Apparatus, method, and computer program

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and computer-implemented medium for determining a current pixel performance data set for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels located adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, where the transducer array is in an imaging device, the current pixel performance data set being obtained from a current pixel performance receive cycle of the one or more pixels relative to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; performing a comparison of the current pixel performance data set with a reference pixel performance data set for the one or more pixels, where the reference pixel performance data set is obtained from a reference pixel performance receive cycle of the one or more pixels relative to the second medium, where implementing the current pixel performance receive cycle and the reference pixel performance receive cycle is performed without alignment of the second medium with respect to the imaging device; and determining a defective pixel data set for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels based on the comparison.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments generally relate to the field of signal processing for imaging devices or probes, and more particularly to the field of signal processing for ultrasonic imaging devices such as those including microfabricated ultrasonic transducers (MUTs).

Background Art

[0002] Ultrasonic imaging is widely used in the fields of medical and non-destructive testing.

[0003] An ultrasonic imaging probe or ultrasonic imaging device typically includes an array of many individual ultrasonic transducers (pixels) that are used to emit and receive acoustic energy. The performance of an ultrasonic imaging device depends on the performance and contribution of each pixel in the pixel array that makes up each transducer element. Conventionally, to characterize pixel performance, test methods have utilized reflectors such as flat plates, wires, or pin targets in the path of the transmitted acoustic energy to reflect the transmitted energy back to the transmitting-side pixels. The energy is detected at the pixel when the transmitted energy is reflected from a solid reflector, and the combination of the transmitting and receiving performance of the pixel is determined.

[0004] When an acoustic wave traveling through a first medium with an acoustic impedance Z1 reaches the boundary with a second medium having an acoustic impedance Z2 different from Z1, an acoustic reflection occurs. The amplitude of the reflection is defined by the relationship between Z1 and Z2 as follows. [Equation 1] JPEG0007703830000001.jpg1838Equation (10) Here, R is the reflection coefficient that determines the amplitude of the acoustic pressure wave reflected from the impedance mismatch boundary between the first and second media.

[0005] Conventional acoustic energy reflectors have a Z2 impedance that is much larger than the Z1 impedance in order to maximize reflection by achieving a larger reflection coefficient R. An example is an ultrasonic imaging device mechanism that transmits in water, having an acoustic impedance Z1 of about 1.5 MRay, and a stainless steel reflector having an acoustic impedance Z2 of about 45 MRay, resulting in a reflection coefficient of 0.935, or a reflected amplitude that is 93.5% of the transmitted amplitude. A high reflection coefficient is desirable so that a transmitted signal whose amplitude decreases as it travels through the medium due to losses can have a maximized reflection that can be received at the transducer surface. If the signal is not maximized, the loss of amplitude as the signal travels through the medium may be too great for the signal to be detected. Any acoustic mismatch between media results in reflection at the boundary of the media.

[0006] However, disadvantageously, the mechanism of the reflector requires alignment of the plate with the test instrument and the transducer array. A medium for transmitting acoustic energy to the reflector is also required, typically water or tissue that mimics a substance. The distance from the transducer to the reflector and the distance back from the reflector to the transducer constitute the total path length of the acoustic energy. As the path length increases, the amplitude loss of the signal increases and the increase in the travel time of the signal increases.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] Some of the features of the embodiments are specifically recited in the appended claims. The features and advantages of the embodiments can be better understood by referring to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings (also referred to herein as "drawings" and "figures") in which the principles of the embodiments are utilized.

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[0022] B and C in FIG. 12 each show the head portion of the probe of A in FIG. 12 in the transmission mode and the reception mode according to an embodiment in which there are no pixel defects.

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] Some embodiments provide an apparatus, a method, and a computer-implemented medium. The apparatus determines a current pixel performance dataset for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels located adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, where the transducer array is within an imaging device, and the current pixel performance dataset is obtained from current pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; performs a comparison between the current pixel performance dataset and a reference pixel performance dataset for the one or more pixels, where the reference pixel performance dataset is obtained from reference pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, and where the implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycles and the reference pixel performance reception cycles is performed without alignment of the second medium with respect to the imaging device; and is for determining a defective pixel dataset for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels based on the comparison.

[0028] Advantageously, embodiments enable the determination of defective pixel datasets (data regarding one or more defective pixels) without alignment of the matching layer to the imaging device. Additionally, advantageously, some embodiments enable communication of the defective pixel dataset to the user and of the recommended next steps regarding the defective pixel dataset. Also, according to some other embodiments, the imaging device may communicate its defective pixel dataset to a remote device to enable aggregation of the defective pixel datasets at the remote device regarding multiple imaging devices and determination of next steps regarding design improvements, usage conditions, or other factors regarding the performance of multiple imaging devices.

[0029] Generally, embodiments relate to imaging devices, and more specifically, to imaging devices having electronically configurable ultrasonic transducer elements and associated image reconstruction circuitry. The non-invasive imaging device can be used to image internal tissues, bones, blood flow, or organs of a human or animal body.

[0030] Some embodiments of the imaging device may include hardware and / or software for controlling selective activation and deactivation of transducer elements of the imaging device to achieve transmission and reception patterns of ultrasonic waveforms and enable generation of an image from a subject while achieving power savings.

[0031] As referred to herein, the "ultrasonic waveforms" in a medium such as, for example, water, flesh, a lens, etc., may, in some embodiments, refer to compensation of the waveforms of each of the transmitting transducer elements. Transducer elements, such as groups of transducer elements according to some embodiments, may in some cases fire together, but often can be fired separately from one another (e.g., for steering).

[0032] As used herein, "pixel" refers to a single MUT (i.e., a device having a single diaphragm or membrane), while it should be noted that a transducer "element" can refer to a pixel or a group of pixels that act as one when grouped together.

[0033] Some embodiments of the imaging device may additionally include hardware and / or software for receiving reflected ultrasonic energy from the object to be imaged and for converting the received ultrasonic energy into an electrical signal.

[0034] Some embodiments of the imaging device may further include hardware and / or software for generating a display of an image and / or for constructing an image of the object to be imaged for displaying the image.

[0035] To perform imaging, the imaging device may transmit an ultrasonic waveform into body tissue towards the object to be imaged and receive the reflected ultrasonic energy from the object. Such an imaging device may include one or more transducer elements that can function using photoacoustic or ultrasonic effects. Such transducer elements can be used for imaging and can further be used in other applications. For example, the transducer elements can be used in medical imaging, flow measurement in pipes, speaker and microphone arrays, lithotripsy, local tissue heating for therapeutic purposes, and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery.

[0036] In the context of the embodiments, although the use of ultrasonic waveforms, ultrasonic waves, ultrasonic pressure waves, and / or ultrasound is explicitly shown, the embodiments are not specifically limited to ultrasound, but include within their scope the generation and processing of waves that propagate in the body, reflect from objects in the body, and can be decoded / analyzed / processed to enable the generation of information related to the object, such as the generation of an image corresponding to the object on a display device.

[0037] Conventionally, imaging devices such as ultrasonic imagers used in medical imaging use piezoelectric (PZT) materials or other piezoceramic and polymer composites. Such imaging devices may include a transducer with a PZT material, and a housing that houses other electronic devices that form and display an image on a display unit. To manufacture a PZT element or transducer, a thick slab of piezoelectric material can be cut into large rectangular-shaped PZT elements. The construction of these rectangular-shaped PZT elements can be expensive. This is because the manufacturing process generally involves precisely cutting a thick rectangular-shaped PZT or ceramic material and mounting it on a substrate at precise intervals. Further, the impedance of the transducer can be much higher than the impedance of the transmit / receive electronics of the transducer, which can affect performance.

[0038] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be utilized in the context of imaging devices that utilize either piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) or capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) technology, as will be described in more detail herein.

[0039] Generally, MUTs such as both cMUT and pMUT include a diaphragm (a thin film attached at its edge or at several points inside the probe). Here, a "conventional" bulk PZT element typically consists of a solid piece of material.

[0040] Piezoelectric micro ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs) can be efficiently formed on a substrate by leveraging various semiconductor wafer manufacturing operations. Semiconductor wafers can currently be 6 inches (15 centimeters), 8 inches (20 centimeters), and 12 inches (30 centimeters) in size and can store hundreds of transducer arrays. These semiconductor wafers start as silicon substrates on which various processing operations are performed. An example of such an operation is the formation of a SiO2 layer, also known as an insulating oxide. Various other operations are performed, such as the addition of metal layers that function as interconnects and bonding pads, enabling connection to other electronic devices. Yet another example of a processing operation is the etching of cavities. Compared to conventional transducers with bulky piezoelectric materials, pMUT elements constructed on semiconductor substrates are not bulky, can be manufactured inexpensively, and have a simpler and higher-performance interconnect between the electronic device and the transducer. Thus, it provides greater flexibility in the operating frequency of the imaging device using it and the possibility of generating higher-quality images.

[0041] In some embodiments, the imaging device may include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) including one or more transmit drivers, a detection circuit for processing electrical energy corresponding to ultrasonic energy (echo signals) reflected from and received by an object to be imaged, and other processing circuits for controlling various other operations. The ASIC may be formed on a separate semiconductor wafer or the same semiconductor wafer. This ASIC may be placed near the pMUT element to reduce parasitic losses. As a specific example, the ASIC may be separated from a transducer array including the pMUT element by 50 micrometers (μm) or less. In a broader example, the separation between two wafers or two dies may be less than 100 μm, where each wafer includes many dies, and the dies include transducers in the transducer wafer and ASICs in the ASIC wafer. In some embodiments, the ASIC has a footprint that matches the pMUT transducer including the pMUT element, and thus can be stacked for wafer-to-wafer interconnection with the pMUT transducer die. For example, the ASIC wafer may be stacked with the transducer die, or the ASIC die itself may be stacked with the transducer die through interconnects. Alternatively, the transducer can also be developed on top of the ASIC wafer as a single device using low-temperature piezo material sputtering and other low-temperature processes compatible with ASIC processing.

[0042] According to one embodiment, where the ASIC and the transducer are interconnected, the two may have similar footprints. More specifically, according to the latter embodiment, the footprint of the ASIC may be an integer multiple or a divisor of the pMUT footprint.

[0043] Regardless of whether the imaging device uses pMUT elements or cMUT elements in the transducer, imaging devices according to some embodiments may include a plurality of transmit channels and a plurality of receive channels. The transmit channels drive the transducer elements with voltage pulses at the frequencies to which the elements respond. Thereby, an ultrasonic waveform is radiated from the elements, and this waveform is directed towards the object to be imaged, such as an organ in the body. In some examples, an imaging device having an array of transducer elements may make mechanical contact with the body using a gel between the imaging device and the body. The ultrasonic waveform travels towards the object, i.e., the organ, and a portion of the waveform is reflected back to the transducer elements in the form of received / reflected ultrasonic energy, where the received ultrasonic energy may be converted to electrical energy within the imaging device. The received ultrasonic energy is then further processed by the plurality of receive channels, which may convert the received ultrasonic energy into an electrical signal, which may be processed by other circuitry and an image of the object for display may be developed based on the electrical signal.

[0044] Embodiments of ultrasonic imaging devices include a transducer array and a control circuit including, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), transmit and receive beamforming circuits, and optionally additional control electronics.

[0045] An imaging device incorporating the features of the embodiments can advantageously reduce or solve these and other technical problems. Specifically, the imaging device can be configured to control transmission (Tx) operation (transmission of ultrasonic waveforms from transducer elements) in a manner that controls power loss without exceeding the temperature limits of the imaging device while maintaining the required image quality. The number of receive channels and / or transmit channels used to form an image can be electronically and selectively adaptable (selectively activated, powered down, or placed in low power), for example, if a smaller number of channels is acceptable, i.e., a smaller number of channels can produce a useful display image, for example, to conserve power. As a specific example, each of a plurality of transmit and / or receive channels can be dynamically controlled, for example, by the control circuit of the image device, to reduce power or can be completely powered down. Additionally, other characteristics of each channel can also be configurable.

[0046] In an embodiment, the imaging device can include a transducer and a handheld casing that houses associated electronic circuitry such as a control circuit and optionally a computing device. The imaging device can also include a battery to power the electronic circuitry.

[0047] Accordingly, some embodiments relate to a portable imaging device that utilizes either pMUT elements or cMUT elements in a 2D array. In some embodiments, such an array of transducer elements is coupled to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) of the imaging device.

[0048] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, however, that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Further, those skilled in the art will recognize that the examples of the present disclosure described below may be implemented in various ways, such as a process, one or more processors (processing circuits) of a control circuit, one or more processors (or processing circuits) of a computing device, a system, a device, or a method on a tangible computer-readable medium.

[0049] Those skilled in the art will recognize that (1) certain manufacturing operations may optionally be performed; (2) the operations need not be limited to the specific order described herein; and (3) certain operations may be performed in a different order (including being performed simultaneously).

[0050] The elements / components shown in the figures are examples of exemplary embodiments and are intended to avoid obscuring the present disclosure. In the specification, references to "an example", "a preferred example", "an example", "examples", "an embodiment", "some embodiments" or "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, property, or function described in connection with the example is included in at least one example of the present disclosure and may be in more than one example. The appearances of the phrases "in one example", "in an example", "in examples", "in an embodiment", "in some embodiments" or "in embodiments" at various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same example or examples. The terms "including", "includes", "comprising" and "comprises" should be understood as open terms, followed by any listing being examples and not meaning limited to the listed items. Any headings used in the specification are for organization purposes only and should not be used to limit the scope of the description or claims. Further, the use of specific terms at various places in the specification is for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting.

