Processing circuit, system, and method for reducing power consumption of ultrasound imaging probes based on interlaced data acquisition and reconstruction algorithms.

Abstract

In ultrasound imaging devices, interlaced data acquisition schemes are employed to reduce the amount of power consumed by the device's transmit firings when collecting video data. Reducing power consumption in accordance with the present disclosure reduces battery size, weight, and cost; reduces heat generation; reduces the need for heat dissipation materials in the probe; and extends the probe's operating time. Reconstruction algorithms are used to generate images from the interlaced data that are qualitatively comparable to video acquired by conventional (non-interlaced) image acquisition.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority under § 119(e) of U.S. Patent Act Provisional Application No. 63 / 163,702, “Processing Circuitry, System and Method for Reducing Electrical Power Consumtion in an Ultrasound Imaging Probe Based on Interlaced Data Acquisition and Reconstruction Algorithm,” filed on 19 March 2021. The disclosure of the prior application is deemed to be part of the disclosure of this application, and the entirety thereof is incorporated into the disclosure of this application by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Ultrasound imaging is widely used in the fields of medicine and non-destructive testing. Conventional ultrasound imaging devices are large and expensive, creating a need for portable, low-cost handheld ultrasound devices. [Overview of the project]

[0003] As with other handheld electronic devices, portable ultrasound probes need to have their power consumption limited, thereby reducing battery demand and mitigating problems associated with heat generated within the probe during operation. Reducing power consumption can lead to lower probe cost, size, and weight, while simultaneously improving convenience and clinical effectiveness. Specific benefits include: 1) reduced battery size, weight, and cost; 2) reduced heat generation; 3) reduced need for heat dissipation materials within the probe (further reducing device size, weight, and cost); and 4) potentially extended probe operating time.

[0004] Some embodiments use a combination of interlaced data acquisition methods and computerized image reconstruction algorithms to reduce the amount of power consumed by the transmitted emission in an ultrasound imaging probe when acquiring video data. In some embodiments, the goal of the reconstruction algorithm is to generate video from interlaced data that is of comparable quality to video acquired by conventional (uninterlaced) image acquisition.

[0005] Further aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments are not limited to those expressly described herein, and several details relating to embodiments can be modified in various obvious ways without departing from the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description should be considered illustrative and not restrictive. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] Some of the features of the embodiments are described in detail in the appended claims. The features and advantages of the embodiments will be better understood by referring to the following detailed description in which the principles of the embodiments are utilized, and to the appended drawings (hereinafter also referred to as "Fig." and "Figure").

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of an imaging device having selectively modifiable characteristics according to the disclosed embodiment.

[0008] [Figure 2] This is a diagram of an imaging system having selectively modifiable characteristics according to a disclosed embodiment.

[0009] [Figure 3A] This is a schematic diagram of an imaging device having selectively modifiable characteristics according to several disclosed embodiments.

[0010] [Figure 3B] This is a schematic diagram of the internal components of the imaging device shown in Figure 3A, according to one embodiment.

[0011] [Figure 4] This is a side view of a curved transducer array according to an example of the principle described herein.

[0012] [Figure 5] This is a top view of a transducer according to an example of the principle described herein.

[0013] [Figure 6] This is an isometric view of the scanning lines of an imaging device and frame, according to an example of the principle described herein.

[0014] [Figure 7] This section illustrates the formation of a scanning line according to an example of the principle described herein.

[0015] [Figure 8] An example of a receiving channel according to the principle described herein is shown.

[0016] [Figure 9A] A full scanning configuration is shown according to several disclosed embodiments.

[0017] [Figure 9B] An interlaced scanning configuration according to the disclosed embodiment is shown. [Figure 9C] An interlaced scanning configuration according to the disclosed embodiment is shown.

[0018] [Figure 10] This example shows conventional image frames from ultrasound videos generated from interlaced data using in-frame interpolation to fill in missing data.

[0019] [Figure 11]This figure shows exemplary image frames from an ultrasound video generated from interlaced data using a reconstruction algorithm according to the disclosed embodiment.

[0020] [Figure 12] A high-level block diagram of the reconstruction algorithm according to the disclosed embodiment is shown.

[0021] [Figure 13] The reconstruction algorithm, as shown in the disclosed embodiments, is presented as a recursive procedure.

[0022] [Figure 14] A block diagram of the algorithm is shown, illustrating how, according to the disclosed embodiment, a new odd-numbered low-power frame is used to update the previous reconfigured frame, and in subsequent iterations, an even-numbered low-power frame is used to update the reconfigured frame again.

[0023] [Figure 15] An illustrative diagram of a low-power frame, including blocks and macroblocks, is shown according to the disclosed embodiments, in which the macroblocks are used for local block matching to achieve motion-compensated inter-frame prediction.

[0024] [Figure 16] This is a flowchart of the method according to the first embodiment.

[0025] [Figure 17] This is a flowchart of the method according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] One objective of the embodiment is to reduce the power consumption required to generate transmit (Tx) emissions used for ultrasound imaging while maintaining image quality. Direct advantages of reducing the power consumption required to generate Tx emissions include: (1) reduced battery size, weight, and cost; (2) reduced heat generation; (3) reduced need for heat dissipation material in the probe (further reduction in device size, weight, and cost); and (4) extended probe operating time.

[0027] Generally, embodiments relate to imaging devices, and more particularly to imaging devices having an electronically configurable ultrasonic transducer element and associated image reconstruction circuitry. Non-invasive imaging devices may be used to image internal tissues, bones, blood flow, or organs of the human or animal body.

[0028] Some embodiments of the imaging device may include hardware and / or software for controlling the selective operation and deactivation of the transducer elements of the imaging device, thereby realizing transmission and reception patterns of ultrasonic waveforms and enabling the generation of images from objects while achieving power savings.

[0029] For example, in a medium such as water, meat, or a lens, the “ultrasonic waveform” as referred to herein may, in some embodiments, refer to the compensation of each waveform of a transmitting transducer element. According to some embodiments, transducer elements, such as a group of transducer elements, may emit simultaneously, but in many cases they may emit separately from one another (for example, to stair).

[0030] As used herein, “element pixel” refers to a single MUT (i.e., a device having a single diaphragm or membrane), but it should be noted that “element” in a transducer may refer to a pixel or a group of MUTs (a group of element pixels) that move together as a single unit. “Element pixel” should be distinguished from “pixel” as used herein, the latter referring to a pixel in a digital frame or image, as is generally understood.

[0031] Some embodiments of the imaging device may further include hardware and / or software for receiving ultrasonic energy reflected from an object being imaged and converting the received ultrasonic energy into an electrical signal.

[0032] Some embodiments of the imaging device may further include hardware and / or software for constructing an image of the object being imaged, displaying the image, and / or displaying the image.

[0033] To perform imaging, an imaging device may transmit an ultrasonic waveform into body tissue toward the object being imaged and receive the ultrasonic energy reflected from the object. Such an imaging device may include one or more transducer elements and may function using photoacoustic or ultrasonic effects. Such transducer elements may be used for imaging and for other applications. For example, transducer elements may be used in medical imaging, for flow measurement in pipes, in speaker arrays and microphone arrays, in lithotomy, for therapeutic local tissue heating, and in highly intensive focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery.

[0034] While embodiments expressly refer to ultrasonic waveforms, ultrasound, ultrasonic pressure waves, and / or the use of ultrasound, embodiments are not particularly limited to ultrasound and include, within their scope, the generation and processing of waves that propagate within the body, reflect back from objects within the body, and can be decoded / analyzed / processed to enable the generation of information about objects, such as the generation of images corresponding to the objects on a display device.

[0035] Conventionally, imaging devices such as ultrasound imagers used in medical imaging utilize piezoelectric (lead zirconate titanate (PZT)) materials or other piezoelectric ceramic and polymer composite materials. Such imaging devices may include a housing that contains transducers having PZT material, and other electronic equipment that forms and displays images on a display unit. To manufacture bulk PZT elements or transducers, thick slabs of piezoelectric material can be cut into large rectangular PZT elements. These rectangular PZT elements can be expensive to manufacture because the manufacturing process generally involves precisely cutting thick rectangular PZT or ceramic material and mounting it on a substrate at precise intervals. Furthermore, the impedance of the transducer is much higher than the impedance of the transducer's transmitting / receiving electronic equipment, which can affect performance.

