provides support for an ultrasound system, including: a console that includes a pulse generator and a controller; an ultrasound probe that is coupled to the console via a cable, the cable including a set of transmit / receive channel lines configured to transmit transmit signals from the pulse generator to the ultrasound probe during a transmit mode of the ultrasound system and to transmit receive signals from the ultrasound probe to the console during a receive mode of the ultrasound system; and a non-transitory memory that stores instructions that, when executed, cause the controller to transmit digital data between the console and the ultrasound probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines when neither transmitting the transmit signal nor transmitting the receive signal. In a first example of the system, the digital data includes at least one of the following: instructions for configuring a multiplexer of the ultrasound probe, sensor data of the ultrasound probe, and beam setting data including instructions for generating a transmit signal at the ultrasound probe. In a second example of the system, optionally including the first example, the ultrasound probe is one of the following probes: a standard probe that does not include electronics for generating a transmit signal at the ultrasound probe, and the time includes a first duration at the end of the receive mode after a receive signal has been received; and a probe that includes electronics for generating the transmit signal at the ultrasound probe, and the time includes at least one of a first duration at the end of the receive mode and a second duration during the transmit mode. In a third example of the system, optionally including one or both of the first example and the second example, the system further includes: a transmit / receive (T / R) switch, where additional instructions are stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the controller to: actuate the T / R switch to a first position to transmit digital data from the console to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines, actuate the T / R switch to a second position to receive the receive signal from the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines, and actuate the T / R switch to a third position to transmit the transmit signal from the pulse generator to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines. In a fourth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first example to the third example, the ultrasound probe is a standard probe, and additional instructions are stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the controller to actuate the T / R switch to the third position during the transmit mode. In a fifth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first example to the fourth example, the ultrasound probe includes electronics for generating a transmit signal at the ultrasound probe, and additional instructions are stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the controller to actuate the T / R switch to the first position during the transmit mode.In a sixth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first example through the fifth example, additional instructions are stored in a non-transitory memory, and these additional instructions, when executed, cause the controller to: actuate the T / R switch to a first position to transmit digital data at the end of a receive mode and before a subsequent transmit mode. In a seventh example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first example through the sixth example, digital data is transmitted via a low voltage signal through the set of transmit / receive channel lines. In an eighth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first example through the seventh example, additional instructions are stored in a non-transitory memory, and these additional instructions, when executed, cause the controller to transmit digital data to an ultrasound probe via a binary signal generated by a pulse generator, the binary signal transmitting digital data by: transmitting a low voltage pulse within a predefined time increment to represent one, and not transmitting a low voltage pulse within the predefined time increment to represent zero. In a ninth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first example through the eighth example, the binary signal includes a first binary signal transmitted via a first line of the set of transmit / receive channel lines and a second binary signal transmitted via a second line of the set of transmit / receive channel lines, the second binary signal being an inverted form of the first binary signal, and decoding the binary signal includes determining differential data transmission between the first binary signal and the second binary signal.

[0088] The present disclosure also supports a method for an ultrasound system, the method comprising: transmitting digital data between the console and the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines during a time period when neither the transmit signal nor the receive signal of the ultrasound system is transmitted via the set of transmit / receive channel lines within a cable coupling the probe of the ultrasound system to the console of the ultrasound system. In a first example of the method, the digital data includes at least instructions for configuring a multiplexer of the probe and / or sensor data of the probe. In a second example of the method, optionally including the first example, the time period includes a duration at the end of a receive mode of a transmit / receive cycle of the ultrasound system after a receive signal has been received. In a third example of the method, optionally including one or both of the first example and the second example, the probe includes electronics for generating a transmit signal at the probe, and the digital data includes beam setting data for controlling the electronics. In a fourth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first example to the third example, the time period includes a duration during a transmit mode of a transmit / receive cycle of the ultrasound system. In a fifth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first example to the fourth example, the method further comprises: actuating a transmit / receive (T / R) switch of the console to a first position to transmit digital data from the console to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines, actuating the T / R switch to a second position to receive the receive signal from the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines, and actuating the T / R switch to a third position to transmit a transmit signal from the console to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines. In a sixth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first example to the fifth example, the method further comprises: transmitting digital data from the console to the probe via a low voltage pulse generated by a pulse generator of the ultrasound system. In a seventh example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first example to the sixth example, the method further comprises: transmitting a first binary signal including a low voltage pulse via a first line of the set of transmit / receive channel lines, transmitting a second binary signal including a low voltage pulse via a second line of the set of transmit / receive channel lines, the second binary signal being an inverted form of the first binary signal, and decoding the digital data by determining a voltage difference between the first binary signal and the second binary signal.

[0089] The present disclosure also provides method support for an ultrasound system that includes a probe having electronics for generating transmit signals, the method including: during a transmit mode of the ultrasound system and / or during a portion of a receive mode of the ultrasound system after a receive signal has been received from the probe, transmitting digital beamforming data to the probe using a set of transmit / receive channel lines configured to send the transmit signal from a pulse generator of the ultrasound system to the probe, the digital beamforming data including instructions for generating the transmit signal at the probe. In a first example of the method, the method further includes at least one of: transmitting the digital beamforming data via a low voltage binary signal generated at the pulse generator, and transmitting the digital beamforming data from a field programmable gate array (FPGA) of the ultrasound system to the probe via a transmit / receive (T / R) switch for switching between the transmit mode and the receive mode, the T / R switch including a position for a digital data transmit mode during which the digital beamforming data is transmitted to the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines.