[0051] Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an imaging device 100 having a controller or control circuit 106 that controls selectively changeable channels (108, 110) and causes an imaging computation to be performed on a computing device 112, in accordance with the principles described herein. As described above, the imaging device 100 can be used to generate images of internal tissues, bones, blood flow, or organs of a human or animal body. Thus, the imaging device 100 can transmit signals into the body and receive the reflected signals from the body part being imaged. Such an imaging device can include either pMUT or cMUT, which can be referred to as a transducer or imager that can be based on photoacoustic or ultrasonic effects. The imaging device 100 can be used to image other objects as well. For example, the imaging device can be used in medical imaging; flow measurement in pipes, speakers, and microphone arrays; lithotripsy; therapeutic local tissue heating; and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery.

[0052] In addition to use in human patients, the imaging device 100 can also be used to acquire images of animal internal organs. Also, in addition to internal organ imaging, the imaging device 100 can be used to determine the direction and velocity of blood flow in arteries and veins, such as in Doppler mode imaging, and can also be used to measure the stiffness of tissues.

[0053] The imaging device 100 can be used to perform different types of imaging. For example, the imaging device 100 can be used to perform one-dimensional imaging, also known as A-Scan, two-dimensional imaging, also known as B-Scan, three-dimensional imaging, also known as C-Scan, and Doppler imaging. The imaging device 100 can be switched to different imaging modes, including but not limited to linear mode and sector mode, and can be electronically configured under program control.

[0054] To facilitate such imaging, the imaging device 100 includes one or more ultrasonic transducers 102, and each transducer 102 includes an array of ultrasonic transducer elements 104. Each ultrasonic transducer element 104 can be embodied as any suitable transducer element, such as a pMUT or cMUT element. The transducer elements 104 operate to 1) generate ultrasonic pressure waves that pass through a body or other mass, and 2) receive reflected waves (received ultrasonic energy) from a target within the body or other mass being imaged. In some examples, the imaging device 100 can be configured to simultaneously transmit and receive ultrasonic waveforms or ultrasonic pressure waves (hereinafter referred to as pressure waves). For example, the control circuit 106 can be configured to control specific transducer elements 104 to transmit pressure waves toward a target object being imaged, while other transducer elements 104 simultaneously receive the pressure waves / ultrasonic energy / received energy reflected from the target object in response to the received waves / received ultrasonic energy / received energy, and generate an electric charge based thereon.

[0055] In some examples, each transducer element 104 can be configured to transmit or receive signals associated with a center frequency, and optionally additional center frequencies and bandwidths. Such multi-frequency transducer elements 104 can be referred to as multimodal elements 104 and can extend the bandwidth of the imaging device 100. The transducer elements 104 can be capable of emitting or receiving signals at any suitable center frequency, such as from about 0.1 to about 100 megahertz. The transducer elements 104 can be configured to emit or receive signals at one or more center frequencies in the range of about 3.5 to about 5 megahertz.

[0056] To generate a pressure wave, the imaging device 100 may include a plurality of transmit (Tx) channels 108 and a plurality of receive (Rx) channels 110. The transmit channels 108 may include a plurality of components that drive the transducer 102, i.e., an array of transducer elements 104, with voltage pulses at a corresponding frequency. Thereby, an ultrasonic waveform is radiated from the transducer elements 104 towards the object to be imaged.

[0057] According to some embodiments, the ultrasonic waveform may include one or more ultrasonic pressure waves transmitted substantially simultaneously from one or more corresponding transducer elements of the imaging device.

[0058] The ultrasonic waveform travels towards the object to be imaged, and a portion of the waveform is reflected back to the transducer 102 and converted into electrical energy through the piezoelectric effect. The receive channel 110 collects the electrical energy thus obtained, processes it, and transmits it to a computing device 112 that develops or generates, for example, an image that can be displayed.

[0059] In some examples, the number of transmit channels 108 and receive channels 110 in the imaging device 100 may remain constant, while the number of transducer elements 104 to which they are coupled may vary. The coupling of the transmit and receive channels to the transducer elements may be controlled by the control circuit 106 in one embodiment. In some examples, for instance, as shown in FIG. 1, the control circuit may include the transmit channel 108 and the receive channel 110. For example, the transducer elements 104 of the transducer 102 may be formed in a two-dimensional spatial array of N columns and M rows. In a specific example, the two-dimensional array of transducer elements 104 may have 128 columns and 32 rows. In this example, the imaging device 100 may have up to 128 transmit channels 108 and up to 128 receive channels 110. In this example, each transmit channel 108 and receive channel 110 may be coupled to multiple or a single pixel 104. For example, depending on the imaging mode (e.g., a linear mode in which multiple transducers transmit ultrasonic waves in the same spatial direction, or a sector mode in which multiple transducers transmit ultrasonic waves in different spatial directions), each column of the transducer elements 104 may be coupled to a single transmit channel 108 and a single receive channel (110). In this example, the transmit channel 108 and the receive channel 110 may receive a composite signal, which combines the signals received at each transducer element 104 within each column. In another example, i.e., during different imaging modes, each transducer element 104 may be coupled to its dedicated transmit channel 108 and its dedicated receive channel 110. In some embodiments, the transducer element 104 may be coupled to both the transmit channel 108 and the receive channel 110. For example, the transducer element 104 may be adapted to create and transmit an ultrasonic pulse and then detect the echo of that pulse in a form that converts the reflected ultrasonic energy into electrical energy.

[0060] The control circuit 106 can be embodied as any circuit or plurality of circuits configured to perform the functions described herein. For example, the control circuit 106 can be embodied as, or can include, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a system on chip, a processor and memory, a voltage source, a current source, one or more amplifiers, one or more digital-to-analog converters, one or more analog-to-digital converters, etc.

[0061] The computing device 112 as an example can be embodied as any suitable computing device including any suitable components such as a processor, memory, communication circuitry, a battery, a display, etc. In one embodiment, for example as suggested in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the computing device 112 can be integrated together with the control circuit 106, the transducer 102, etc. in a single package or single chip, or a single system on chip (SoC). In other embodiments, some or all of the computing device can be in a package separate from the control circuit, and transducers such as, for example, as suggested in the embodiment of FIG. 2, will be described in more detail below.

[0062] Each transducer element can have any suitable shape such as square, rectangular, elliptical, or circular. The transducer elements can be arranged in a two-dimensional array arranged in orthogonal directions such as N columns and M rows as described herein, or can be arranged in an asymmetric (or alternating) linear array.

[0063] The transducer element 104 can have an associated transmission driver circuit for an associated transmission channel and a low-noise amplifier for an associated reception channel. Thus, the transmission channel can include a transmission driver and the reception channel can include one or more low-noise amplifiers. For example, although not explicitly shown, the transmission and reception channels can each include multiplexing and address control circuitry that enables a particular transducer element and set of transducer elements to be activated, deactivated, or placed in a low-power mode. It is understood that the transducers can be arranged in a pattern other than orthogonal rows and columns, such as a circular pattern or other pattern, based on the range of ultrasonic waveforms generated therefrom.

[0064] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an imaging environment including an imaging system having selectively configurable characteristics, according to an embodiment. The imaging system of FIG. 2 can include an imaging device 202 and a computing system 222 including a computing device 216 and a display 220 coupled to the computing device, as will be described in more detail below.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 2, according to one embodiment, the computing device 216 can be physically separate from the imaging device 220, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 1. For example, the computing device 216 and the display device 220 can be separate devices (in this context, a computing system 222 shown physically separate from the operating imaging device 202) compared to the components of the imaging device 202. The computing system 222 can include a mobile device such as a mobile phone or a tablet, or a stationary computing device capable of displaying an image to the user. In another example, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, a display device, a computing device, and an associated display can be part of the imaging device 202 (shown here). That is, the imaging device 100, the computing device 216, and the display device 220 can be arranged in a single housing.

[0066] As used herein, a "computing device" can be configured to generate a signal in some embodiments for at least one of displaying an image of interest on a display or communicating information regarding defective pixels to a user. Generating information regarding defective pixels can include displaying a graph of the temporal reception waveform of a pixel or group of pixels on a display, displaying a heat map of defective pixels on a display, playing an audio message regarding defective pixels through a speaker, or displaying text regarding defective pixels on a display. Generating the signal can include implementing an interlace algorithm in some embodiments, as further described below.

[0067] As shown, the imaging system includes an imaging device 202 configured to generate and transmit a pressure wave 210 via a transmission channel (FIG. 1, 108) towards a target such as the heart 214 in a transmission mode / process. An internal organ or other imaging target may reflect a portion of the pressure wave 210 towards the imaging device 202. The imaging device 202 may receive the reflected pressure wave via a transducer (such as transducer 102 of FIG. 1), a reception channel (FIG. 1, 110), and a control circuit (FIG. 1, 106). The transducer may generate an electrical signal based on the received ultrasonic energy in a reception mode / process. The transmission mode or reception mode may be applicable in the context of an imaging device configured to transmit or receive at different times. However, as described previously, some imaging devices according to embodiments may be adapted to be in both the transmission mode and the reception mode simultaneously. The system also includes a computing device 216 that communicates with the imaging device 100 through a communication channel such as a wireless communication channel 218 as shown, although embodiments may also encompass wired communication between the computing system and the imaging device within their scope. The imaging device 100 may communicate a signal to a computing device 216 that may have one or more processors for processing the received signal to complete the formation of an image of the target. The display device 220 of the computing system 222 may then display an image of the target using the signal from the computing device. The computing system may further communicate information regarding defective pixels to the user as described above.

[0068] Imaging devices according to some embodiments may include portable devices and / or handheld devices adapted to communicate signals through a communication channel wirelessly (using a wireless communication protocol such as IEEE 802.11 or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) protocol, Bluetooth (registered trademark) protocol including Bluetooth Low Energy, mmWave communication protocol, or other wireless communication protocols known to those skilled in the art), or through a wired connection such as a cable (such as USB2, USB3, USB3.1, and USB-C) or an interconnect on a microelectronic device, to communicate with a computing device. In the case of a tether or wired connection, the imaging device may include a port, further described in more detail in the context of FIG. 3A, for receiving a cable connection of a cable for communicating with a computing device. In the case of a wireless connection, the imaging device 100 may include a wireless transceiver for communicating with a computing device 216.

[0069] In various embodiments, it should be understood that different aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in different components. For example, in one embodiment, the imaging device may include circuitry (such as a channel) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waveforms through a transducer, while the computing device may be adapted to control such circuitry to generate ultrasonic waveforms in the transducer elements of the imaging device using voltage signals, and further to process the received ultrasonic energy to perform control for determining a defective pixel dataset for one or more defective pixels. In such an embodiment, the computing device may manage / control the functions of the imaging device based on the determination of defective pixels, construct an image of the object using frames as described in further detail below, and select and configure transmission and reception channels, etc.

[0070] In another embodiment, the imaging device may include a control circuit for controlling the generation of ultrasonic waveforms in the transducer element using a voltage signal to transmit and receive ultrasonic waveforms from the transducer element, and may also generate an electrical signal from the received ultrasonic energy. In a test mode, information regarding one or more defective pixels of the imaging device may be determined using the electrical signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic waveform. In such an embodiment, the control circuit of the imaging device may transmit the electrical signal generated from the received ultrasonic energy to a computing device, and the computing device may process them to determine information regarding one or more defective pixels. More generally, it should be understood that any suitable functions disclosed herein may be performed by one or more circuits, and these circuits may be housed in one physical device or may be physically separately housed from each other but communicatively coupled to each other.

[0071] FIGS. 3A and 3B each depict a diagram of an imaging device and internal components within the housing of the imaging device, according to some embodiments, as described in further detail below.

[0072] As seen in FIG. 3A, the imaging device 300 may include a handheld casing 331 that houses the transducer 302 and associated electronics. The imaging device may also include a battery 338 for powering the electronics. Thus, FIG. 3A shows an embodiment of a portable imaging device capable of 2D and 3D imaging using pMUTs in a 2D array optionally built on a silicon wafer. Such an array coupled to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 106 having an electronic configuration of specific parameters enables high-quality image processing at a lower cost than previously possible. Further, by controlling specific parameters, such as the number of channels used, the power consumption can be varied and the temperature can be varied.

[0073] Imaging device 300 according to some embodiments is configured to enable real-time system configurability and compatibility based on information regarding one or more defective pixels (defective pixel data). This is done, for example, by comparing a current pixel performance dataset of one or more pixels of the transducer array of the imaging device with a reference pixel performance dataset of the same pixels, as will be described in more detail below.

[0074] Now, referring to FIG. 3A in more detail, FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of an imaging device 300 having selectively adjustable features according to some embodiments. Imaging device 300 can be similar to, by way of example only, imaging device 100 of FIG. 1 or imaging device 202 of FIG. 2. As described above, the imaging device can include an ultrasonic medical probe. FIG. 3A shows transducer 302 of imaging device 300. As described above, transducer 302 can include an array of transducer elements (FIG. 1, 104) adapted to transmit and receive pressure waves (FIG. 2, 210). In some examples, imaging device 300 can include transducer 302 and a coating layer 322 that functions as an impedance matching interface between the human body or other mass or tissue through which the pressure wave (FIG. 2, 210) is transmitted. In some cases, coating layer 322 can function as a lens when designed with a curvature that matches the desired focal length.

[0075] The imaging device 300 can be embodied in any suitable form factor. In some embodiments, the portion of the imaging device 300 that includes the transducer 302 can extend outwardly from the remainder of the imaging device 100. The imaging device 300 can be embodied as any suitable ultrasonic medical probe, such as a convex array probe, a microconvex array probe, a linear array probe, a transvaginal probe, a rectal probe, a surgical probe, an intraoperative probe, etc.