[0036] Furthermore, such thick bulk PZT elements may require very high voltage pulses, for example, 100 volts (V) or more, to generate the transmission signal. Since the power loss of the transducer is proportional to the square of the drive voltage, this high drive voltage results in high power loss. This high power loss generates heat within the imaging device, resulting in the need for a cooling system. These cooling systems increase the manufacturing cost and weight of the imaging device and place a greater burden on its operation.

[0037] Furthermore, the transmitter / receiver electronics of a transducer may be located far away from the transducer itself, thus requiring ultra-thin coaxial cables between the transducer and the transmitter / receiver electronics. Generally, the cables have precise lengths for delay and impedance matching, and very often, an additional impedance matching network is needed to efficiently connect the transducer to the electronics via the cable.

[0038] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in connection with imaging devices that utilize either piezoelectric micromachine ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) technology or capacitive micromachine ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) technology, as will be described in more detail herein.

[0039] Generally, both cMUTs and pMUTs contain a diaphragm (a thin film attached to the end or at a point inside the probe), but "conventional" bulk PZT elements are usually made of solid material pieces.

[0040] Piezoelectric micromachine ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs) can be efficiently formed on substrates using various semiconductor wafer manufacturing operations. Currently, semiconductor wafers can be 6-inch (15.24 cm), 8-inch (20.32 cm), and 12-inch (30.48 cm) in size, capable of accommodating hundreds of transducer arrays. These semiconductor wafers begin as silicon substrates on which various processing operations are performed. One example of such an operation is the formation of an SiO2 layer, also known as an insulating oxide. Various other operations are performed, such as adding a metal layer that acts as an interconnect and adhesive pad to enable connection to other electronic devices. Yet another example of mechanical operation is cavity etching. Compared to conventional transducers with large piezoelectric materials, pMUT elements built on semiconductor substrates are smaller, have lower manufacturing costs, and interconnection between electronic devices and transducers is simpler and more efficient. Therefore, pMUTs offer greater flexibility in the operating frequency of imaging devices using pMUTs, and the potential to produce higher quality images.

[0041] In some embodiments, the imaging device may include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) comprising one or more transmit drivers, a sensing circuit that processes the electrical energy corresponding to the received ultrasonic energy (echo signal) reflected back from the imaged object, and other processing circuits for controlling various other operations. The ASIC may be formed on a separate semiconductor wafer or on the same semiconductor wafer. The ASIC may be placed close to the pMUT element to reduce parasitic losses. In a specific example, the ASIC may be less than 50 micrometers (μm) away from the transducer array containing the pMUT element. In a broader example, the distance between two wafers or two dies may be less than 100 μm, and each wafer may contain many dies, with the dies containing transducers in the transducer wafer and ASICs in the ASIC wafer. In some embodiments, the ASIC has a footprint that matches that of a pMUT transducer including a pMUT element, and can therefore be stacked for wafer-to-wafer interconnection with the pMUT transducer die, for example, by stacking the ASIC wafer with the transducer die, or by stacking the ASIC die itself with the transducer die via interconnection. Alternatively, the transducer can be developed on the ASIC wafer as a single device using low-temperature piezoelectric sputtering and other low-temperature processes compatible with ASIC processing.

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

[0043] Regardless of whether the imaging device uses pMUT elements or cMUT elements in its transducers, imaging devices according to some embodiments may include several transmit channels and several receive channels. The transmit channels drive the transducer elements with voltage pulses at frequencies to which the transducer elements respond. This causes an ultrasonic waveform to be emitted from the elements, and the waveform is directed toward the object to be imaged, such as an organ in the body. In some examples, the imaging device with an array of transducer elements may be in mechanical contact with the body using a gel between the imaging device and the body. The ultrasonic waveform travels toward 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, which can be converted into electrical energy within the imaging device. The received ultrasonic energy can then be further processed by several receive channels to convert the received ultrasonic energy into an electrical signal, and the electrical signal can be processed by other circuits to generate an image of the object for display based on the electrical signal.

[0044] These transmit and receive channels consume power, and in devices with many channels (to produce high-quality images), this power can cause excessive heat to build up within the imaging device. If the temperature of the imaging device rises above a certain level, it may affect the operation of the imaging device, potentially endangering the operator and potentially endangering the patient, and may fall outside the scope of regulatory specifications that define one or more upper temperature thresholds.

[0045] Embodiments of an ultrasonic imaging device include a transducer array and, for example, control circuits including application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), transmit and receive beamforming circuits, and optionally additional control electronics. The specifications limit the maximum permissible temperature of the imaging device, which in turn limits what electronic circuits can be housed in the imaging device and how the imaging device can operate. Such limitations may adversely affect the resulting image quality, including the image frame rate. Furthermore, the imaging device may be battery-powered, in which case, in devices with many transmit / receive channels, the battery may be quickly depleted as each channel may absorb energy during use.

[0046] Imaging devices incorporating the features of the embodiments can advantageously mitigate or solve these and other technical problems. Specifically, the imaging device may be configured to control the transmit (Tx) emission (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 receiving and / or transmitting channels used to form the image can be electronically selectively adapted to conserve power (can be selectively operated, power can be cut off, or power can be reduced), for example, when a smaller number of channels are permitted, i.e., a usable display image can still be obtained with a smaller number of channels. As a specific example, the number of transmitting and / or receiving channels can each be dynamically controlled, for example, by the control circuit of the imaging device, or power can be completely cut off, in order to reduce power. Furthermore, other characteristics of each channel can also be configured to reduce power consumption. Such advanced control allows the imaging device to operate within a safe temperature threshold and without sacrificing the required image quality. Lower power consumption can also lead to longer battery life, if batteries are used to power the imaging device.

[0047] In one embodiment, the imaging device may include a transducer and a handheld case housing related electronic circuits such as a control circuit and optionally a computing device. The imaging device may also include a battery to supply power to the electronic circuits. As described above, the amount of power consumed by the imaging device may cause the temperature of the imaging device to rise. To ensure satisfactory use and performance of the imaging device, the temperature of the housing or body of the imaging device should be kept below a threshold temperature. Imaging devices according to some embodiments may be electronically configured to reduce power consumption and temperature compared to existing imaging devices that produce comparable image quality, despite acquiring high-quality images.

[0048] Therefore, some embodiments relate to high-performance, low-power, and low-cost portable imaging devices that utilize 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) for the imaging device.

[0049] The following description includes specific details to provide an understanding of the disclosure for illustrative purposes. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosure can be implemented without these details. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that the examples of the disclosure described below can be implemented in various ways, such as processes, one or more processors (processing circuits) of control circuits, one or more processors (or processing circuits) of computing devices, systems, devices, or methods on tangible computer-readable media.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will recognize that (1) certain manufacturing operations may be performed at their discretion; (2) operations may not be limited to the specific order described herein; and (3) certain operations may be performed in different orders, including simultaneously.

[0051] The elements / components shown in the figures are illustrative of exemplary embodiments and are intended to avoid obscuring the disclosure. References to “one example,” “preferred example,” “an example,” “examples,” “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” or “embodiments” in this specification mean that certain features, structures, characteristics, or functions described in relation to an example are included in at least one example of this disclosure, and may be included in two or more examples. The occurrences of the phrases “in one example,” “in an example,” “in examples,” “in an embodiment,” “in some embodiments,” or “in embodiments” in various parts of this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same one or more examples. The terms “include,” “including,” “comprise,” and “comprising” are understood to be open terms, and any list below is illustrative and not limited to the listed items. Any titles used herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be used to describe or limit the claims. Furthermore, the use of certain terms in various parts of the specification is illustrative and should not be construed as limiting.