[0090] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there is one or more of such elements. The terms “first,” “second,” etc. do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that additional elements may exist in addition to the listed elements. As used herein, terms such as “connected to,” “coupled to,” etc., one object (e.g., a material, element, structure, component, etc.) may be connected to or coupled to another object, regardless of whether the one object is directly connected or coupled to the other object, or whether there is one or more intervening objects between the one object and the other object. Further, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0091] In addition to any previously indicated modifications, those skilled in the art can design many other variations and alternative arrangements without departing from the spirit and scope of this specification, and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, although the information has been specifically and detailedly described above in connection with the currently considered most practical and preferred aspects, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications can be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein, including but not limited to form, function, mode of operation, and use. Also, as used herein, in all respects, examples and embodiments are meant to be illustrative and should not be construed as limiting in any way.

Claims

1. An ultrasound system (100), comprising: a console (250, 150) comprising a pulse generator (214) and a controller (116); an ultrasound probe (202, 106) coupled to the console (250, 150) via a cable (220), the cable (220) comprising a set of transmit / receive channel lines (222) configured to transmit transmit signals from the pulse generator (214) to the ultrasound probe (202, 106) during a transmit mode of the ultrasound system (100), and to transmit receive signals from the ultrasound probe (202, 106) to the console (250, 150) during a receive mode of the ultrasound system (100); and A non-volatile memory (120) storing instructions that, when executed, cause the controller (116) to transmit digital data between the console (250, 150) and the ultrasound probe (202, 106) via the set of transmit / receive channel lines (222) when neither the transmit signal nor the receive signal is being transmitted.

2. The ultrasound system (100) of claim 1, wherein the digital data comprises at least one of the following: Instructions for configuring a multiplexer (226) of the ultrasound probe (202, 106); Sensor data of the ultrasound probe (202, 106); and Beam setting data including instructions for generating the transmit signal at the ultrasound probe (202, 106).

3. The ultrasound system (100) of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound probe (202, 106) is one of the following probes: a standard probe (202, 106) that does not include electronics for generating the transmit signal at the ultrasound probe (202, 106), and the time includes a first duration at the end of the receive mode after the receive signal has been received; and A probe (202, 106) comprising electronics for generating the transmit signal at the ultrasound probe (202, 106), and the time comprises at least one of the first duration at the end of the receive mode and a second duration during the transmit mode.

4. The ultrasound system (100) of claim 1, further comprising a transmit / receive (T / R) switch, wherein additional instructions are stored in the non-transitory memory (120) that, when executed, cause the controller (116) to: actuating the T / R switch (210) to a first position (230) to transmit the digital data from the console (250, 150) to the probe (202, 106) via the set of transmit / receive channel lines (222); actuating the T / R switch (210) to a second position (232) to receive the receive signal from the probe (202, 106) via the set of transmit / receive channel lines (222); and The T / R switch (210) is actuated to a third position (234) to transmit the transmit signal from the pulse generator (214) to the probe (202, 106) via the set of transmit / receive channel lines (222).

5. The ultrasound system (100) of claim 4, wherein the ultrasound probe (202, 106) is a standard probe (202, 106) and further instructions are stored in the non-volatile memory (120) that, when executed, cause the controller (116) to actuate the T / R switch (210) to the third position (234) during the transmit mode.

6. The ultrasound system (100) of claim 4, wherein the ultrasound probe (202, 106) includes electronics for generating the transmit signal at the ultrasound probe (202, 106), and additional instructions are stored in the non-volatile memory (120), which when executed cause the controller (116) to actuate the T / R switch (210) to the first position (230) during the transmit mode.

7. The ultrasound system (100) of claim 6, wherein additional instructions are stored in the non-transitory memory (120), the additional instructions, when executed, causing the controller (116) to: The T / R switch (210) is actuated to the first position (230) to transmit the digital data at the end of the receive mode and prior to a subsequent transmit mode.

8. The ultrasound system (100) of claim 1, wherein the digital data is transmitted through the set of transmit / receive channel lines (222) via a low voltage signal.

9. The ultrasound system (100) of claim 8, wherein additional instructions are stored in the non-volatile memory (120), which when executed cause the controller (116) to transmit the digital data to the ultrasound probe (202, 106) via a binary signal generated by the pulse generator (214), wherein the binary signal transmits the digital data by transmitting a low voltage pulse (811) within a predefined time increment (815) to represent a one, and not transmitting the low voltage pulse (811) at the predefined time increment (815) to represent a zero.

10. The ultrasound system (100) of claim 8, wherein the binary signal comprises a first binary signal transmitted via a first line of the set of transmit / receive channel lines (222) and a second binary signal transmitted via a second line of the set of transmit / receive channel lines (222), the second binary signal being an inverted version of the first binary signal, and decoding the binary signal comprises determining a differential data transfer between the first binary signal and the second binary signal.

11. A method for an ultrasound system, the method comprising: During a time when neither the transmit signal nor the receive signal of the ultrasound system is being transmitted via a set of transmit / receive channel lines within a cable coupling the probe of the ultrasound system to a console of the ultrasound system, digital data is transmitted between the console and the probe via the set of transmit / receive channel lines (902, 909, 920). 12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the digital data comprises at least instructions for configuring a multiplexer of the probe and / or sensor data of the probe.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the time comprises a duration when a receive mode of a transmit / receive cycle of the ultrasound system ends after the receive signal has been received.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the probe comprises electronics for generating the transmit signal at the probe, and the digital data comprises beam setting data for controlling the electronics.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the time comprises a duration during a transmit mode of a transmit / receive cycle of the ultrasound system.

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