[0076] In some embodiments, the user can apply a gel to the skin of the living body prior to direct contact with the coating layer 322 so that impedance matching at the interface between the coating layer 322 and the human body can be improved. Impedance matching reduces the loss of pressure waves (FIG. 2, 210) at the interface and the loss of reflected waves moving towards the imaging device 300 at the interface.

[0077] In some examples, the coating layer 322 can be a flat layer for maximizing the transmission of acoustic signals from the transducer 102 to the body and vice versa. The thickness of the coating layer 322 can be one-quarter wavelength of the pressure wave (FIG. 2, 210) generated at the transducer 102.

[0078] The imaging device 300 also includes a control circuit 106, such as one or more processors, optionally in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC chip or ASIC), for controlling the transducer 102. The control circuit 106 can be coupled to the transducer 102 by means of bumps or the like. As described above, the transmission channel 108 and the reception channel 110 can be selectively changeable or adjustable, meaning that, for example, the number of transmission channels 108 and reception channels 110 that are active at a given time can be changed so that one or more pixels determined to be defective are not used. For example, the control circuit 106 can be adapted to selectively adjust the transmission channel 108 and the reception channel 110 based on the pixels being tested for defects and / or based on the pixels determined to be defective.

[0079] In some examples, the basis for changing the channels can be the mode of operation, which can be selected based on which pixels have been determined to be defective and, optionally, based on the type of defect of each defective pixel.

[0080] The imaging device may also include one or more processors 326 for controlling the components of the imaging device 100. In addition to the control circuit 106, the one or more processors 326 are configured to perform at least one of controlling the activation of the transducer elements, processing electrical signals based on ultrasonic waveforms reflected from the transducer elements, or generating signals for causing restoration of an image of an object being imaged by one or more processors of a computing device such as the computing device 112 of FIG. 1 or 216 of FIG. 2. The one or more processors 326 may further be adapted to perform other processing functions associated with the imaging device. The one or more processors 326 may be embodied as any type of processor 326. For example, the one or more processors 326 may be embodied as a single or multi-core processor, a single or multi-socket processor, a digital signal processor, a graphics processor, a neural network compute engine, an image processor, a microcontroller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other processor or processing / control circuit. The imaging device 100 may also include a circuit 328 such as an analog front end (AFE) for processing / conditioning signals, and an acoustic absorption layer 330 for absorbing waves generated by the transducer 102 and propagating towards the circuit 328. That is, the transducer 102 may be mounted on a substrate and attached to the acoustic absorption layer 330. This layer absorbs any ultrasonic signals radiated in the reverse direction (i.e., in the direction towards port 334, away from the coating layer 322). These could otherwise be reflected and interfere with the quality of the image. FIG. 3A shows the acoustic absorption layer 330, but this component may be omitted if other components prevent the transmission of ultrasonic waves in the reverse direction within the material.

[0081] The analog front end 328 can be embodied as any circuit or plurality of circuits configured to interface with the control circuit 106 and other components of an imaging device such as the processor 326. For example, the analog front end 328 may include, for example, one or more digital-to-analog converters, one or more analog-to-digital converters, one or more amplifiers, and the like.

[0082] The imaging device may include a communication unit 332 for communicating data including control signals between the imaging device and an external device such as a computing device (FIG. 2, 216) through, for example, port 334 or a wireless transceiver. The imaging device 100 may include a memory 336 for storing data. The memory 336 may be embodied as any type of volatile or non-volatile memory or data storage capable of executing the functions described herein. During operation, the memory 336 may store various data and software used during the operation of the imaging device 100, such as an operating system, applications, programs, libraries, and drivers.

[0083] In some examples, the imaging device 100 may include a battery 338 for providing power to the components of the imaging device 100. The battery 338 may also include a battery charging circuit, which may be a wireless or wired charging circuit (not shown). The imaging device may include a gauge indicating the consumed battery charge used to configure the imaging device to optimize power management to improve battery life. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the imaging device may be driven by an external power source, such as by plugging the imaging device into a wall outlet.

[0084] Referring now to FIG. 3B, a more detailed view of the internal components 360 within the housing of the imaging device 300 of FIG. 3A, excluding the coating layer 322, is shown. The front portion 360 may include a lens 366 in the example shown in FIG. 3B, and beneath it, there is a microelectromechanical (MEMs) transducer 302 coupled to the ASIC 106 shown. The ASIC, along with the AFE 328 and port 334 of FIG. 3A, may be coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes some or all of the electronic components of the imaging device, such as a battery 338, a memory 336, a communication circuit 332, and a processor 326. The assembly including the lens 366, transducer 302, ASIC 106, and PCB 360 may be placed on a series of layers including one or more adhesive layers 362, an absorber 330, and a reflector such as a tungsten reflector.

[0085] In some embodiments, it should be understood that various components of the imaging devices shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B may be omitted from the imaging device or may be included in other components separate from the imaging device. For example, in one embodiment, one or more processors 326 may include some or all of the control circuit 106. Additionally or alternatively, some or all of the components may be integrated or formed as part of a system-on-chip (SoC) or a multi-chip package.

[0086] FIG. 4 is a side view of a transducer array 102 according to an example of the principles described herein. As described above, the imaging device (FIG. 1, 100) may include an array of transducers 102-1, 102-2, 102-3, each of which has its own array of transducer elements (FIG. 1, 104). In some examples, the transducer 102 may be curved (e.g., as suggested in FIG. 3B) to provide a wider angle of the object to be imaged (FIG. 2, 214).

[0087] FIG. 5 shows a top view of a single transducer 102. As shown in FIG. 5, the transducer 102 may include a transducer substrate 540 and one or more transducer elements 104 disposed thereon. Unlike conventional systems that use bulky transducer elements, the transducer elements 104 may be formed on a wafer, which may be diced to form a plurality of transducers 102. This process can reduce manufacturing costs. This is because the transducers 102 can be manufactured in large quantities at low cost.

[0088] In some examples, the diameter of the wafer can range from 8 to 12 inches, and multiple arrays of transducer elements 104 can be batch manufactured thereon. Further, in some examples, the control circuit (FIG. 1, 106) for controlling the transducer elements 104 can be formed such that each transducer element 104 is connected to a matching integrated circuit, e.g., a receiving channel (FIG. 1, 108) and a transmitting channel (FIG. 1, 106) that are nearby, preferably within 25 pm to 100 pm. For example, the transducer 102 can have 1024 transducer elements 104 and can be connected to a matching control circuit (FIG. 1, 106) having an appropriate number of transmitting and receiving circuits for the 1024 transducer elements 104.

[0089] The transducer elements 104 can have any suitable shape, such as square, rectangular, elliptical, or circular. As shown in FIG. 5, in some examples, the transducer elements 104 can be arranged in a two-dimensional array disposed in an orthogonal direction. That is, the array of transducer elements 104 can be an M×N array having N columns 542 and M rows 544.

[0090] To create a line element, a column 542 of N transducer elements 104 can be electrically connected in parallel. Thereafter, this line element can provide transmission and reception of ultrasonic signals similar to that realized by a continuous transducer element that is approximately N times longer than each transducer element 104. This line element can be interchangeably called a column or a line or a line element. An example of a column of piezo elements is shown in FIG. 5 by reference numeral 542. The transducer element 104 is arranged in column 542 in this example and has an associated transmission driver circuit (part of a transmission channel) and a low-noise amplifier that is part of the reception channel circuit.

[0091] Although not explicitly shown, the transmission and reception circuits can include multiplexing and address control circuits to enable the use of specific elements and sets of elements. It should be understood that the transducer 102 can be arranged in other shapes such as circular or other shapes. In some examples, each transducer element 104 can be 250 pm apart from each other center to center.

[0092] In the transducer 102 of this specification, it is advantageous to design a line element using a plurality of identical transducer elements 104, each of which can have its characteristic center frequency. When a plurality of transducer elements 104 are connected together, the composite structure (i.e., the line element) can function as one line element having a center frequency consisting of the center frequencies of all the pixels. In current semiconductor processes, these center frequencies are well matched to each other and the deviation from the center frequency of the line element is very small. By mixing a plurality of pixels with somewhat different center frequencies, it is also possible to create a wide-bandwidth line compared to a line using only one center frequency.

[0093] In some examples, transducer 102 may include one or more temperature sensors 546-1, 546-2, 546-3, 546-4 for measuring the temperature of transducer 102. FIG. 5 shows temperature sensors 546 disposed at specific locations, but temperature sensors 546 may be disposed at other locations on transducer 102, and additional sensors may be disposed at other locations on the imaging device (FIGS. 1, 100).

[0094] According to one embodiment, temperature sensor 546 may trigger a selective adjustment of a channel (FIGS. 1, 108, 110). That is, as described above, the temperature within the handheld portable imaging device (FIGS. 1, 100) may rise above a predetermined temperature. Thus, temperature sensor 546 may detect the temperature of the device at the surface of transducer 102, which is the surface that contacts the patient. When temperature sensor 546 detects a temperature higher than a threshold amount, e.g., a temperature set by the user or set by a regulatory authority, a signal may be passed by controller (FIG. 3A, 106) to power down all or a portion of the transmit channel (FIG. 1, 108) and / or the receive channel (FIG. 1, 110), or to set all or a portion of the transmit channel (FIG. 1, 108) and / or the receive channel (FIG. 1, 110) to a low power state. Disposing temperature sensor 546 on transducer 102 is beneficial in that it is near the surface that contacts the patient and thus provides data regarding the temperature at the interface where the user may become aware of or be affected by excessive heat. If it is determined that one or more pixels have a defect, data from the temperature sensor may be further useful in associating the defect rate, optionally including the incidence rate of a particular type of defect, with the data from the temperature sensor.

[0095] FIG. 5 also shows the terminals of transducer element 104. That is, each transducer element 104 can have two terminals. The first terminal can be a common terminal shared by all transducer elements 104 in the array. The second terminal can connect the transducer element 104 to a transmission channel (FIG. 1, 108) and a reception channel (FIG. 1, 110). This second terminal can be the terminal driven and sensed for all transducer elements 104, and is symbolically shown for those transducer elements 104 in the first column. For simplicity, the second terminal is shown only for those transducer elements 104 in the first column. However, similar terminals with associated transmission channel 108 and reception channel 110 exist for other transducer elements 104 in the array. A control circuit (FIG. 1, 106) using control signals can select a column 542 of transducer elements 104 by turning on each transmission channel (FIG. 1, 108) and reception channel (FIG. 1, 110) and turning off the channels (FIG. 1, 108, 110) in other columns 542. In a similar manner, it is also possible to turn off a specific row or even an individual transducer element 104.

[0096] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an imaging device 100 and a scan line 650 of a frame 648 according to an example of the principles described herein. Frame 648 refers to a single still image of an organ or other object being imaged. Frame 648 can correspond to an image of a cross-section of the object. Frame 648 is composed of individual scan lines 650. That is, frame 648 can be viewed as an image, and the scan lines are individual layers or slices of that image. Depending on the resolution, a particular frame 648 can include a different number of scan lines 650 in the range from less than a hundred to several hundred.

[0097] To form the frame 648, the transducer 102 using a beamforming circuit can focus the pressure waves of different transducer elements (FIG. 1, 104), for example, in a specific column (FIG. 5, 542), on a specific focus. The reflected signals collected by these transducer elements (FIG. 1, 104) are received, delayed, weighted, and summed to form the scan line 650. The focus of interest can then be changed based on beamforming techniques, for example, a process that is repeated up to the entire frame 648 consisting of 100 - 200 scan lines 650 is generated.

[0098] FIG. 7 shows the form of the scan line 850 according to an example of the principle described herein. Specifically, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of one transducer 102 taken along line A - A of FIG. 6. Specifically, FIG. 7 shows the transducer elements 104 that make up the transducer 102. In FIG. 7, for simplicity, only one transducer element 104 of the transducer 102 is indicated by reference numerals. Also, note that the transducer element 104 shown in FIG. 7 may represent the transducer element 104 at the top of the column (FIG. 5, 542), and the other transducer elements 104 extend in the direction of the page. FIG. 7 also shows the circuitry that can be seen in the control circuit (FIG. 1, 106, or FIG. 3A, 106) that forms the scan line. Also, note that for simplicity, FIG. 7 shows only seven transducer elements 104 and seven respective columns (FIG. 5, 542). However, as described above, the transducer 102 can include any number of transducer elements 104, for example, 128 columns (FIG. 5, 542), and each column (FIG. 5, 542) has 32 transducer elements 104 arranged therein.

[0099] To form the scan line 650, the reflected ultrasonic waveforms 752 are received from a plurality of transducer elements 104, for example, from each transducer element 104 in a column (FIG. 5, 542). These waveforms 752 are converted into electrical signals. In some examples, the electrical signals from the transducer elements 104 in a column (FIG. 5, 542) can be combined into a composite signal 754 and passed to the control circuit 106. Since each composite signal 754 is received at a different time due to different transmission lengths, the control circuit 106 delays each composite signal 754 to be in the same phase. The control circuit 106 then combines the adjusted signals to form the scan line 650.

[0100] FIG. 8 shows a receiving channel 110 according to an example of the principles described herein. The receiving channel 110 is coupled to a transducer element (FIG. 1, 104) and receives a reflected pressure wave (FIG. 2, 210). FIG. 8 also shows the connection between the transducer element (FIG. 1, 104) and the transmitting channel (FIG. 1, 110). In one example, the transmitting channel (FIG. 1, 108) moves to a high impedance during the receiving operation at the node where the received pressure and the transmitted pulse meet. Specifically, the reflected pressure wave is converted into charge in the transducer element 104, and this is converted into a voltage by a low noise amplifier (LNA) (856). The LNA (856) is a charge amplifier in which the charge is converted into an output voltage. In some examples, the LNA (856) has a programmable gain and the gain can be changed in real time.