[0052] Referring here to the drawings, Figure 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 performs image calculations on a computing device 112 according to the principles described herein. As described above, the imaging device 100 may be used to generate images of internal tissues, bones, blood flow, or organs of a human or animal body. Thus, the imaging device 100 may transmit signals into the body and receive reflected signals from the body part being imaged. Such imaging devices may include pMUTs or cMUTs, which may be called transceivers or imagers, which may be based on photoacoustic or ultrasonic effects. The imaging device 100 can also be used to image other objects. For example, the imaging device may be used in medical imaging; flow measurement in pipes; speaker arrays and microphone arrays; lithotomy; local tissue heating for treatment; and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery.

[0053] In addition to use on human patients, the imaging device 100 can also be used to acquire images of animal viscera. Furthermore, in addition to imaging viscera, the imaging device 100 can also be used to determine the direction and velocity of blood flow in arteries and veins, such as in Doppler mode imaging, and to measure tissue stiffness.

[0054] 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.

[0055] To facilitate such imaging, the imaging device 100 includes one or more ultrasonic transducers 102, each transducer 102 including 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 the object or other mass within the body being imaged. In some examples, the imaging device 100 may be configured to simultaneously transmit and receive ultrasonic waveforms or ultrasonic pressure waves (abbreviated as pressure waves). For example, a control circuit 106 may be configured to control a particular transducer element 104 to transmit a pressure wave toward the object being imaged, while other transducer elements 104 simultaneously receive pressure wave / ultrasonic energy reflected from the object and generate charges based on the received waves / received ultrasonic energy / received energy in response to them.

[0056] In some examples, each transducer element 104 may be configured to transmit or receive signals at a specific frequency and bandwidth associated with a center frequency, and optionally at additional center frequencies and bandwidths. Such multi-frequency transducer elements 104 may be called multimodal elements 104 and can extend the bandwidth of the imaging device 100. The transducer elements 104 may be enabled to transmit or receive signals at any suitable center frequency, such as from about 0.1 to about 100 megahertz. The transducer elements 104 may be configured to transmit or receive signals at one or more center frequencies in the range of about 3.5 megahertz to about 5 megahertz.

[0057] To generate pressure waves, the imaging device 100 may include several transmit (Tx) channels 108 and several receive (Rx) channels 110. The transmit channels 108 may include several components that drive transducers 102, i.e., arrays of transducer elements 104, with voltage pulses at frequencies to which they respond. This causes ultrasonic waveforms to be emitted from the transducer elements 104 toward the object being imaged.

[0058] 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 an imaging device.

[0059] The ultrasonic waveform travels toward the object being imaged, and a portion of the waveform is reflected back to the transducer 102, where the ultrasonic waveform is converted into electrical energy by the piezoelectric effect. The receiving channel 110 collects and processes the electrical energy thus obtained and transmits it to a computing device 112, for example, to develop or generate a displayable image.

[0060] In some examples, the number of transmit channels 108 and receive channels 110 in the imaging device 100 may remain constant, but the number of transducer elements 104 to which they are coupled may vary. In one embodiment, the coupling of transmit channels and receive channels to transducer elements may be controlled by a control circuit 106. In some examples, the control circuit may include transmit channels 108 and receive channels 110, as shown in Figure 1, for example. For example, the transducer elements 104 of transducer 102 may be formed in a two-dimensional spatial array having 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 transducer element 104. For example, depending on the imaging mode (e.g., a linear mode in which several transducers transmit ultrasound in the same spatial direction, or a sector mode in which several transducers transmit ultrasound in different spatial directions), each row of 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 can receive a composite signal, which combines the signals received by each transducer element 104 in each row. In another example, i.e., during different imaging modes, each transducer element 104 may be coupled to its own dedicated transmit channel 108 and its own 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 generate 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.

[0061] These transmit and receive channels (108, 110) consume power during operation. In high-end equipment with many channels for producing high-quality images, the power can cause excessive heat to accumulate within the imaging device 100. Excessive heat is uncomfortable for the patient and, in some cases, can be dangerous to the patient to whom the imaging device 100 is applied for imaging. Such excessive heat is also a problem for the operator of the imaging device 100. Furthermore, excessive heat can damage components of the imaging device 100, potentially causing the imaging device 100 to malfunction or, in some cases, become inoperable. Therefore, the transmit channel 108 and receive channel 110 may be selectively adaptable (or selectively adjustable) to 1) reduce power consumption, 2) prevent excessive heat accumulation, and 3) optimize imaging performance and power consumption requirements in real time, i.e., dynamically.

[0062] Selective tuning of channels (108, 110) may include interlacing the Tx spatial transmission (or emission) pattern, placing channels (108, 110) in a power-off state, or placing channels (108, 110) in a low-power state. By enabling channel tuning of channels (108, 110), excessive heat accumulation is prevented by turning off power-consuming (and heat-generating) components when the imaging device 100 reaches a threshold temperature. Further details regarding selective channel tuning are provided below.

[0063] The control circuit 106 may be embodied as any one or more circuits configured to perform the functions described herein. For example, the control circuit 106 may be embodied as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a system-on-a-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., or otherwise may include them.

[0064] The exemplary computing device 112 can be embodied as any suitable computing device including any suitable components such as a processor, memory, communication circuits, battery, display, etc. In one embodiment, for example, as suggested in the embodiment of Figure 1, the computing device 112 may be integrated with the control circuit 106, transducer 102, etc., into a single package, a single chip, or a single system on a chip (SoC). In other embodiments, as will be described in more detail below, for example, as suggested in the embodiment of Figure 2, some or all of the computing device may be in a separate package from the control circuit and transducer, etc.

[0065] Each transducer element may have any suitable shape, such as a square, rectangle, ellipse, or circle. The transducer elements may be arranged in a two-dimensional array with N columns and M rows arranged orthogonally, as described herein, or in an asymmetric (or staggered) linear array.

[0066] The transducer element 104 may have an associated transmit driver circuit for the associated transmit channel and a low-noise amplifier for the associated receive channel. Thus, the transmit channel may include a transmit driver, and the receive channel may include one or more low-noise amplifiers. For example, although not explicitly shown, the transmit channel and the receive channel may each include multiplexing and addressing control circuits to enable operation, deactivation, or low-power modes of a particular transducer element and set of transducer elements. It will be understood that the transducers may be arranged in patterns other than orthogonal rows and columns, such as a circular shape, or in other patterns based on the range of ultrasonic waveforms generated therefrom.

[0067] Figure 2 is a diagram of an imaging environment including an imaging system having selectively configurable characteristics according to one embodiment. The imaging system in Figure 2 may 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.

[0068] As shown in Figure 2, according to one embodiment, unlike the embodiment in Figure 1, the computing device 216 may be physically separated from the imaging device 220. For example, the computing device 216 and the display device 220 may be located in separate devices (in this context, the illustrated computing system 222 is physically separated from the imaging device 202 during operation) compared to the components of the imaging device 202. The computing system 222 may include a mobile device such as a mobile phone or tablet, or a stationary computing device, that can display images to the user. In another example, as shown in Figure 1, for example, the display device, computing device, and associated display may be part of the imaging device 202 (not shown). That is, the imaging device 100, computing device 216, and display device 220 may be located in a single housing.

[0069] The “computing device” as referred to herein may, in some embodiments, be configured to generate signals for displaying images of objects on a display. In some embodiments, the generation of signals may include an implementation of an interlacing algorithm, as will be further described below.

[0070] As illustrated, the imaging system includes an imaging device 202 configured to generate and transmit a pressure wave 210 toward an object such as a heart 214 via a transmit channel (Figure 1, 108) in transmit mode / process. The internal organ or other imaging object may reflect a portion of the pressure wave 210 toward the imaging device 202, which may receive the received channel (Figure 1, 110) via a transducer (e.g., transducer 102 in Figure 1) and receive the reflected pressure wave via a control circuit (Figure 1, 106). The transducer may generate an electrical signal based on the received ultrasonic energy in receive mode / process. The transmit mode or receive mode may be applied in the context of an imaging device that can be configured to transmit or receive, albeit at different times. However, as mentioned above, some imaging devices according to the embodiments may be adapted to perform both transmit and receive modes simultaneously. The system also includes a computing device 216 that communicates with the imaging device 100 via a communication channel, such as a wireless communication channel 218 as shown in the figure, although embodiments may also include wired communication between the computing system and the imaging device. The imaging device 100 may transmit signals to the computing device 216, which may have one or more processors for processing the received signals to complete the formation of an image of an object. The display device 220 of the computing system 222 may then use the signals from the computing device to display the image of the object.

[0071] In some embodiments, the imaging device may include a portable and / or handheld device adapted to communicate signals with a computing device wirelessly (using wireless communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11 or Wi-Fi® protocol, Bluetooth® protocol including Bluetooth® Low Energy, millimeter-wave communication protocol, or any other wireless communication protocol that is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art) or via a wired connection such as a cable (USB2, USB3, USB3.1, USB-C, etc.) or an interconnection on a microelectronic device. In the case of a tethered or wired connection, the imaging device may include a port for receiving a cable connection of a cable that communicates with the computing device, as will be described in more detail in relation to Figure 3A. In the case of a wireless connection, the imaging device 100 may include a wireless transceiver for communicating with the computing device 216.

[0072] It should be understood that in various embodiments, different aspects of this disclosure may be implemented with different components. For example, in one embodiment, the imaging device may include circuitry (such as channels) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waveforms via its transducers, while the computer 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 process the received ultrasonic energy to derive an image of an object therefrom. In such embodiments, the computing device may manage / control the power consumption of the imaging device, construct an image of an object using frames, select and configure transmit and receive channels, etc., as will be discussed in more detail below.

[0073] In another embodiment, as will be discussed in more detail below, the imaging device may include a control circuit that uses a voltage signal to control the generation of an ultrasonic waveform at a transducer element in order to transmit and receive the ultrasonic waveform at the transducer element, and may also generate an electrical signal from the received ultrasonic energy and construct an image of an object therefrom using a frame. In such an embodiment, the control circuit of the imaging device may transmit the constructed frame to a computing device, which may simply transfer the frame to a display without further processing. More generally, it should be understood that any suitable function disclosed herein may be performed by one or more circuits, and that these circuits may be housed in a single physical device or may be housed physically separated from each other but communicated with one another.

[0074] Figures 3A and 3B show, respectively, diagrams of the imaging device and the internal components within the housing of the imaging device, according to several embodiments, as will be described in more detail below.

[0075] As shown in Figure 3A, the imaging device 300 may include a handheld case 331 housing a transducer 302 and associated electronic equipment. The imaging device may also include a battery 338 for powering the electronic equipment. The amount of power consumed by the imaging device, whether via the battery or via a wired or wireless connection, may cause the temperature of the imaging device to rise. To ensure satisfactory use and performance of the imaging device, it may be necessary to keep the temperature of the imaging device body below a threshold temperature. The imaging devices described herein may be electronically configured to reduce power and temperature despite the acquisition of high-quality images that consume a large amount of power, shorten battery life, and raise the temperature inside the probe (or imaging device).

[0076] Therefore, Figure 3A shows an embodiment of a high-performance, low-power, and low-cost portable imaging device capable of 2D and 3D imaging using pMUTs in a 2D array, optionally constructed on a silicon wafer. Coupled with an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 106 having an electronic configuration of specific parameters, such an array enables high-quality image processing at a lower cost than previously possible. Furthermore, power consumption and temperature can be changed by controlling specific parameters, such as the number of channels used.

[0077] In some embodiments, the imaging device 300 is configured to allow for the configurability and adaptability of a real-time system for actively controlling power consumption and temperature within the imaging device. This is achieved by minimizing power loss within the imaging device by 1) changing the number of channels and / or 2) actively controlling power loss in those channels so that the temperature within the imaging device does not exceed specification limits.

[0078] Taking Figure 3A in more detail, Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of an imaging device 300 having selectively adjustable functionality according to several embodiments. The imaging device 300 may be similar to the imaging device 100 in Figure 1 or the imaging device 202 in Figure 2, just as an example. As described above, the imaging device may include an ultrasound medical probe. Figure 3A shows the transducer 302 of the imaging device 300. As described above, the transducer 302 may include an array of transducer elements (Figure 1, 104) adapted to transmit and receive pressure waves (Figure 2, 210). In some examples, the imaging device 300 may include a coating layer 322 that acts as an impedance matching interface between the transducer 302 and the human body or other mass or tissue to which the pressure waves (Figure 2, 210) are transmitted. In some cases, the coating layer 322 may function as a lens if designed with curvature matching the desired focal length.

[0079] The imaging device 300 can be embodied in any suitable form factor. In some embodiments, a portion of the imaging device 300, including the transducer 302, may extend outward from the rest of the imaging device 100. The imaging device 300 can be embodied as any suitable ultrasound medical probe, such as a convex array probe, a microconvex array probe, a linear array probe, an intravaginal probe, a rectal probe, a surgical probe, or an intraoperative probe.

[0080] In some embodiments, the user may apply the gel to the living skin before direct contact with the coating layer 322 to improve impedance matching at the interface between the coating layer 322 and the human body. Impedance matching reduces the loss of pressure waves at the interface (Figure 2, 210) and the loss of reflected waves traveling toward the imaging device 300 at the interface.

[0081] In some examples, the coating layer 322 may be a flat layer to maximize the transmission of acoustic signals from the transducer 102 to the body, and vice versa. The thickness of the coating layer 322 may be one-quarter of the wavelength of the pressure wave (Figure 2, 210) generated by the transducer 102.

[0082] The imaging device 300 also includes a control circuit 106, such as one or more processors in the form of an optional application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC chip or ASIC), for controlling the transducer 102. The control circuit 106 may be coupled to the transducer 102 via bumps or the like. As described above, the transmit channel 108 and the receive channel 110 may be selectively changeable or adjustable, meaning that the amount of the transmit channel 108 and the receive channel 110 that is active at a given time may be changed so that the power consumption characteristics of the transmit channel 108 and the receive channel 110 can be controlled as a result. For example, the selectively changeable channel may be the receive channel (Figure 1, 110), which is powered off or set to a low-power state. The receive channel (Figure 1, 110) receives the reflected pressure wave (Figure 2, 210) and includes various components for adjusting (amplifying, combining, processing, etc.) the signal. These components consume power, and therefore, by cutting off power to the receiving channel (Figure 1, 110) or setting it to a low-power mode, these components draw less power and thus reduce heat generation.

[0083] In another example, the transmit channel (Figure 1, 108) may be powered off or set to a low-power state. Specifically, with respect to the transmit channel (Figure 1, 108), in one embodiment of the pMUT transducer element, the transmit channel (Figure 1, 108) drives the element (Figure 1, 104) via a voltage pulse of a predetermined value, such as 15 volts (V). In some examples, putting the transmit channel (Figure 1, 108) into a low-power state may mean reducing the magnitude of the voltage pulse to 5V, for example, in one embodiment of the pMUT transducer element.

[0084] In some examples, the basis for changing channels can be the operating mode. For instance, an imaging device may operate in a low-power mode that reduces power consumption while still maintaining high image resolution. Image resolution can refer to the number of scan lines in a particular frame of an image, or to the number of frames generated per second. Therefore, producing higher resolution images may require the use of more channels. For example, a high-resolution image may require all 128 receiving channels (Figure 1, 110) and all 128 transmitting channels (Figure 1, 108). However, a lower-resolution image may be produced by operating only a subset of the receiving channels (Figure 1, 110) and transmitting channels (Figure 1, 108), e.g., 64 of each. In some examples, the low-power mode may refer to a mode in which the user of the imaging device searches for a specific object to be imaged, while the high-power mode may refer to a mode in which the object has been discovered by the user and a high-resolution image of the object is desired. In this example, during the low-resolution portion, power to some channels (Figure 1, 108, 110) is cut off or set to a low-power state.