[0101] The LNA (856) converts the charge in the transducer into a voltage output and also amplifies the received echo signal. A switch (transmit / receive switch) connects the LNA (856) to the transducer element 104 in the receiving mode of operation.

[0102] The output of this LNA (856) is then connected to other components to condition the signal. For example, a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) (858) may adjust the magnitude of the voltage and provide a way to vary the gain as a function of time, and may be known as a time gain amplifier (TGA). The signal attenuates as it travels deeper into the tissue.

[0103] Accordingly, a larger gain is used for compensation, and this larger gain is implemented by the TGA. The bandpass filter 860 serves to filter out noise and out-of-band signals. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 862 digitizes the analog signal to convert the signal into the digital domain so that further processing can be performed digitally. The data from the ADC 862 is then digitally processed by the demodulation unit 864 and passed to the FPGA 326 to generate scan lines (FIG. 6, 650) as shown in FIG. 7. In some implementations, the demodulation unit 864 may be implemented elsewhere, such as in an FPGA for example. The demodulation unit frequency shifts the carrier signal to baseband using two components (I and Q) in quadrature for further digital processing. In some examples, the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 862 may implement a successive approximation register (SAP) architecture to reduce the latency of the ADC 862. That is, there should be little or no latency so as not to delay the subsequent signal processing as the ADC 862 is repeatedly turned off and on.

[0104] Refer to FIGS. 9A and 9B here. FIG. 9A is a top view of pixel 900 according to an embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of pixel 900 of FIG. 9A taken along line 9-9. The pixel may include a film layer 906 supported on a substrate 902, a bottom electrode (O) 908 disposed on the film layer (or "film") 906; a piezoelectric layer 910 disposed on the bottom electrode (O) 908; and an upper electrode (X) 912 disposed on the piezoelectric layer 910. The substrate 902 and the film 906 may optionally correspond to a monolithic body. A cavity 904 may be defined by the surface of the film 906 facing away from the bottom electrode 908 and the sidewall of the substrate extending in a direction away from the bottom electrode 908.

[0105] In some embodiments, the cavity 904 may be filled with a gas or an acoustic damping material at a predetermined pressure to control the vibration of the film 906. In some embodiments, the geometric shape of the projected area of the upper electrode 912 may be configured in a generally concave or convex shape with characteristic geometric parameters to control the dynamic performance and capacitance magnitude of the piezoelectric pixel 900.

[0106] In some embodiments, each pixel 900 may be a piezoelectric pixel and may include a piezoelectric layer formed from at least one of PZT, KNN, PZT-N, PMN-Pt, AlN, Sc-AlN, ZnO, PVDF, and LiNiO3. In alternative embodiments, each pixel 900 may be a capacitive micro pixel.

[0107] In FIG. 9A, each pixel 900 is shown to have a rectangular shape in its top view. In some embodiments, each pixel may include an upper electrode having an elliptical shape in its top view. Hereinafter, the "shape of the upper electrode" refers to the top view of the upper electrode (the upper part refers to the view of the surface of the upper electrode facing away from the cavity). The shape of the upper electrode may include any shape such as a square, a circle, a rectangle, an ellipse, etc. It may preferably be symmetric, but the embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0108] Here, regarding the transducer array in an imaging device having n pixels, refer to the flowchart 1000 of FIG. 10. After start 1002, based on n pixels (1004 - for example, the imaging device may determine that there are n pixels), for each individual pixel i of the array (1006 - for example, the imaging device may maintain an increment counter for each pixel i up to a maximum of n pixels), in operation 1008, the imaging device generally executes a reception cycle including activation of the pixel, then generates a transmitted ultrasonic waveform, and may generate an associated set of reflected ultrasonic waveforms based on the transmitted ultrasonic waveform.

[0109] According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, a reception cycle corresponding to operation 1008 including separately activating each pixel i of the n pixels is shown. In particular, in operation 1010, the imaging device may transmit an ultrasonic waveform to pixel i. After a certain period has elapsed (1012), in operation 1014, the imaging device may receive a reflected ultrasonic waveform generated from (based on) the transmitted ultrasonic waveform transmitted by pixel i in operation 1010. The reflected ultrasonic waveform may be generated as a result of the transmitted ultrasonic waveform reflecting from an impedance mismatch boundary. When the imaging device is in the imaging mode, the impedance mismatch boundary may correspond to various surfaces of the object being imaged, such as organs in the human or animal body. As described in the context of some embodiments herein, when the imaging device is in the "healthy state check" mode, the impedance mismatch boundary may be between a lens (such as the coating layer 322 in FIG. 3A or the lens 366 in FIG. 3B), and air, or any other medium that causes an impedance mismatch with the lens. Further details regarding the quick text mode will be provided below as the description progresses.

[0110] In operation 1016, the imaging device may increment the value of i by 1, and in operation 1018, the imaging device may determine whether the incremented value of i is above n. If i is not greater than n, the imaging device may repeat operations 1010 - 1018 until i > n. When i > n, the imaging device may process the received ultrasonic waveform from all pixels i to n pixels. According to one embodiment, after determining that i > n, the imaging device may end the reception cycle for pixels i = i to n, but according to an alternative embodiment, the imaging device may continue to receive ultrasonic waveforms based on the transmitted ultrasonic waveforms of subsequent reception cycles while processing the reflected ultrasonic waveforms of the previous reception cycle. According to one embodiment, the imaging device may process the received ultrasonic waveform while receiving subsequent received ultrasonic waveforms from one or more other pixels.

[0111] Processing of the received ultrasonic waveform may include, according to one embodiment, the processing described as an example in the context of FIG. 8. That is, processing the received ultrasonic waveform may include converting it to charge in the transducer element (104) and further converting the charge to voltage by a low noise amplifier (LNA) (856). The LNA may further amplify the received echo signal as described in the context of FIG. 8 above. Processing of the received ultrasonic waveform may further include conditioning the signal output from the LNA, for example, adjusting the magnitude / amplitude of the voltage using a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) (858) and / or changing the gain as a function of time using, for example, a time gain amplifier (TGA).

[0112] According to some embodiments, after the processing described above, for example, in order to characterize the performance of pixels, an electrical signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic waveform can be used to generate a time-domain signal waveform (performance dataset) corresponding to the performance of the pixels, for example, for n pixels from each pixel i. According to some embodiments, the performance dataset can first be generated for "healthy" pixels, i.e., pixels that do not exhibit defects or exhibit negligible defects (hereinafter, "reference pixel performance dataset"). The performance dataset can be generated by an imaging device by passing pixel i or a group of pixels, for example, through a reception cycle or loop, where the reflected ultrasonic waveform causes an impedance mismatch between the lens of the imaging device and another medium (hereinafter "matching layer") such as air or any other medium that causes an impedance mismatch with the lens of the imaging device that does not require alignment with the transducer array.

[0113] According to some embodiments, the group of pixels passing through the reception cycle can exhibit an additive performance signal waveform determined by the number of pixels in the group and the distance and shape of the rapid test medium boundary (the boundary between medium 1 and medium 2). When there is a defect in one or more pixels in the group, the performance signal waveform for the group of pixels can indicate a change in performance at the defective pixel and can indicate a change in performance at adjacent pixels to the defective pixel, identifying the defective pixel in this way. To ensure that those adjacent to the defective pixel are also not defective, the additive performance signal waveform can be determined by subtracting the defective pixel waveform.

[0114] After the generation and storage of the reference pixel performance data set for pixel i, the same pixel i can be passed through the current pixel performance reception cycles (e.g., operations 1010, 1012, and 1014) as a "health check" measurement prior to the use of the imaging device for target image generation by the imaging device. The health check routine applied to pixel i can result in the generation of the current pixel performance data set (similar to the reference pixel performance data set, but which may be performed once at a later time and thus when the performance of pixel i may have deteriorated and thus may indicate a defect). The health check is to enable the characterization of pixel performance and includes, for example, the determination of defective pixels prior to the use of the imaging device for imaging a target and the determination of the recommended next steps based on any defects found for the pixel. The determination of defective pixels can include, according to some embodiments, the identification of defective pixels, such as, by way of example, the indication of the location of the defective pixels (e.g., by providing a group of defective pixels or the address of each of them), the indication of the type of defect of the defective pixels, etc.

[0115] The health check (or "quick test") can be performed on the same alignment layer as that used to generate the reference pixel performance data set. After its generation, the current pixel performance data set of the pixel can be compared to the reference pixel performance data set to determine whether the pixel reception performance has changed from the reference, and in particular, to determine whether such a pixel indicates a defect here. Further details regarding the performance data set are provided as the description proceeds.

[0116] According to an alternative embodiment compared to the embodiment of FIG. 10, instead of having individual pixel i generate transmitted ultrasonic waveforms one pixel at a time, for the purpose of generating a current pixel performance dataset, a group of pixels can be made to transmit a series of waveforms simultaneously by the imaging device. For example, an imaging device such as imaging device 300 of FIG. 3A can include an AFE 328 that can output data for a plurality of transmission channels at once, e.g., data for up to 64 channels at once. According to one embodiment, in order to measure the performance of each pixel of a 4096-pixel array as soon as possible (to perform a health check using the receive cycle), a group of 64 single pixels can be made to transmit an ultrasonic waveform and then receive the resulting reflected ultrasonic waveform. This group of 64 can be sequentially switched to the next group of 64 until all 4096 pixels are captured for a transmit-receive event (i.e., until all 4096 pixels pass through the receive cycle as a group), with the above corresponding to 64 receive cycles, each receive cycle actuating 64 pixels. Thus, in this embodiment, it can be said that 64 "loops" are involved (64×64 = 4096). The respective peak values of the electrical signals corresponding to the received ultrasonic waveforms for each receive cycle (or each loop) can then be used by the imaging device to plot a heatmap of pixel sensitivity. By actuating groups of pixels simultaneously instead of one single pixel at a time, the test time can be reduced by the number of pixels actuated simultaneously in the group. For example, a test of 4096 pixels actuated one at a time involves 4096 iterations, while actuating 64 groups of the same 4096 pixels involves 64 iterations, reducing the test time by a factor of 64. The limitation lies in the size of the group of pixels that the transmit and receive electronics can capture simultaneously. By actuating a group of pixels, a reference performance signal waveform for the group is determined as an additive function of the single pixel performance signal waveforms of the group and the rapid test medium.The defective element pixels in the group are determined by measuring the deviation from this addition function. In the above specific embodiment where each received cycle or loop corresponds to a group of 64 pixels, each pixel can transmit a 3.6 MHz ultrasonic waveform for 4 cycles (distinguished from the received cycle).

[0117] Therefore, the transmitted ultrasonic waveform (which is the composite of all transmitted ultrasonic waveforms from each pixel in the loop) can be reflected from the imaging device lens / air boundary, return to the same 64 pixels that just caused the transmission, and be received.

[0118] Due to the switching time from transmission to reception, the start of the electronic signal corresponding to the reflected ultrasonic waveform can be clipped or cut off. The low-noise amplifier (LNA) on the ASIC may further have a settling time after being switched on, and the processing of the received ultrasonic waveform and its conversion to a voltage signal typically occur within this time. These effects need to be considered. For example, if the received ultrasonic waveform is clipped, more cycles of the transmitted waveform may be required, or the signal can be characterized / analyzed after the clipped portion in the time domain. If the received ultrasonic waveform occurs while the LNA on the ASIC is settling, the removal of the settling artifacts observed in the waveform can be performed using a filter such as a high-pass filter or by subtracting the modeled LNA settling signal. According to some embodiments, as part of the processing of the received ultrasonic waveform, the amplifier settings (such as PGA) can be set to increase the amplitude of the received signal above the amplitude of the LNA power-on and settling amplitude.

[0119] Figures 11A and 11B show in more detail the transmission and reception paths for a single pixel within a transducer array, such as that associated with transducer 302 of FIG. 3B, corresponding to operations 1010 and 1014 of FIG. 10, respectively. FIG. 11A shows pixel i, such as in transducer 302 of FIG. 3B, in the process of transmitting ultrasonic waveform 1103 through a first medium 1104, such as lens 366 (medium 1) of FIG. 3B, having an acoustic impedance Z1. The transmitted waveform propagates through the first medium towards a second medium 1106 (medium 2). This corresponds to the matching layer in the case of FIGS. 11A and 11B, and the matching layer has an acoustic impedance Z2 different from Z1. The matching layer may include, for example, air. Since the acoustic impedances Z1 and Z2 are not the same or "matched", there is an acoustic impedance mismatch boundary 1107 between medium 1 and medium 2.

[0120] FIG. 11B shows the reception path for the reflected waveform 1105 that results from the transmitted waveform reflecting from the acoustic impedance mismatch boundary 1107. The reflected waveform is received at pixel i 1101, as shown. The performance of pixel i 1101 can be the result from a reception cycle, such as reception cycle 1008 of FIG. 10, as explained above in the context of a health check.

[0121] FIG. 12A is a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an ultrasonic probe or imaging device 300 configured to implement an exemplary method for characterizing the performance of one or more pixels of an ultrasonic imaging device.

[0122] FIGS. 12B and 12C are similar to FIGS. 11A and 11B and show details of the head portion 1201 of the imaging device 300 of FIG. 12A.