[0085] Returning to Figure 3A, 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, one or more processors 326 may be configured to perform at least one of the following: controlling the operation of transducer elements, processing electrical signals based on ultrasonic waveforms reflected from the transducer elements, or generating signals for reconstructing an image of an object imaged by one or more processors in a computing device such as the computing device 112 in Figure 1 or the computing device 216 in Figure 2. One or more processors 326 may be further adapted to perform other processing functions associated with the imaging device. One or more processors 326 can be embodied as any type of processor 326. For example, one or more processors 326 can 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 computing 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 circuitry 328, such as an analog front end (AFE) for processing / modulating signals, and an acoustic absorption layer 330 for absorbing waves generated by the transducer 102 and propagating toward the circuitry 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 radiating in the reverse direction (i.e., away from the coating layer 322 and toward the port 334), otherwise they may be reflected and impair image quality. Figure 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. The analog front end 328 may be embodied as any one or more circuits configured to interface with other components of the imaging device, such as the control circuit 106 and 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 so on.

[0086] The imaging device may include a communication unit 332 for communicating data, including control signals, with an external device, such as a computing device (Figure 2, 216), via, 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 performing 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 operating systems, applications, programs, libraries, and drivers.

[0087] In some examples, the imaging device 100 may include a battery 338 for powering the components of the imaging device 100. Selective channel changes can have particularly relevant effects when the imaging device 100 includes the battery 338. For example, the receiving channel (Figure 1, 110) and the transmitting channel (Figure 1, 108) contain components that draw power, so the battery will be depleted over time. In some examples, the power consumption by these components can be quite high, and as a result, the battery 338 may be depleted in a short time. This is particularly relevant when acquiring high-quality images that consume a lot of power. The battery 338 may also include a battery charging circuit, which may be wireless or wired charging circuit (not shown). The imaging device may include a gauge indicating the remaining battery level consumed, and is 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 powered by an external power source, such as by plugging the imaging device into a wall outlet.

[0088] Referring now to Figure 3B, a more detailed view of the internal components 360 within the housing of the imaging device 300 in Figure 3A is shown, without the coating layer 322. In the example shown in Figure 3B, the front section 360 may include a lens 366, below which is a microelectromechanical (MEM) transducer 302 coupled to an ASIC 106 as shown. The ASIC is then coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB) which may include some or all of the electronic components of the imaging device, such as a battery 338, memory 336, communication circuit 332, and processor 326, along with the AFE 328 and port 334 in Figure 3A. 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, absorbers 330, and reflectors such as tungsten reflectors.

[0089] It should be understood that in some embodiments, various components of the imaging device, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, may be omitted from the imaging device or 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 into or form part of a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or multi-chip package.

[0090] Figure 4 is a side view of a transducer 102 array according to an example of the principle described herein. As described above, the imaging device (Figure 1, 100) may include arrays of transducers 102-1, 102-2, 102-3, each having its own array of transducer elements (Figure 1, 104). In some examples, transducer 102 may be curved (for example, as suggested in Figure 3B) to provide a wider angle of the object being imaged (Figure 2, 214).

[0091] Figure 5 shows a top view of a single transducer 102. As shown in Figure 5, the transducer 102 may include a transceiver substrate 540 and one or more transducer elements 104 arranged thereon. Unlike conventional systems that use bulk transducer elements, the transducer elements 104 may be formed on a wafer, and the wafer may be diced to form multiple transducers 102. This process can reduce manufacturing costs because transducers 102 can be manufactured in large quantities and at low cost.

[0092] In some examples, the wafer diameter may range between 8 and 12 inches (20.32 to 30.48 centimeters), and an array of many transducer elements 104 can be batch manufactured on it. Furthermore, in some examples, a control circuit (Figure 1, 106) for controlling each transducer element 104 may be formed so that each transducer element 104 is connected to a matched integrated circuit, such as a receiving channel (Figure 1, 108) and a transmitting channel (Figure 1, 106), preferably within 25 pm to 100 pm. For example, transducer 102 may have 1,024 transducer elements 104 and be connected to a matched control circuit (Figure 1, 106) having an appropriate number of transmitting and receiving circuits for the 1,024 transducer elements 104.

[0093] The transducer element 104 may have any suitable shape, such as a square, rectangle, ellipse, or circle. As shown in Figure 5, in some examples, the transducer elements 104 may be arranged in a two-dimensional array with orthogonal directions. That is, the array of transducer elements 104 may be an M×N array having N columns 542 and M rows 544.

[0094] To generate a line element, a row 542 of N transducer elements 104 can be electrically connected in parallel. This line element can then provide transmission and reception of ultrasonic signals similar to those achieved by a continuous set of transducer elements approximately N times longer than each transducer element 104. This line element may be interchangeably called a row, line, or line element. An example of a row of piezoelectric elements is shown in Figure 5 by reference numeral 542. In this example, the transducer elements 104 are arranged in row 542 and have associated transmit driver circuitry (part of the transmit channel) and low-noise amplifiers which are part of the receive channel circuitry.

[0095] Although not explicitly shown, the transmitting and receiving circuits may include multiplexing and addressing control circuits to make specific elements and sets of elements available. It will be understood that transducer 102 may be arranged in circular or other shapes. In some examples, each transducer element 104 may be spaced 250 pm from center to center relative to each other.

[0096] In the transducer 102 described herein, it is advantageous to design a line element using multiple identical transducer elements 104, each element potentially having its own unique center frequency. When multiple transducer elements 104 are connected to each other, the composite structure (i.e., line element) can function as a single line element having a center frequency comprised of the center frequencies of all the element pixels. With modern semiconductor processes, these center frequencies coincide fairly well with each other, with very small deviations from the center frequency of the line element. Furthermore, it is possible to mix multiple pixels with slightly different center frequencies to generate a broadband line compared to a line using only one center frequency.

[0097] In some examples, the transducer 102 may include one or more temperature sensors 546-1, 546-2, 546-3, 546-4 to measure the temperature of the transducer 102. Figure 5 shows a temperature sensor 546 positioned in a specific location, but the temperature sensor 546 may be positioned in other locations on the transducer 102, and additional sensors may be positioned in other locations on the imaging device (Figure 1, 100).

[0098] According to one embodiment, the temperature sensor 546 may result in selective adjustment of the channels (Figure 1, 108, 110). That is, as described above, the temperature inside the handheld portable imaging device (Figure 1, 100) may rise above a predetermined temperature. Therefore, the temperature sensor 546 may detect the temperature of the device on the surface of the transducer 102, which is the surface that comes into contact with the patient when the temperature sensor 546 detects a temperature higher than a threshold amount, for example, a user-set temperature or a temperature set by a regulatory authority, and a signal may be passed by the controller (Figure 1, 106) to cut off the power to all or part of the transmitting channel (Figure 1, 108) and / or the receiving channel (Figure 1, 110), or to set all or part of the transmitting channel (Figure 1, 108) and / or the receiving channel (Figure 1, 110) to a low-power state. Placing the temperature sensor 546 on the transducer 102 is beneficial in that it is located near the surface that comes into contact with the patient and therefore provides data on the temperature of the interface where the user may notice excessive heat or be affected by excessive heat.

[0099] Figure 5 also shows the terminals of the transducer elements 104. That is, each transducer element 104 may have two terminals. The first terminal may be a common terminal shared by all transducer elements 104 in the array. The second terminal may connect the transducer element 104 to a transmit channel (Figure 1, 108) and a receive channel (Figure 1, 110). This second terminal may be a terminal that is driven and sensed for each transducer element 104, as symbolically shown for the transducer elements 104 in the first column. For simplicity, the second terminal is shown only for the transducer elements 104 in the first column. However, similar terminals with associated transmit channels 108 and receive channels 110 are located on other transducer elements 104 in the array. A control circuit using control signals (Figure 1, 106) can select column 542 of the transducer element 104 by turning on the respective transmit channel (Figure 1, 108) and receive channel (Figure 1, 110) and turning off the channels of the other columns 542 (Figure 1, 108, 110). In a similar manner, it is also possible to turn off a specific row or individual transducer element 104.

[0100] Figure 6 is an isometric view of the imaging device 100 and the scan lines 650 of frame 648 according to an example of the principle 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 penetrating the object. Frame 648 consists of individual scan lines 650. That is, frame 648 can be considered an image, and the scan lines are individual layers or fragments of that image. Depending on the resolution, a particular frame 648 may contain a different number of scan lines 650, ranging from fewer than 100 to several hundred.

[0101] To form frame 648, transducer 102 may use a beamforming circuit to focus the pressure waves of different transducer elements (Figure 1, 104), for example, a particular row of its elements (Figure 5, 542), to a specific focal point. The reflected signals collected by these transducer elements (Figure 1, 104) are received, delayed, weighted, and summed to form scan lines 650. The focal point of interest may then be changed based on beamforming techniques, and the process is repeated, for example, until an entire frame 648 consisting of 100 to 200 scan lines 650 is generated.

[0102] Figure 7 shows the formation of a scan line 850 according to an example of the principle described herein. Specifically, Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of one transducer 102 along line AA in Figure 6. Specifically, Figure 7 shows the transducer elements 104 that make up transducer 102. In Figure 7, for simplicity, only one transducer element 104 of transducer 102 is shown by reference number. Furthermore, it should be noted that the transducer element 104 shown in Figure 7 may represent the top transducer element 104 of a column (Figure 5, 542) having other transducer elements 104 extending within the page. Figure 7 also shows a circuit that may be found within a control circuit (Figure 1, 106) for forming a scan line. Also, for simplicity, it should be noted that only seven transducer elements 104 and seven of their respective columns (Figure 5, 542) are shown in Figure 7. However, as explained above, the transducer 102 may include any number of transducer elements 104, for example, 128 rows (Figure 5, 542), and each row (Figure 5, 542) has 32 transducer elements 104 arranged therein.

[0103] To form the scan line 650, reflected ultrasonic waveforms 752 are received from several transducer elements 104, for example, from each transducer element 104 in a row (Figure 5, 542). These waveforms 752 are converted into electrical signals. In some examples, the electrical signals from the transducer elements 104 in a row (Figure 5, 542) can be combined into a composite signal 754 which is passed to a control circuit 106. Since each composite signal 754 is received at different times due to different transmission lengths, the control circuit 106 delays each composite signal 754 so that they are in phase. The control circuit 106 then combines the adjusted signals to form the scan line 650.

[0104] As explained above, an image frame (Figure 6, 648) is formed by many scan lines 650, often more than 128. These scan lines 650 cover the area being imaged. The time it takes to collect and combine the scan lines 650 into a frame (Figure 6, 648) defines the quality of the video in terms of the frame rate of the imaged object. For example, assuming a scan of the heart, and assuming the heart is 20 cm below the surface of transducer 102, and assuming sound travels through tissue at 1540 m / s, it takes approximately 130 microseconds (μs) for the ultrasound waveform to reach the heart. The signal then reflects from the heart and takes another 130 microseconds to reach transducer 102, for a total transit time of approximately 260 microseconds. Using N receiving channels (Figure 1, 110), for example 128 channels, one scan line 650 is formed by transmitting from 128 transmitting channels (Figure 1, 108), driving 128 rows (Figure 5, 544) of transducer elements (Figure 1, 104), and receiving from all 128 rows (Figure 5, 544) to process the signal shown in Figure 7. Assuming there are 128 scan lines 650 per frame (Figure 6, 648), the maximum frame rate is approximately 30 fps.

[0105] In some cases, such as for the liver and kidneys, 30 fps may be sufficient. However, higher frame rates may be desired for imaging moving organs such as the heart. Therefore, the imaging device (Figure 1, 100) may implement parallel beamforming that can form multiple scan lines 650 simultaneously. Because multiple scan lines 650 can be formed at once, the effective frame rate can be increased. For example, if four scan lines 650 can be formed simultaneously, the effective frame rate can be increased to 120 fps. Parallel beamforming can be performed on the FPGA (Figure 3A, 326) of the imaging device (Figure 1, 100).

[0106] In some cases, selective power cutoff of receive and / or transmit channels (Figure 1, 110, 108) can be affected by parallel beamforming operation. For example, using parallel beamforming, a frame rate of 120 fps may be achievable. However, if 30 fps is sufficient, while complete shutdown is not possible, a significantly lower power state can be achieved. Considering several requirements, the receive channel (Figure 1, 110) can operate for a quarter of the time, reducing power consumption to a quarter or slightly less. For example, after simultaneously acquiring a set of four scan lines, the receive channel (Figure 1, 110) can be turned off for a period of time and then turned back on to simultaneously acquire another set of four scan lines.

[0107] Such technology can reduce power consumption to, for example, about 1 / 3.3 of the initial power consumption. In other words, selective power cutoff of the receiving channel (Figure 1, 110) within the imaging device (Figure 1, 100) performing parallel beamforming cuts off power to the receiving channel (Figure 1, 110) for a certain period of time so that the overall frame rate is maintained. Imaging artifacts can be digitally corrected with low-power operations, which can be performed even on a display processor not installed in the probe, so such operations do not affect image quality.

[0108] Some embodiments of algorithms for such digital correction of images are further provided below. Data from an imaging device in the form of scan line 650 (Figure 1, 100) can be transferred to a computing device (Figure 2, 216) unit by any means, such as wirelessly, using a wired connection such as USB or other interfaces. This image processing can be performed outside the imaging device (Figure 1, 100) with fewer limitations regarding temperature rise. The amount of scaling depends on the number of parallel beams transmitted and received. For example, scaling may be small when using two parallel beams, or large when using eight parallel beams.

[0109] Figure 8 shows a receiving channel 110 according to an example of the principle described herein. The receiving channel 110 is coupled to a transducer element (Figure 1, 104) to receive reflected pressure waves (Figure 2, 210). Figure 8 also shows the connection between the transducer element (Figure 1, 104) and the transmitting channel (Figure 1, 110). In one example, the transmitting channel (Figure 1, 108) becomes high impedance during the receiving operation at the node where the received pressure and transmitted pulse meet. Specifically, the reflected pressure waves are converted into charge within the transducer element 104, which is converted into a voltage by a low-noise amplifier (LNA) (856). The LNA (856) is a charge amplifier, and the charge is converted into an output voltage. In some examples, the LNA (856) has programmable gain, and the gain can be changed in real time.

[0110] The LNA(856) converts the charge within the transducer into a voltage output and also amplifies the received echo signal. The switch (transmit / receive switch) connects the LNA(856) to the transducer element 104 in receive operation mode.

[0111] The output of this LNA (856) is then connected to other components to adjust the signal. For example, a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) (858) provides a way to adjust the magnitude of the voltage and change the gain as a function of time, and may be known as a time gain amplifier (TGA). As the signal propagates deeper into the tissue, the signal attenuates.

[0112] Therefore, a larger gain is used for compensation, and this larger gain is implemented by the TGA. The bandpass filter 860 operates to remove noise and out-of-band signals. The analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 862 digitizes the analog signal and converts it to 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 (Figure 6, 650) as shown in Figure 7. In some implementations, the demodulation unit 864 can be implemented elsewhere, for example, on the FPGA. The demodulation unit frequency-shifts the carrier signal to a baseband with two orthogonal components (I and Q), and in some examples, for further digital processing, the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 862 may implement a successive-approximation-register (SAR) architecture to reduce the delay of the ADC 862. In other words, since the ADC862 repeatedly switches on and off, there needs to be little to no delay in signal processing after it switches on.

[0113] As explained, to conserve power, the components of the receiving channel 110 can be turned off or set to a low-power mode. That is, in one example, the LNA856, PGA8058, ADC862 and other digital processing components consume a large amount of power, and the imaging device (Figure 1, 100) includes 128 receiving channels 110. The power consumption of using all 128 receiving channels 110 to generate a large number of scan lines (Figure 8, 650) can result in a large amount of power consumption.