[0123] Referring to A of FIG. 12, an ultrasonic imaging device 300 having transmission and reception capabilities for a pixel array is shown with a transducer 302, or a pixel array located within the dotted line frame boundary of A of FIG. 12 in the head portion 1201. B of FIG. 12 shows an enlarged view of the head portion 1201 including the pixel array of A of FIG. 12 that transmits an acoustic waveform 1103 through a first medium (medium 1) 1104 having an acoustic impedance Z1. A second medium 1106 (medium 2) having an acoustic impedance Z2 is in contact with the boundary of medium 1. Since the acoustic impedances Z1 and Z2 are not the same or “matched”, there is an acoustic impedance mismatch boundary 1107 between medium 1 1104 and medium 2 1106. C of FIG. 12 shows an enlarged side view of the head portion 1201 including the pixel array, the same as B of FIG. 12, where the transmitted acoustic signal shown in B of FIG. 12 is reflected from the impedance mismatch layer 1107 between medium 1 1104 and medium 2 1006 at 1105. As shown in C of FIG. 12, this reflected waveform moves in the direction of pixel i that transmitted the initial acoustic waveform, where pixel i receives the reflected waveform.

[0124] Some embodiments provide an apparatus and method for simultaneously characterizing both the transmission and reception performance of pixel elements of an ultrasonic imaging probe. An impedance mismatch boundary can occur in the design of an ultrasonic imaging device, such as the interface between the material boundary of the lens of the imaging device and air. At such an interface, a reflector target, test fixture, or alignment is not necessary to perform a method of characterizing the performance of one or more pixels of the ultrasonic imaging device. However, the use of fixtures and reflector targets for performing methods of characterizing other than air does not limit the functionality of the apparatus or method of the embodiments.

[0125] The detection of the signal reflected from the impedance mismatch boundary indicates the performance for the pixel transmission and reception cycle, as described above in connection with, for example, FIG. 10. The performance characterization referred to herein may be related to the determination of defects such as one or more defects per pixel. Defects in the context of a pixel as referred to herein may be related to any defect that can affect the performance of that pixel. This may include defects in the pixel itself, defects that affect the path of the waveform transmitted from or reflected towards the pixel (such as defects related to the lens 366 in FIG. 3B).

[0126] The performance characterization of a pixel may include generating a performance data set corresponding to the combined amplitude of both the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic waveform for the pixel. The imaging device may detect the latter combined amplitude as a received ultrasonic waveform amplitude that may be approximately equal to the sum of the transmitted ultrasonic waveform amplitude and the value obtained by multiplying the transmitted ultrasonic waveform amplitude by the reflection coefficient (based on the impedance mismatch boundary), and may detect any losses in the first and second media for the total path length of the waveform from transmission to reception. The performance characterization according to some embodiments may involve comparing this amplitude for each of one or more pixels recorded as a single value or as a data set of values over time, respectively, with a reference single value or a reference data set of values that vary over time.

[0127] The absence of the received ultrasonic waveform from a specific pixel may indicate that the specific pixel has a defect in at least one of transmission or reception. The ability to confirm the transmission of one or more ultrasonic waveforms by one or more pixels may enable the separation of the characteristic evaluation of reception performance from the characteristic evaluation of transmission performance during the characteristic evaluation of pixel performance. For example, when one or more pixels are transmitting ultrasonic waveforms and at least one pixel is receiving ultrasonic waveforms, transmission is confirmed in the state where a signal received on at least one pixel exists, and a reception failure is determined by the absence of a signal on other pixels. The pixel that transmits the ultrasonic waveform is additive, and a single pixel that receives the ultrasonic waveform from the transmitting pixel confirms the transmission of all transmitting pixels by the presence of the complete additive ultrasonic waveform. When a pixel is not transmitting, the received ultrasonic waveform is reduced. There may be a scenario where the received waveform is reduced due to a receiver with a defect but no failure, rather than a defective transmitter. Therefore, using a plurality of receivers and transmitters increases the reliability of determining whether there is a defect in reception or transmission.

[0128] Alternative embodiments for evaluating the performance characteristics of pixels include an apparatus and method for detecting a transmission failure of a pixel when it is confirmed that two or more pixels are functioning using reception. The function of reception can be determined by the presence of the transmitted signal or the presence of the LNA setting waveform. If there is no transmitted signal, no LNA setting waveform, and no received waveform, it is not possible to determine a transmission or reception failure. In this embodiment, a control circuit, such as control circuit 106, may transmit a signal to a group of pixels and request the pixels to transmit an ultrasonic waveform. In response to determining that the received ultrasonic waveform detected at a given pixel in a group of pixels has an amplitude smaller than the received ultrasonic waveform detected at one or more adjacent pixels functioning for transmission and reception, the imaging device may determine that the given pixel has a defect in transmission. In this embodiment, to distinguish from a defect in reception of a given pixel (a defect that causes a reduction or disappearance of pixel sensitivity in reception for a given pixel), a given pixel may be transmitted a signal by the control circuit and may transmit an ultrasonic waveform alone, and if the received ultrasonic waveform is not detected at the given pixel, a transmission failure may be confirmed.

[0129] Alternative embodiments for evaluating the performance characteristics of pixels include an apparatus and method for identifying defects in a lens or matching layer, such as bubbles, delamination (poor adhesion), or debris in the lens or matching layer. The transmit-receive cycle requires that the signal move continuously along a path designed for a health check between the transmitting pixel and the acoustic impedance mismatch boundary. Bubbles, debris, or poor adhesion between the lens or matching layer boundaries result in a path change for the signal, typically causing a change in the received amplitude or a time-dependent change detected in the received signal. The time and amplitude changes in the signal can be used to infer defects in the lens or matching layer.

[0130] Capturing the propagation time of an acoustic signal from transmission to reception in a known medium is proportional to the distance traveled (the path of the acoustic signal or ultrasonic waveform). For example, capturing signals from one or more pixels transmitted and received in a known medium such as a lens, such as lens 366 in FIG. 3B, can enable determination of the shape or configuration of the medium along the path of signal (or ultrasonic waveform / acoustic signal) travel. Some embodiments include determining the shape of the medium to infer any deviation from its intended (reference) design or design verification. For example, a deviation from the intended reference design of a lens can result in the determination of defective pixels, where the propagation path of an ultrasonic waveform transmitted from a pixel and reflected from an impedance mismatch boundary to the pixel includes defects such as bubbles, delaminations, or fragments as described above. By "shape" or "configuration" of the medium as used herein is meant the shape or configuration of one or more portions of the medium, such as the shape or configuration of the surface of the medium or at the surface (e.g., including the shape of boundary 1017), or the shape or configuration of the entire medium.

[0131] Determining the shape of the medium and obtaining the propagation time for acoustic signals transmitted and received from one or more pixels can be used to indicate the position of the pixels. Thus, these principles of signal propagation in a known medium can be utilized to detect and identify the extent of defects that affect ultrasonic imaging device pixel performance.

[0132] Referring now to FIG. 13, which is similar to FIGS. 12B and 12C, showing a view of the head portion 1201 of an imaging device having defects that can appear in pixel performance, such as defects in the lens (or first medium) 1104 or the matching layer (or second medium) 1106, fragments in the lens or matching layer, or poor adhesion at the lens or matching layer boundary.

[0133] For example, pixel 1101a of the pixel array in the head portion 1201 is shown as exhibiting delamination (i.e., separation) from the medium 11104 such that there is a gap between pixel 1101a and the medium 11104. Another pixel 1101b is shown to have the bubble 1302 in the propagation path of the ultrasonic waveform transmitted from the pixel, and thus is arranged to affect the performance of the pixel. Another pixel 1101c is shown to be arranged such that the irregularity on the surface of the medium 1 is in the propagation path of the ultrasonic waveform transmitted from the pixel so that the mismatched boundary layer is blocked. Another pixel 1101d is shown to be non - active, perhaps due to some local structure or electrical obstacle related to the pixel. For these various examples of defects affecting pixel performance, measurable or detectable characteristics associated with the reflected waveform (such as time and amplitude changes or phase shifts compared to the reference pixel performance dataset of the pixel) can be used to infer or estimate the nature or cause of a particular lens or alignment layer defect.

[0134] Here, in this context, refer to FIGS. 14A - 14D. These show respective pairs of graphs 1402 and 1404 related to the pixel performance defects described in the context of FIG. 13 above, for pixels 1101a - 1101c (FIGS. 14A - 14C), and further for pixel underfill defects (FIG. 14D).

[0135] First, referring to FIG. 14A, graph 1402a is a depiction of a reference pixel performance data set 1408a and a current pixel performance data set 1406a for each pixel in pixel array 1404a of an ultrasonic imaging probe. Each pixel is indicated within the array by an arrow pointing to the intersection of a corresponding row and column pair that indicates the coordinates of the pixel at which each performance data set is graphed in graph 1402a. In graph 1402a, the y-axis indicates amplitude in arbitrary units (graph 1402a is provided for illustrative purposes only), and the x-axis indicates time in microseconds. As suggested in FIG. 14A, delamination of the lens can be detected by the imaging device by the presence of a larger amplitude and a longer ringing waveform for the current pixel performance data set 1406a compared to the amplitude and ringing waveform of the reference pixel performance data set 1408a.

[0136] Next, referring to FIG. 14B, graph 1402b is a depiction of a reference pixel performance data set 1408b and a current pixel performance data set 1406b for each pixel in pixel array 1404b of an ultrasonic imaging probe. Each pixel is indicated within the array by an arrow pointing to the intersection of a corresponding row and column pair that indicates the coordinates of the pixel at which each performance data set is graphed in graph 1402b. In graph 1402b, the y-axis indicates amplitude in arbitrary units (graph 1402b is provided for illustrative purposes only), and the x-axis indicates time in microseconds. As suggested in FIG. 14B, bubbles in the lens are detected by the presence of a decreased amplitude, and by a change in the ringdown pattern in the waveform, and by a shift in the phase of the reflected waveform for the current pixel performance data set 1406b compared to the amplitude, ringdown pattern, and phase of the reference pixel performance data set 1408b.

[0137] First, referring to FIG. 14C, graph 1402c is a depiction of a reference pixel performance data set 1408c (shown as a waveform in the illustrated embodiment, but the embodiment is not limited thereto and includes any set of data representing reference pixel performance) and a current pixel performance data set 1406c (also shown as a waveform in the illustrated embodiment, but the embodiment is not limited thereto and includes any set of data representing current pixel performance) for each pixel in pixel array 1404c of an ultrasonic imaging probe. Each pixel is located within the array as indicated by an arrow pointing to the intersection of a corresponding row and column pair that indicates the coordinates of the pixel at which each performance data set is graphed in graph 1402c (again, in the illustrated embodiment, any pixel performance may be shown as a waveform, but the embodiment is not limited thereto and includes any set of data representing pixel performance). In graph 1402c, the y-axis indicates amplitude in arbitrary units (graph 1402c is provided for illustrative purposes only) and the x-axis indicates time in microseconds. As suggested by FIG. 14C, a pixel defect can be identified by the presence of rising and decaying electrical signals for the receiver, where there is no acoustic signal from the pixel for the current pixel performance data set 1406c, compared to the behavior of the reference pixel performance data set 1408c.

[0138] First, referring to FIG. 14D, graph 1402d depicts a reference pixel performance data set 1408d and a current pixel performance data set 1406d for each pixel in the pixel array 1404d of an ultrasonic imaging probe. Each pixel is located within the array as indicated by an arrow pointing to the intersection of a corresponding row and column pair whose coordinates of the pixels graphed in graph 1402a are shown in the performance data sets. In graph 1402a, the y-axis indicates amplitude in arbitrary units (graph 1402d is provided for illustrative purposes only), and the x-axis indicates time in microseconds. As suggested in FIG. 14D, underfill, or the presence of material under the pixel, may resemble an acceptable pixel, but the amplitude is reduced and the ring-down characteristics of the waveform are changed as compared to the amplitude and ring-down characteristics of the reference pixel performance data set 1408d, and can be detected by the current pixel performance data set 1406d.

[0139] Any of the embodiments described above or variations thereof can be applied to an ultrasonic imaging device after it has been deployed on-site to determine the viability or functionality of the imaging device on-site. The imaging device or probe may first undergo a health check prior to its operation for imaging purposes to characterize the pixel performance of its one or more pixels. According to some embodiments, the imaging device may undergo a health check periodically for pixel performance characterization, and any measured changes relative to the initial reference test results may indicate probe viability or performance degradation.

[0140] A method for implementing a health check of transducer array pixel performance in an ultrasonic imaging device or probe is shown in flowchart 1500 of FIG. 15 according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, in operation 1502, an initial or reference health check can be completed on a particular ultrasonic imaging device, for example, a device that is powered on for the first time. The health check enables the evaluation of the performance characteristics of one or more pixels of the imaging device and the generation of a reference pixel performance dataset, such as a time-domain waveform, that can correspond to the reference pixel performance of one pixel i or a group of pixels. In operation 1504, the imaging device can be "deployed in the field", i.e., the imaging device can be used to acquire an image of a target, such as an organ in a living body. In operation 1506, the imaging device is powered on and can receive a health check characterization routine that is executed according to some embodiments. The health check characterization routine for a pixel can include using an electrical signal corresponding to the ultrasonic waveform received at pixel i (where the received ultrasonic waveform is based on the reflected ultrasonic wave transmitted by pixel i) to generate, for example, up to n pixels, a time-domain signal waveform (performance dataset) corresponding to the performance of the pixels. The n pixels can be all of the pixels of the imaging device or some of the pixels of the imaging device. The reference pixel performance dataset can be generated in the same manner in operation 1502 when the imaging device is, for example, still in the factory. The performance dataset can be generated by the imaging device by passing pixel i or a group of pixels, for example, through a reception cycle or loop, where the reflected ultrasonic waveform is based on an impedance mismatch between the lens of the imaging device and another medium (hereinafter "matching layer"), such as air, or any other medium that causes an impedance mismatch between the lens of the imaging device that does not require alignment with the transducer array.After generating and storing the reference pixel performance data set for pixel i, the same pixel i can be passed through a "health check" measure or receiving cycle as a routine, prior to use of the imaging device for generating a target image (in the "field") by the imaging device.

[0141] In operation 1508, the imaging device can check whether it is executable for use, e.g., whether a sufficient number of pixels above a predetermined numerical threshold are operating properly and / or whether the number of pixels having defective performance at predetermined X - Y coordinates in the pixel array is below another predetermined numerical threshold. The term "properly" used in the latter context may include cases where one or more pixels may be subject to performance variations but such pixels are still useful for enabling the imaging device to function in at least one imaging mode. For example, even if there are defective pixels, the imaging device may be considered executable if it is possible to function in at least one of a one - dimensional imaging mode, a two - dimensional imaging mode, a three - dimensional imaging mode, a Doppler imaging mode, a linear imaging mode, or a sector imaging mode.

[0142] For example, in one or more imaging modes, the imaging device can activate one or more pixels for transmission and subsequent reception operations based on the defective pixel data set, e.g., based on the defect type and / or location of the defective pixels.

[0143] For example, in one or more imaging modes, the imaging device may choose to implement a frame reconstruction algorithm to reconstruct a frame corresponding to the target image to be imaged, taking into account lost data from pixels determined to be defective by a health check routine. If the imaging device recognizes the location of defective pixels, such information may be used to reconstruct a frame corresponding to the target image by extrapolating data based on received ultrasonic waveforms from functioning pixels to data corresponding to the defective pixels. For example, the imaging device may choose to implement a frame reconstruction algorithm in which defective pixels are determined to be randomly scattered in the pixel array, and may choose another one if it is determined that consecutive clusters of pixels have defects.

[0144] If the imaging device is considered executable, imaging may be performed in operation 1510, and if it is then powered off in operation 1512, it may again undergo a health check routine in operation 1506 as already described above.

[0145] On the other hand, if the imaging device considers itself not executable, for example, if a threshold number of pixels in the transducer array are determined to have defects or otherwise not to operate as designed, the imaging device may, in operation 1514, communicate information (defective pixel data) regarding the determination of one or more defective pixels to the user. Such information according to some embodiments may include identification information of one or more defective pixels, for example, through an indication of the location of one or more defective pixels (e.g., by providing a group of one or more defective pixels or their respective addresses), an indication of the type of defect for one or more defective pixels, and the like.

[0146] Communication of defect data can be performed by voice instructions or visual instructions (e.g., through text instructions and / or through defect pixel heat map instructions, etc.). The voice instructions can be transmitted by a speaker, and the visual instructions can be performed by a display. The speaker and the display can each be part of the imaging device or can be separate from the imaging device (in which case, the communication can be performed by a wireless or wired connection).

[0147] The imaging device can further suggest to the user the next steps recommended based on the diagnosis and based on the determination of defective pixels. Thus, the diagnosis can further instruct the user to perform a self - repair solution in operation 1518 (e.g., subject the imaging device circuit to a reset function, turn the device off, turn it on again, etc.), a field - repair solution in operation 1520 (e.g., through the use of substances to repair or fill a cracked lens surface, etc.), and / or a factory - repair solution in operation 1516, depending on the nature and extent of the identified pixel defects.

[0148] If the minimum threshold number of pixels in the transducer array is confirmed to have a defect (a threshold amount that can be predetermined by the manufacturer or pre - set), the imaging device can change its status to "inoperable" or "not executable" and can stop the user's ability to operate the probe until sufficient repair is performed, as suggested by operation 1522.

[0149] According to some embodiments, the imaging device may cause information regarding the determination of defective pixels to be sent to a remote device for further processing in operation 1524. Thus, according to some embodiments, a health check regime / routine may be combined with the reporting of pixel defects to a remote device (i.e., a device separate from the imaging device). Such reporting may be triggered by a request from the remote device to the imaging device, may be sent periodically by the imaging device to the remote device, may be sent after the end of each round of health checks / diagnostic rounds, may be sent by a wired or wireless connection, may be sent based on network availability, etc. A remote device or a set of remote devices, such as an edge node in an edge network and / or a master controller in a factory and / or another computing system such as a handheld phone or tablet, may aggregate pixel defect data from one or more imaging devices and use such data to determine the reliability of one or more imaging devices, such as based on usage conditions (temperature, usage frequency, user, terrain of use, etc.). Aggregation and processing of pixel defect data may enable improvements in future imaging device designs, such as based on expected usage conditions, to improve product robustness against such failure modes. Additionally, based on the aggregation of pixel defect data, a fast health check may be developed, enabling quick feedback for investigation and continuous improvement.

[0150] For example, if a particular ultrasonic imaging device has a transducer array of 8000 pixels, the manufacturer may pre-set a threshold of 300 defective pixels, where, if at or above that, there are not enough pixels to generate a minimally quality ultrasonic image, the imaging device may disable itself. The imaging device may indicate to the user the number of defective pixels, the possible causes of the defects, and a recommendation to inspect or repair the imaging device prior to future operation. Alternatively, due to an insufficient number of properly operating transducer pixels, the imaging device may set itself to an inoperable state or may stop its operation. This is a stopped operating mode that can be reset by a qualified repair facility or the manufacturer after the imaging device has been sufficiently repaired. Beyond a simple quantitative threshold of the necessary operable transducer pixels, alternative embodiments may utilize other criteria to determine the viability of the imaging device, such specific locations of defective pixels (e.g., X-Z coordinates in the array), groups or clusters of defective pixels, etc.

[0151] According to an alternative embodiment, a health check routine may be triggered by a determination, such as by an accelerometer or an inertial measurement unit (IMU), that the imaging device has undergone a rapid inertial change. If a defined event, such as an impact on the imaging device, is measured by the accelerometer or IMU, the imaging device may initiate a health check routine (i.e., the current pixel performance routine or rapid test routine) to check its viability (i.e., the ability to be used to render an image of a target to be imaged in at least one imaging mode of the imaging device).

[0152] According to an alternative embodiment, in response to a determination that the imaging device or any part thereof has exceeded one or more predetermined operating temperature thresholds, a health check routine can be triggered by the imaging device. This can occur, for example, when one or more temperature sensors 320 that monitor the temperature of the transducer tile 210 detect that the transducer tile has exceeded one or more threshold temperatures over a period equal to or greater than a predetermined time threshold.

[0153] As used herein, when the imaging device is described as performing an operation, such as an operation related to pixel performance characteristic evaluation / health check routine, communication of information, or use of information related to a defective pixel data set, it is understood that any part of such an operation, or all of such an operation, can be executed by the control circuit of the imaging device, such as the control circuit 106 of FIG. 1, by a computing device such as the computing device 112 of FIG. 1 or 216 of FIG. 2 (where the computing device is either part of the imaging device or coupled to the imaging device but separate therefrom), and / or by any part of the processor 326 or communication circuit 332 of the imaging device shown in FIG. 3A.

[0154] As used herein, "defective pixel" is understood to mean a pixel whose performance is affected by a defect, such as a defect in pixel characteristics or another defect along the propagation path of a waveform transmitted from and / or reflected to the pixel.

[0155] Figure 16 is a flowchart of a process 1600 executed by an apparatus (such as any part including one or more of its processors) according to some embodiments. In operation 1602, the process includes determining a current pixel performance dataset for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels disposed adjacent to a first medium of a first acoustic impedance Z1, the transducer array being within an imaging device, and the current pixel performance dataset being obtained from current pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1. In operation 1604, the process includes performing a comparison of the current pixel performance dataset with a reference pixel performance dataset for the one or more pixels, the reference pixel performance dataset being obtained from reference pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, where the implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycles and the reference pixel performance reception cycles is performed without alignment of the second medium with respect to the imaging device. In operation 1606, the process includes determining a defective pixel dataset for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels based on the comparison.

[0156] In an example, the instructions implemented by processor 326 can be provided by memory 336, or any other memory or storage device of the imaging device, or processor 326, or any other processor of the imaging device can be embodied as a tangible non-transitory machine-readable medium including code to direct processor 326 to perform electronic operations in the casing. Processor 326 can access the non-transitory machine-readable medium via an interconnect between memory 336 and processor 326. For example, the non-transitory machine-readable medium can be embodied by memory 336 or a separate memory within processor 326, or can include a specific storage unit such as an optical disk, a flash drive, or any number of other hardware devices that can be plugged into the casing. The non-transitory machine-readable medium can include instructions to direct processor 326 to perform a sequence or flow of specific actions, such as those described with respect to the flowcharts and block diagrams of operations and functionality shown herein. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium” are interchangeable.

[0157] Any of the examples described below can be combined with any other example (or combination of examples) unless otherwise explicitly specified. The aspects described herein can also implement a hierarchical application of the scheme, for example, by introducing hierarchical prioritization for different functions (such as low / medium / high priority, etc.).

[0158] Implementations have been described with reference to specific, illustrative embodiments, but it will be apparent that various modifications and changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the disclosure. Many of the structures and processes described herein can be used in combination or in parallel implementations. Accordingly, this specification and the accompanying drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense. The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, illustrate, by way of example and not limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The embodiments shown are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and obtained, and structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, this detailed description is not to be regarded as limiting in any sense, and the scope of the various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0159] Such embodiments of the subject matter of the invention, even if more than one is actually disclosed, are referred to herein individually and / or collectively for convenience only, without any intention of voluntarily limiting the scope of this application to any single embodiment or inventive concept.

[0160] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described herein, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided merely as examples. The embodiments are not intended to be limited by the specific examples provided within the specification. Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the above specification, the description and illustration of the embodiments in this specification are not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Those skilled in the art will envision many variations, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the concept of the present disclosure. Furthermore, it should be understood that all aspects of the various embodiments are not limited to the specific descriptions, configurations, or relative ratios described herein, but depend on various conditions and variables. It should be understood that various alternative forms may be utilized for the embodiments described herein. Therefore, it is contemplated that the present disclosure also encompasses any such alternative forms, modifications, variations, or equivalents.

[0161] Example

[0162] Exemplary examples of the techniques disclosed herein are provided below. Certain embodiments of these techniques may include any one or more of the examples described below, and any combination thereof.

[0163] Example 1 includes a step of determining a current pixel performance data set for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels positioned adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, where the transducer array is within an imaging device and the current pixel performance data set is obtained from current pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; a step of performing a comparison between the current pixel performance data set and a reference pixel performance data set for the one or more pixels, where the reference pixel performance data set is obtained from reference pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, where the implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycles and the reference pixel performance reception cycles is performed without alignment of the second medium with respect to the imaging device; and a step of determining, based on the comparison, a defective pixel data set for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels, and includes a method comprising one or more processors for this purpose.

[0164] Example 2 includes the subject matter of Example 1, where the one or more processors include control circuitry for performing, for the one or more pixels, reference pixel performance reception cycles and current pixel performance reception cycles to obtain a reference pixel performance data set and a current pixel performance data set, respectively.

[0165] Example 3 includes the subject matter of Example 1, where the second medium includes a gaseous medium.

[0166] Example 4 includes the subject matter of Example 3, where the second medium includes air.

[0167] Example 5 includes the subject matter of Example 1, where the one or more processors cause the transmit and receive channels of the transducer array to be selected for at least one of activation or deactivation based on the defective pixel data set.

[0168] Example 6 includes the subject matter of Example 5, where one or more processors include a control circuit for selecting a transmission and reception channel of a transducer array selected for at least one of activation or deactivation based on a defective pixel dataset.

[0169] Example 7 includes the subject matter of Example 1, where one or more processors further determine the feasibility of using the imaging device based on a determination of whether the imaging device can function in at least one imaging mode based on a defective pixel dataset.

[0170] Example 8 includes the subject matter of Example 7, where one or more processors determine the feasibility of use based on at least one of: whether one or more pixels above a first predetermined numerical threshold can be used in at least one imaging mode; or whether the number of defective pixels at a predetermined location in the transducer array is below a second predetermined numerical threshold.

[0171] Example 9 includes the subject matter of Example 1, where one or more processors select to implement a frame reconstruction algorithm for reconstructing a frame corresponding to a target image imaged by the imaging device based on a defective pixel dataset.

[0172] Example 10 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 9, where the defective pixel dataset includes information about at least one of: the type of defect corresponding to each or a group of one or more defective pixels; the location of one or more defective pixels, where the location includes the address of each of the one or more defective pixels, or an address range for a group of one or more defective pixels; or the identification information of one or more defective pixels by respective pixel identification information (ID). of the information.

[0173] Example 11 includes the subject matter of Example 10, where the defective pixel dataset includes information regarding usage parameters of the imaging device during implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycle, and the usage parameters include at least one of the temperature of one or more portions of the transducer array, or a change in momentum of the transducer array.

[0174] Example 12 includes the subject matter of Example 10, where the current pixel performance dataset and the reference pixel performance dataset each correspond to a respective waveform, and one or more processors perform the comparison by comparing at least one of a respective amplitude, ringdown characteristic, phase, or ringing pattern between the current pixel performance dataset pattern and the reference pixel performance dataset pattern.

[0175] Example 13 includes the subject matter of Example 12, where the type of defect corresponds to at least one of a first medium, a second medium, or one or more pixels, and includes at least one of delamination of the first medium or the second medium, bubbles in the first medium or the second medium, debris in the first medium or the second medium, underfill under at least one of one or more pixels, or an obstacle of at least one of one or more pixels.