[0114] As a concrete example, let's assume that the LNA856 consumes 1mW, the ADC862 consumes 40mW, and demodulation and I / Q conversion consume a further 10mW. In this example, each receive channel 110 consumes 60mW, not considering the power consumed by digital processing. By incorporating the digital processing used to form scan lines (Figure 6, 650) using a low-power FPGA326, in the case of an implementation of 128 channels 110, the FPGA326 consumes approximately 12W, of which about 9W is computation-related, and the remainder is I / O overhead and static losses. Thus, in this example, the power consumed by 128 receive channels 110 is approximately 20W. Such a power level is not technically feasible to support in a handheld imaging device (Figure 1, 100). A power value of less than 10W is a more reasonable power level. Therefore, for example, by halving the number of receive channels 110, the power consumption will also be halved accordingly. Reducing power consumption not only improves battery life but also affects the temperature of the imaging device (Figure 1, 100). While Figure 8 shows specific components within the receiving channel 110, it should be noted that the receiving channel 110 may also include other components that can similarly be in a low-power or power-off state.

[0115] Besides changing the number of channels, other parameters can also be configured to significantly reduce power consumption, such as by using parallel beamforming to increase the frame rate and then shutting down the circuit for a period of time matching the target frame rate, which in most cases involves shutting down all channels (or reducing their power).

[0116] Referring here to Figure 9A, according to one embodiment, schematic diagrams of several transducer elements 104a, 104b, 104c, 104d, 104e, and 104f are provided along with their connections to the described transmit channel 108 or receive channel 110. The transmit channel 108 and receive channel 110 may be selectively activated to activate corresponding transducer elements among the transducer elements for transmitting or receiving ultrasonic waveforms, and furthermore, they may encompass fewer transmit channels and / or receive channels than the number of emitting transducer elements, so in Figure 9A the transmit channels and / or receive channels are shown as dashed lines. If the number of transmit channels and / or receive channels is less than the number of emitting transducer elements, the channels may be selectively addressed to one of the intended transducer elements by control circuits and / or active elements within the relevant channels among the transmit channels and / or receive channels (this may be referred to herein as functional coupling). Therefore, according to some embodiments, the control circuit of the imaging device may couple any transmit channel and / or receive channel to a selected transducer element based on the intended selective emission pattern of the transducer element. Thus, the depiction of channels 108 and 110 in Figure 9A should not be interpreted as being limited to a scenario in which all transducer elements have a dedicated transmit channel and multiple physically adjacent receive channels, but rather may be interpreted as encompassing a scenario in which one or more transmit channels are used to selectively address and drive a given transducer element, and multiple receive channels may be used to selectively address a given transducer element and process the electrical signal generated therefrom based on the reflected ultrasonic energy.

[0117] Referring further to Figure 9A, in the case of a frame at a first power (e.g., full power), the transducer elements 104a to 104f may be operated in a time-domain pattern, one at a time, to cause each transducer element 104 to transmit (i.e., each transducer element may be driven by a voltage pulse via the transmit channel coupled to each transducer element, causing each transducer element to transmit an ultrasonic waveform), which is converted to a voltage in the transducer and receives a reflected echo of the ultrasonic energy that is further processed through one or more of the receiving channels 110, such as clusters (embodiments 2 to 6 shown), depending on which receiving channel is operated to capture the ultrasonic energy reflected based on the transmission from the corresponding most recently operated transducer element. The next transducer element 104 is then driven to transmit and receive in the same manner, and so the corresponding transmit channel 108 and receiving channel 110 may then be operated as described above.

[0118] According to some embodiments, the transmit channel can be controlled to drive the transducer element in different modes, such as linear mode or sector mode, as described below.

[0119] According to one embodiment, in linear mode, the continuous emission of transducer elements in Figure 9A may include continuous emission in which the emission mode of each successive transducer element generates an ultrasonic waveform in substantially the same direction as the transmitted ultrasonic waveform by the most recently emitted transducer element.

[0120] According to another embodiment, in sector mode, the sequential emission of the transducer elements in Figure 9A may include sequential emission in which the emission mode of each successive transducer element generates an ultrasonic waveform in a direction that may differ from the direction of the transmitted ultrasonic waveform by the most recently emitted transducer element.

[0121] The emission from each transducer element can contribute to the scan lines of a frame. As used herein, a frame refers to a single still image of the object being imaged. A frame may correspond to a cross-sectional view through the object and may consist of individual scan lines. That is, a frame may be considered an image, and the scan lines are individual fragments of that image. Depending on the resolution of the image, a particular frame may contain a different number of scan lines, for example, ranging from fewer than 100 to several hundred.

[0122] To form a frame, transducers can use beamforming circuits to focus pressure waves from different transducer elements, for example, a specific column, onto a specific focal point of an object. The reflected ultrasonic energy collected by these transducer elements can be received, delayed, weighted, and summed by a given receiving channel (Rx scan line) to form a scan line. The focal point of interest is then changed based on the beamforming technique, and the process is repeated until, for example, an entire frame consisting of 100 to 200 scan lines is generated.

[0123] Referring here to Figures 9B and 9C, in some embodiments, reductions in power consumption and heat generation can be achieved by generating frames by interlacing the spatial pattern of Tx emission alternately (alternating between odd-numbered and even-numbered Tx emission in the time domain).

[0124] The battery life of the 338 can be extended by reducing power consumption or, in some cases, completely shutting off power to different channels, thereby improving the usability of the imaging device and reducing the risk of overheating.

[0125] In the exemplary configurations shown in Figures 9B and 9C, an interlaced scan with a "(4,2)" configuration is shown, where there are four receive (Rx) scan lines for each Tx channel (corresponding to four receive channels for each Tx scan line), with two missing Rx scan lines in between. In this disclosure, "missing scan lines" means scan lines that are missing because the power to the corresponding channel is cut off / inactive. In Figures 9B and 9C, missing scan lines corresponding to channels with cut off power are shaded, while active scan lines are not. Other interlaced scan configurations are also possible, such as using 1 to 10 Rx scan lines per Tx line with 1 to 20 missing Rx scan lines in between, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art as being within the scope of this disclosure.

[0126] As shown in Figure 10, interlacing reduces the number of Rx scan lines (not all available Rx channels are powered during transducer element emission, thus resulting in missing scan lines), which degrades image quality and generates moving image artifacts in the acquired ultrasound video when basic interpolation is used within each frame to fill in the missing data. When displayed as a video, the artifacts in the in-frame interpolated images appear as distracting, unacceptable moving patterns.

[0127] As shown in Figure 11, in one embodiment, the reconstruction algorithm according to the embodiment can be applied so that the image quality obtained from interlaced data is equivalent to the image quality obtained from uninterlaced data.

[0128] In exemplary embodiments, the number of Tx emission is reduced by 50% in each frame, corresponding to a scanning method similar to, but different from, the interlaced method historically used in video recording and display. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that reductions of more or less than 50% are also possible and may fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0129] In conventional video interlacing, images are represented using alternating frames, each containing only an odd or even number of horizontal raster scan lines. Therefore, within any given image frame, there is exactly one missing scan line between each pair of visible scan lines.

[0130] In contrast, ultrasound probes such as the imaging devices described above can measure multiple received (Rx) scan lines for each Tx emission. Therefore, a large number of missing scan lines can exist among the many acquired scan lines. Furthermore, while some scan lines in one image frame may coincide with some scan lines in the next frame, conventional video interlacing typically does not have overlapping scan lines. Moreover, the scan lines do not need to be uniformly spaced, as in conventional video interlacing.