[0176] Example 14 includes the subject matter of Example 13, where one or more processors detect delamination of the first medium in response to a determination of a greater amplitude and a longer ringing waveform for the current pixel performance dataset as compared to the amplitude and ringing waveform of the reference pixel performance dataset.

[0177] Example 15 includes the subject matter of Example 13, where one or more processors detect bubbles in the first medium in response to a determination of a decreased amplitude, a changing ringdown pattern, and a phase shift in the current pixel performance dataset as compared to the amplitude, ringdown pattern, and phase of the reference pixel performance dataset.

[0178] Example 16 includes the subject matter of Example 13, where one or more processors determine an electrical signal for a receiver channel coupled to a pixel exhibiting rise and decay in the time domain compared to the behavior of a reference pixel performance dataset, and detect a pixel defect of one or more pixels in response to there being no acoustic signal from the pixel for the current pixel performance dataset.

[0179] Example 17 includes the subject matter of Example 13, where one or more processors detect an underfill problem for a pixel in response to determining a current pixel performance dataset having a decreased amplitude and a change in the ringdown characteristic similar to the configuration of a reference pixel performance dataset for the pixel compared to the amplitude and ringdown characteristic of the reference pixel performance dataset.

[0180] Example 18 includes the subject matter of Example 1, where one or more processors determine the configuration of a first medium based on a defective pixel dataset.

[0181] Example 19 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 9, where one or more processors cause communication of a defective pixel dataset to a user of an imaging device via a wired or wireless communication path.

[0182] Example 20 includes the subject matter of Example 19, where the communication includes causing at least one of an audio indication or a visual indication of information related to the defective pixel dataset to the user.

[0183] Example 21 includes the subject matter of Example 19, where the communication includes causing communication of a recommended next step to the user based on the defective pixel dataset, and the recommended next step includes at least one of self-repair, factory repair, on-site repair, or non-viability of the imaging device.

[0184] Example 22 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 9, where one or more processors cause communication of a defective pixel data set to a remote device via a wired or wireless communication path, and cause the remote device to aggregate the defective pixel data set with other defective pixel data sets from other imaging devices.

[0185] Example 23 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 9, where one or more processors cause generation of a current pixel performance data set in response to at least one of a determination that the imaging device has undergone a rapid change in inertia; or a determination that the imaging device or any part thereof has exceeded one or more predetermined operating temperature thresholds.

[0186] A method comprising: determining a current pixel performance data set for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels located adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, where the transducer array is in an imaging device and the current pixel performance data set is obtained from current pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; performing a comparison of the current pixel performance data set with a reference pixel performance data set for the one or more pixels, where the reference pixel performance data set is obtained from reference pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, where implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycle and the reference pixel performance reception cycle is performed without alignment of the second medium with respect to the imaging device; and determining a defective pixel data set for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels based on the comparison. comprises.

[0187] Example 25 includes the subject matter of Example 24 and further comprises the step of performing a reference pixel performance reception cycle and a current pixel performance reception cycle for one or more pixels to obtain a reference pixel performance dataset and a current pixel performance dataset respectively.

[0188] Example 26 includes the subject matter of Example 24, where the second medium includes a gaseous medium.

[0189] Example 27 includes the subject matter of Example 26, where the second medium includes air.

[0190] Example 28 includes the subject matter of Example 24 and further comprises the step of selecting, based on the defective pixel dataset, at least one of activating or deactivating the transmission and reception channels of the transducer array.

[0191] Example 29 includes the subject matter of Example 28 and further comprises the step of selecting the transmission and reception channels of the transducer array selected for at least one of activation or deactivation based on the defective pixel dataset.

[0192] Example 30 includes the subject matter of Example 24 and further comprises the step of determining the feasibility of using the imaging device based on a determination of whether the imaging device can function in at least one imaging mode based on the defective pixel dataset.

[0193] Example 31 includes the subject matter of Example 30 and further comprises the step of determining the feasibility of use based on at least one of whether one or more pixels above a first predetermined numerical threshold can be used in at least one imaging mode; or whether the number of one or more defective pixels at a predetermined location in the transducer array is below a second predetermined numerical threshold.

[0194] Example 32 includes the subject matter of Example 24 and further comprises the step of selecting to implement a frame reconstruction algorithm to reconstruct a frame corresponding to a target image imaged by an imaging device based on a defective pixel dataset.

[0195] Example 33 includes the subject matter of Example 24, wherein the defective pixel dataset includes: the type of defect corresponding to each or group of one or more defective pixels; the location of one or more defective pixels, where the location includes the address of each of the one or more defective pixels, or an address range for a group of one or more defective pixels; or information about at least one of the identification information of one or more defective pixels by respective pixel identification information (ID).

[0196] Example 34 includes the subject matter of Example 33, wherein the defective pixel dataset includes information about usage parameters of the imaging device during implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycle, and the usage parameters include at least one of the temperature of one or more parts of the transducer array, or the change in momentum of the transducer array.

[0197] Example 35 includes the subject matter of Example 33, wherein the current pixel performance dataset and the reference pixel performance dataset each correspond to a respective waveform, and further includes performing a comparison by comparing at least one of the respective amplitudes, ring-down characteristics, phases, or ringing patterns between the current pixel performance dataset pattern and the reference pixel performance dataset pattern.

[0198] Example 36 includes the subject matter of Example 35, wherein the type of defect corresponds to a first medium, a second medium, or at least one of one or more pixels, and includes at least one of delamination between the first medium and the second medium, bubbles in the first medium or the second medium, fragments in the first medium or the second medium, underfill under at least one of one or more pixels, or obstacles to at least one of one or more pixels.

[0199] Example 37 includes the subject matter of Example 36 and further comprises the step of detecting delamination of the first medium in response to a determination of a greater amplitude and a longer ringing waveform for the current pixel performance dataset as compared to the amplitude and ringing waveform of the reference pixel performance dataset.

[0200] Example 38 includes the subject matter of Example 36 and further comprises the step of detecting bubbles in the first medium in response to a determination of a decreased amplitude, a changing ringdown pattern, and a phase shift in the current pixel performance dataset as compared to the amplitude, ringdown pattern, and phase of the reference pixel performance dataset.

[0201] Example 39 includes the subject matter of Example 36 and further comprises the step of detecting pixel defects in one or more pixels in response to a determination of an electrical signal for a receiver channel coupled to a pixel exhibiting rise and decay in the time domain as compared to the behavior of the reference pixel performance dataset, and in response to the absence of an acoustic signal from the pixel for the current pixel performance dataset.

[0202] Example 40 includes the subject matter of Example 36 and further comprises the step of detecting an underfill problem with respect to a pixel in one or more pixels in response to a determination of a current pixel performance dataset having a decreased amplitude and a change in ringdown characteristics as compared to the amplitude and ringdown characteristics of the reference pixel performance dataset, which is similar in configuration to the reference pixel performance dataset for the pixel.

[0203] Example 41 includes the subject matter of Example 24 and further comprises the step of determining the configuration of the first medium based on a defective pixel dataset.

[0204] Example 42 includes the subject matter of Example 24 and further comprises the step of causing communication of a defective pixel dataset to a user of the imaging device via a wired or wireless communication path.

[0205] Example 43 includes the subject matter of Example 42, and the communication includes causing at least one of an audio indication or a visual indication of information related to the defective pixel data set to the user.

[0206] Example 44 includes the subject matter of Example 42, where the communication includes causing a communication to the user of a recommended next step based on the defective pixel data set, and the recommended next step includes at least one of self - repair, factory repair, on - site repair, or non - viability of the imaging device.

[0207] Example 45 includes the subject matter of Example 24, causing communication of the defective pixel data set to a remote device via a wired or wireless communication path, and further comprising the step of causing the remote device to aggregate the defective pixel data set with other defective pixel data sets from other imaging devices.

[0208] Example 46 includes the subject matter of Example 24, further comprising the step of causing generation of a current pixel performance data set in response to at least one of a determination that the imaging device has undergone a rapid change in inertia; or a determination that the imaging device or any part thereof has exceeded one or more predetermined operating temperature thresholds.

[0209] Example 47 includes an apparatus comprising means for performing the method of any one of Examples 24 to 46.

[0210] Example 48 includes one or more computer - readable media storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the method of any one of Examples 24 to 46 to be executed.

[0211] Example 49 includes an imaging device comprising the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 45, and the imaging device includes a transducer array.

[0212] Example 50 includes the subject matter of Example 49 and further includes a housing, and the apparatus is disposed in the housing.

[0213] Example 51 includes the subject matter of Example 50 and further includes a display.

[0214] Example 52 comprises one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one processor to execute the method of any one of Examples 24 to 46. [Item 1] Determine a current pixel performance dataset for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels positioned adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, where the transducer array is within an imaging device, and where the current pixel performance dataset is obtained from current pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; Perform a comparison between the current pixel performance dataset and a reference pixel performance dataset for the one or more pixels, where the reference pixel performance dataset is obtained from reference pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, and where the implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycle and the reference pixel performance reception cycle is performed without alignment of the second medium with respect to the imaging device; and Determine a defective pixel dataset for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels based on the comparison, An apparatus comprising one or more processors for. [Item 2] The apparatus according to item 1, wherein the one or more processors include control circuitry for performing, for the one or more pixels, the reference pixel performance reception cycle and the current pixel performance reception cycle to obtain the reference pixel performance dataset and the current pixel performance dataset, respectively. [Item 3] The apparatus according to item 1 or 2, wherein the one or more processors cause at least one of activation or deactivation of transmission and reception channels of the transducer array to be selected based on the defective pixel dataset. [Item 4] The apparatus according to item 3, wherein the one or more processors include control circuitry for selecting the transmission and reception channels of the transducer array selected for at least one of activation or deactivation based on the defective pixel dataset. [Item 5] The one or more processors further determine the feasibility of using the imaging device based on a determination of whether the imaging device can function in at least one imaging mode based on the defective pixel dataset, and the one or more processors whether a number of the one or more pixels above a first predetermined numerical threshold can be used in the at least one imaging mode; or whether the number of the one or more defective pixels at a predetermined location in the transducer array is below a second predetermined numerical threshold, The apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein the feasibility of use is determined based on at least one of the above. [Item 6] The apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the one or more processors select to implement a frame reconstruction algorithm for reconstructing a frame corresponding to a target image imaged by the imaging device based on the defective pixel dataset. [Item 7] The defective pixel dataset the type of defect corresponding to each or group of the one or more defective pixels; the location of the one or more defective pixels, where the location includes the address of each of the one or more defective pixels, or the address range for a group of the one or more defective pixels; or the identification information of the one or more defective pixels by respective pixel identification information (ID), The apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 6, including information about at least one of the above. [Item 8] The defective pixel dataset includes information about the usage parameters of the imaging device during the implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycle, and the usage parameters include at least one of the temperature of one or more parts of the transducer array or the change in momentum of the transducer array. The apparatus according to item 7. [Item 9] The current pixel performance data set and the reference pixel performance data set each correspond to respective waveforms, and the one or more processors perform the comparison by comparing at least one of respective amplitudes, ringdown characteristics, phases, or ringing patterns between the current pixel performance data set pattern and the reference pixel performance data set pattern. The device according to item 7. [Item 10] The type of the defect corresponds to at least one of the first medium, the second medium, or the one or more pixels, and includes at least one of delamination of the first medium or the second medium, bubbles in the first medium or the second medium, fragments in the first medium or the second medium, underfill under at least one of the one or more pixels, or at least one of obstacles of at least one of the one or more pixels. The device according to item 9. [Item 11] The one or more processors detect delamination of the first medium in response to a determination of a larger amplitude and a longer ringing waveform for the current pixel performance data set as compared to the amplitude and ringing waveform of the reference pixel performance data set. The device according to item 10. [Item 12] The one or more processors detect bubbles in the first medium in response to a determination of a decreased amplitude, a changing ringdown pattern, and a phase shift in the current pixel performance data set as compared to the amplitude, ringdown pattern, and phase of the reference pixel performance data set. The device according to item 10. [Item 13] The one or more processors make a determination of an electrical signal for a receiver channel coupled to the pixel exhibiting rise and decay in the time domain as compared to the behavior of the reference pixel performance data set, but detect a pixel defect of the one or more pixels in response to there being no acoustic signal from the pixel for the current pixel performance data set. The device according to item 10. [Item 14] The one or more processors detect an underfill problem for the one or more pixels in response to a determination of a current pixel performance data set for the pixels having a reduced amplitude and a change in ringdown characteristics compared to the amplitude and ringdown characteristics of the reference pixel performance data set, the apparatus of item 10. [Item 15] The one or more processors a determination that the imaging device has undergone a rapid change in inertia; or a determination that the imaging device or any part thereof has exceeded one or more predetermined operating temperature thresholds, in response to at least one of the above, cause the current pixel performance data set to be generated, the apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 14. [Item 16] Determining a current pixel performance data set for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels located adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, wherein the transducer array is in an imaging device, and the current pixel performance data set is obtained from the current pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; Performing a comparison of the current pixel performance data set with a reference pixel performance data set for the one or more pixels, wherein the reference pixel performance data set is obtained from the reference pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, and wherein the implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycle and the reference pixel performance reception cycle is performed without alignment of the second medium with respect to the imaging device; and Based on the comparison, determining a defective pixel data set for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels, A method comprising. [Item 17] The method of item 16, further comprising performing the reference pixel performance reception cycle and the current pixel performance reception cycle on the one or more pixels to obtain the reference pixel performance data set and the current pixel performance data set, respectively. [Item 18] The method according to item 16 or 17, further comprising the step of selecting the transmission and reception channels of the transducer array for at least one of activation or deactivation based on the defective pixel dataset. [Item 19] The method according to any one of items 16 to 18, further comprising the step of selecting to implement a frame reconstruction algorithm to reconstruct a frame corresponding to a target image imaged by the imaging device based on the defective pixel dataset. [Item 20] The defective pixel dataset the type of defect corresponding to each or group of the one or more defective pixels; the location of the one or more defective pixels, where the location includes the address of each of the one or more defective pixels, or the address range for a group of the one or more defective pixels; or the identification information of the one or more defective pixels by respective pixel identification information (ID), The method according to any one of items 16 to 19, including information for at least one of the above. [Item 21] Comprising a plurality of instructions, which when executed, cause one or more processors to determine a current pixel performance dataset for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels located adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, where the transducer array is within an imaging device, and the current pixel performance dataset is obtained from a current pixel performance reception cycle of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; perform a comparison between the current pixel performance dataset and a reference pixel performance dataset for the one or more pixels, where the reference pixel performance dataset is obtained from a reference pixel performance reception cycle of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, and where the implementation of the current pixel performance reception cycle and the reference pixel performance reception cycle is performed without alignment of the second medium with respect to the imaging device; and determine a defective pixel dataset for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels based on the comparison. A computer program that causes [operation]. [Item 22] The plurality of instructions further cause one or more processors to perform, for the one or more pixels, the reference pixel performance reception cycle and the current pixel performance reception cycle, respectively obtaining the reference pixel performance data set and the current pixel performance data set. The computer program according to item 21. [Item 23] The plurality of instructions further cause one or more processors to perform a procedure for selecting at least one of activation or deactivation of the transmission and reception channels of the transducer array based on the defective pixel data set. The computer program according to item 21 or 22. [Item 24] The plurality of instructions further cause one or more processors to perform a procedure for determining the executability of using the imaging device based on a determination of whether the imaging device can function in at least one imaging mode based on the defective pixel data set. The computer program according to any one of items 21 to 23. [Item 25] The defective pixel data set includes The type of defect corresponding to each or group of the one or more defective pixels; The location of the one or more defective pixels, where the location includes the address of each of the one or more defective pixels, or the address range for the group of the one or more defective pixels; or Identification information of the one or more defective pixels by respective pixel identification information (ID), including information about at least one of The computer program according to any one of items 21 to 24.

Claims

1. Determine a current pixel performance dataset for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels located adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, wherein the transducer array is within an imaging device, and wherein the current pixel performance dataset is obtained from a current pixel performance reception cycle of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; Perform a comparison between the current pixel performance dataset and a reference pixel performance dataset for the one or more pixels, wherein the reference pixel performance dataset is obtained from a reference pixel performance reception cycle of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, and wherein the current pixel performance reception cycle and the reference pixel performance reception cycle are performed with the second medium being air; and Based on the comparison, determine a defective pixel dataset for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels, and determine whether the one or more defective pixels are useful for the imaging device to function in at least one of a plurality of imaging modes when there are the one or more defective pixels, Comprising one or more processors for The plurality of imaging modes includes at least two of a one-dimensional imaging mode, a two-dimensional imaging mode, a three-dimensional imaging mode, a Doppler imaging mode, a linear imaging mode, and a sector imaging mode, The linear imaging mode is a mode in which a plurality of transducers in the transducer array transmit ultrasonic waves in the same spatial direction, The sector imaging mode is a mode in which a plurality of transducers in the transducer array transmit ultrasonic waves in different spatial directions, Device.

2. The defective pixel dataset includes information regarding usage parameters of the imaging device in the current pixel performance reception cycle and the type of defect corresponding to each or group of the one or more defective pixels, The usage parameters include the temperature of the surface of the transducer array, which is the surface in contact with the patient. The data of the temperature is associated with the occurrence rate of the type of the defect, The device according to claim 1.

3. The defective pixel data set includes information regarding the usage parameters of the imaging device in the current pixel performance reception cycle, The usage parameters include the change in momentum of the transducer array, The device according to claim 1.

4. The one or more processors include control circuitry for performing, for the one or more pixels, the reference pixel performance reception cycle and the current pixel performance reception cycle to obtain the reference pixel performance data set and the current pixel performance data set respectively, the device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The one or more processors are configured to cause, based on the defective pixel data set, at least one of the transmission and reception channels of the transducer array to be selected for activation or deactivation, the device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The one or more processors include control circuitry for selecting, based on the defective pixel data set, the transmission and reception channels of the transducer array selected for at least one of activation or deactivation, the device according to claim 5.

7. The determination is whether a number of the one or more pixels above a first predetermined numerical threshold can be used in the at least one imaging mode; or whether the number of the one or more defective pixels at a predetermined location in the transducer array is below a second predetermined numerical threshold The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, including at least one of the above.

8. The one or more processors are configured to select, based on the defective pixel data set, a frame reconstruction algorithm for reconstructing a frame corresponding to a target image imaged by the imaging device, the device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The imaging device recognizes the locations of the one or more defective pixels based on the defective pixel data set, The one or more processors reconstruct the frame corresponding to the target image by extrapolating data based on the received ultrasonic waveforms from normal pixels to data corresponding to the one or more defective pixels at the location. The apparatus according to claim 8.

10. The defective pixel data set includes the type of defect corresponding to each or group of the one or more defective pixels; the location of the one or more defective pixels, where the location includes the address of each of the one or more defective pixels, or an address range for a group of the one or more defective pixels; or identification information of the one or more defective pixels by respective pixel identification information (ID) The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, including information about at least one of the above.

11. The current pixel performance data set and the reference pixel performance data set have time domain signal waveforms respectively acquired from the current pixel performance reception cycle and the reference pixel performance reception cycle. The one or more processors perform the comparison by comparing at least one of respective amplitudes, ringdown characteristics, phases, or ringing patterns between the current pixel performance data set pattern and the reference pixel performance data set pattern. The apparatus according to claim 10.

12. The type of defect corresponds to the first medium, the second medium, or at least one of the one or more pixels, and includes at least one of delamination of the first medium or the second medium, bubbles in the first medium or the second medium, fragments in the first medium or the second medium, underfill under at least one of the one or more pixels, or obstacles to at least one of the one or more pixels. The apparatus according to claim 11.

13. The type of defect is the delamination. The one or more processors detect delamination of the first medium in response to a determination of a larger amplitude and a longer ringing waveform for the current pixel performance data set compared to the amplitude and ringing waveform of the reference pixel performance data set. The apparatus according to claim 12.

14. The type of defect is the bubble. The one or more processors detect bubbles in the first medium in response to determining a decreased amplitude, a changing ringdown pattern, and a phase shift in the current pixel performance dataset as compared to the amplitude, ringdown pattern, and phase of the reference pixel performance dataset, of the apparatus according to claim 12.

15. wherein the type of the defect is the fault, The one or more processors determine an electrical signal for a receiver channel coupled to the pixel exhibiting rise and decay in the time domain as compared to the behavior of the reference pixel performance dataset, but in response to there being no acoustic signal from the pixel for the current pixel performance dataset, detect a pixel defect of the one or more pixels, of the apparatus according to claim 12.

16. wherein the type of the defect is the underfill, The one or more processors detect an underfill problem related to the pixel of the one or more pixels in response to determining a current pixel performance dataset similar in configuration to the reference pixel performance dataset for the pixel, having a decreased amplitude and a change in ringdown characteristics as compared to the amplitude and ringdown characteristics of the reference pixel performance dataset, of the apparatus according to claim 12.

17. The one or more processors, a determination that the imaging device has undergone a sudden change in inertia; or a determination that the imaging device or any part thereof has exceeded one or more predetermined operating temperature thresholds generate the current pixel performance dataset in response to at least one of, of the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The transducer array has line elements connecting pixels having different center frequencies, of the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. Determining a current pixel performance dataset for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels located adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, where the transducer array is within an imaging device, and where the current pixel performance dataset is obtained from a current pixel performance reception cycle of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; Performing a comparison of the current pixel performance dataset with a reference pixel performance dataset for the one or more pixels, where the reference pixel performance dataset is obtained from a reference pixel performance reception cycle of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, and where the current pixel performance reception cycle and the reference pixel performance reception cycle are performed with the second medium being air; Based on the comparison, determining a defective pixel dataset for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels, and When there are the one or more defective pixels, determining whether the one or more defective pixels are useful for the imaging device to function in at least one of a plurality of imaging modes comprising The plurality of imaging modes includes at least two of a one-dimensional imaging mode, a two-dimensional imaging mode, a three-dimensional imaging mode, a Doppler imaging mode, a linear imaging mode, and a sector imaging mode, The linear imaging mode is a mode in which a plurality of transducers in the transducer array transmit ultrasonic waves in the same spatial direction, The sector imaging mode is a mode in which a plurality of transducers in the transducer array transmit ultrasonic waves in different spatial directions, Method.

20. The defective pixel dataset includes information regarding usage parameters of the imaging device in the current pixel performance reception cycle, and types of defects corresponding to each or groups of the one or more defective pixels, The usage parameters include the temperature of the surface of the transducer array that contacts the patient, wherein the temperature data is associated with the incidence rate of the type of the defect The method according to claim 19 **Claim 21** The method according to claim 19 or 20, further comprising the step of performing the reference pixel performance reception cycle and the current pixel performance reception cycle on the one or more pixels to obtain the reference pixel performance data set and the current pixel performance data set respectively **Claim 22** The method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, further comprising the step of selecting the transmission and reception channels of the transducer array for at least one of activation or deactivation based on the defective pixel data set **Claim 23** The method according to any one of claims 19 to 22, further comprising the step of selecting a frame reconstruction algorithm to reconstruct a frame corresponding to a target image imaged by the imaging device based on the defective pixel data set **Claim 24** The imaging device recognizes the locations of the one or more defective pixels based on the defective pixel data set The step of selecting the frame reconstruction algorithm is a step of reconstructing the frame corresponding to the target image by extrapolating data based on the received ultrasonic waveforms from normal pixels to data corresponding to the one or more defective pixels at the locations The method according to claim 23 **Claim 25** The defective pixel data set The type of defect corresponding to each or group of the one or more defective pixels The locations of the one or more defective pixels, where the locations include the address of each of the one or more defective pixels, or the address range for a group of the one or more defective pixels; or The identification information of the one or more defective pixels by respective pixel identification information (ID) The method according to any one of claims 19 to 24, comprising information for at least one of them **Claim 26** The transducer array has line elements connecting pixels having different center frequencies The method according to any one of claims 19 to 25 **Claim 27** Comprising a plurality of instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors to A procedure for determining a current pixel performance dataset for one or more pixels in a transducer array of pixels located adjacent to a first medium having a first acoustic impedance Z1, where the transducer array is within an imaging device, and the current pixel performance dataset is obtained from current pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to a second medium having a second acoustic impedance Z2 greater than Z1; A procedure for performing a comparison between the current pixel performance dataset and a reference pixel performance dataset for the one or more pixels, where the reference pixel performance dataset is obtained from reference pixel performance reception cycles of the one or more pixels with respect to the second medium, and where the current pixel performance reception cycles and the reference pixel performance reception cycles are performed with the second medium being air; A procedure for determining a defective pixel dataset for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels based on the comparison, and A procedure for determining whether the one or more defective pixels are useful for the imaging device to function in at least one of a plurality of imaging modes when there are the one or more defective pixels are caused to be executed, The plurality of imaging modes includes at least two of a one-dimensional imaging mode, a two-dimensional imaging mode, a three-dimensional imaging mode, a Doppler imaging mode, a linear imaging mode, and a sector imaging mode, The linear imaging mode is a mode in which a plurality of transducers in the transducer array transmit ultrasonic waves in the same spatial direction, The sector imaging mode is a mode in which a plurality of transducers in the transducer array transmit ultrasonic waves in different spatial directions, A computer program.

28. The defective pixel dataset includes information regarding usage parameters of the imaging device in the current pixel performance reception cycles, and types of defects corresponding to each or a group of the one or more defective pixels, The usage parameters include the temperature of the surface of the transducer array, which is the surface that contacts the patient. wherein the temperature data is associated with the incidence rate of the type of the defect, The computer program according to claim 27. **Claim 29** The computer program according to claim 27 or 28, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to execute procedures for performing the reference pixel performance reception cycle and the current pixel performance reception cycle on the one or more pixels to obtain the reference pixel performance data set and the current pixel performance data set, respectively. **Claim 30** The computer program according to any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to execute a procedure for selecting at least one of activation or deactivation of the transmission and reception channels of the transducer array based on the defective pixel data set. **Claim 31** The computer program according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to execute a procedure for determining the feasibility of using the imaging device based on a determination of whether the imaging device can function in at least one imaging mode based on the defective pixel data set. **Claim 32** The computer program according to any one of claims 27 to 31, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to execute a procedure for selecting a frame reconstruction algorithm for reconstructing a frame corresponding to a target image imaged by the imaging device based on the defective pixel data set. **Claim 33** The imaging device recognizes the locations of the one or more defective pixels based on the defective pixel data set, The procedure for selecting the frame reconstruction algorithm is a procedure for reconstructing the frame corresponding to the target image by extrapolating data based on the received ultrasonic waveform from normal pixels to data corresponding to the one or more defective pixels at the location. The computer program according to claim 32. **Claim 34** The defective pixel data set, The type of defect corresponding to each or group of the one or more defective pixels; The location of the one or more defective pixels, where the location includes the address of each of the one or more defective pixels, or an address range for a group of the one or more defective pixels; or, Identification information of the one or more defective pixels by respective pixel identification information (ID) including information about at least one of A computer program according to any one of claims 27 to 33.

35. The transducer array has line elements connecting pixels having different center frequencies. A computer program according to any one of claims 27 to 34.

Images