[0131] Figures 9B and 9C show examples of interlaced scanning configurations. In Figure 9B, odd frames include Tx emissions from each odd transmit channel 108, with a group of four Rx scan lines 901 acquired for each Tx emission, and a group of two missing Rx scan lines 902 in between. As a result of odd Tx emissions, the imaging device may generate subframes such as odd subframes 1202, which will be discussed below with respect to Figure 12. In Figure 9C, even frames include Tx emissions from each even transmit channel 108, with a group of four Rx scan lines 903 acquired for each Tx emission, and a group of two missing Rx scan lines 904 in between. As a result of even Tx emissions, the imaging device may generate subframes such as even subframes 1205, which will be discussed below with respect to Figure 12. Note that in this particular configuration, the outermost Rx scan line of the group of four Rx scan lines 901 is measured in both odd and even frames, while the innermost Rx scan line is measured only in alternating frames. The (S,M) scan configuration produces S scan lines {r1,r2,…,r} with each Tx emission. s A group of} is generated and defined as a configuration with M missing scan lines between each group. Thus, the example shown in Figures 9A and 9B is shown as a (4,2) configuration.

[0132] It should be understood that in some embodiments, the imaging device may perform interlaced scanning in different ways. For example, the imaging device may generate subframes by activating a subset of the transmit channels 108 other than the odd-numbered transmit channels 108 or the even-numbered transmit channels 110. For example, the imaging device may activate every three transmit channels 108, two of the three transmit channels 108, the transmit channels 108 in some other periodic pattern, or the transmit channels 108 randomly or pseudo-randomly. After each subframe is generated by activating a portion of the transmit channels 108, the imaging device may reconstruct a complete frame by combining the subframe with one or more previous complete or subframes, as will be discussed in more detail below.

[0133] Once interlaced image frames are acquired, the computing device 216 uses a reconstruction algorithm to process these interlaced frames ("low-power frames") and generate a set of new image frames ("reconstructed frames") that have image quality as close as possible to the acquired image quality by using all Tx emissions for each frame ("full-power frames").

[0134] This explanation describes the reconfiguration algorithm using the example of a 50% reduction in Tx power consumption using the example of (4,2); however, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reductions of more than 50% or less than 50% are also possible by selecting a configuration other than (4,2) and changing parameters such as the total number of Tx emissions.

[0135] While the above-described emission sequences and algorithms described below are largely described in relation to pMUTs and cMUTs, embodiments include, to their extent, the same emission sequences, receive channel activation sequences, and algorithms described below implemented in bulk PZT (i.e., "conventional") ultrasonic probes. Embodiments further include, to their extent, emission sequences, receive channel activation sequences, and the following algorithms used in any phase array application, including such distance measurement applications (e.g., automotive distance sensors) in any phase power transmitter, directional speaker, radar, etc.

[0136] Algorithm description

[0137] The following explanation begins with a brief description of the reconstruction algorithm, and then gradually progresses to a more detailed explanation. The reconstruction algorithm described in this section is specifically designed for linear mode imaging, but as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, it can be adapted to operate in sector mode imaging, Doppler flow imaging, and other modes of ultrasound imaging.

[0138] High-level conceptual overview of the algorithm

[0139] Figure 12 shows a high-level block diagram of a reconstruction algorithm implemented in one embodiment of the present disclosure, where n is an index enumerating the frames displayed to the user (n=0, 1, 2, etc.). Throughout an entire session of indefinite imaging, the reconstruction algorithm involves the repeated application of the sequence of operations shown in Figure 12, where image frame n-1 ("input frame") 1201 is used together with low-power partial frame n 1202 to generate reconstructed frame n 1204 based on reconstruction algorithm 1203, and then reconstructed frame n and low-power partial frame n+1 1205 are used to obtain reconstructed frame n+1 1206 using reconstruction algorithm 1203. In Figure 12, low-power partial frames n and n+1 (1202 and 1205, respectively) are described as odd and even frames, respectively, for illustrative purposes. However, instead, low-power frames n and n+1 could also be defined as even and odd frames, respectively. When n=0 (at the start of imaging), in an exemplary embodiment, the input frame is either a full-power frame or an image generated from low-power frames by interpolation using only the information within those low-power frames. Subsequently, the input frame in Figure 12 becomes the reconstructed frame, which is the output of the previous iteration of the algorithm. Thus, as shown in Figure 13, the algorithm is essentially recursive.

[0140] As shown in Figure 13, in every iteration after the algorithm has been initialized (i.e., in every iteration for n greater than or equal to 1), the low-power partial frame 1301 is used to update the reconstructed frame 1302, which is then fed back to the reconstruction algorithm 1303 along with the next low-power partial frame 1301 to update the reconstructed frame 1302 again, and so on. This recursive process takes place in real time during the duration of the imaging session.

[0141] Figure 14 provides additional details showing the internal architecture of the reconstruction algorithm. As shown in Figure 14, the reconstruction algorithm 1400 itself is shown as a block diagram, illustrating how to update the previous reconstruction frame using a new odd-numbered low-power partial frame 1401. In subsequent iterations, the reconstruction frame is updated again in the same manner using even-numbered low-power frames, and so on.

[0142] As further shown in Figure 14, the reconstruction algorithm 1400 can be conceptually understood as consisting of the following main components. 1. Intraframe interpolation. Intraframe interpolation 1402 (e.g., using a cubic spline) is applied to a low-power partial frame 1401 (odd frame n in this example) to fill in its missing scan lines and generate a complete image frame 1403. 2. Motion compensation. Motion compensation or motion estimation 1404 by local adaptive block matching is used to estimate local motion between the “intraframe interpolation” result 1403 and the previous reconstructed frame n-1 1405. The motion vectors thus obtained are used to calculate motion compensation estimates for even frames obtained when even Tx firing is turned on, and reconstructed even subframes 1406. 3. Merging. The in-frame interpolation frame 1403 and the reconstructed even-numbered subframe 1406 are merged in operation 1407 as follows: Missing scan lines in the odd-numbered frames are filled in using the corresponding scan lines from the reconstructed even-numbered frames. For scan lines present in both the odd-numbered and reconstructed even-numbered frames (due to overlapping Rx scan lines such as the (4,2) configuration), the result is obtained by averaging the two values. Following the merge operation in 1407, the result is the “spatial-only estimate” 1408 of the next reconstructed frame 1408. 4. Blending. Alpha blending (linear combination) 1409 of the spatial-only estimates of the previous reconstructed frame n-1 1405 and the current frame 1408 provides temporal smoothing to obtain the reconstructed frame n 1410. This step promotes temporal consistency between consecutive image frames and reduces the possibility of undesirable temporal artifacts such as flickering. Other suitable temporal smoothing methods may be used instead of alpha blending.

[0143] Detailed explanation of the algorithm

[0144] Notation and Terminology

[0145] Let f[n] represent the reconstructed frame n (the current frame) of the ultrasound image sequence. This is the image frame to be displayed or stored. In general, f[n] is an estimate of the total power frames reconstructed by the algorithm; however, the recursion can be initialized using the actual total power frames.

[0146] Let h[n] represent the nth (currently) acquired low-power image frame (even or odd).

[0147] f intra [n] represents an intraframe interpolation frame obtained from a low-power frame.

[0148] Refer to Figure 14, set R = {r1,r2,…,r s} indicates one of the groups of missing S Rx scan lines in a low-power frame, r s Let represent one of these scan lines.

[0149] In some scanning configurations, such as the (4,2) configuration shown in Figures 9B and 9C, some of the Rx scan lines are repeated in each frame, but others are not. repeated ⊂R represents a subset of scan lines that are repeated, and R missing ⊂R is R repeated Assume it is a set of missing scan lines that is the complement of .

[0150] FIG. 15 shows an exemplary diagram defining blocks and macroblocks for regions within a low-power frame. The macroblock is used for local block matching to implement inter-frame motion compensation prediction. The reconstruction algorithm is based on image regions called "blocks" and "macroblocks". A "block" b(1502) is an S×H b image array, where S(1506) is the number of Rx scan lines per Tx transmission, and H[[ID="6]] b (1508) is a variable parameter of the reconstruction algorithm. As shown in FIG. 15, a macroblock mb(1504) is obtained by padding both sides of the block horizontally by P1 pixels (1510) and vertically (or linearly) by P2 pixels (1512), resulting in an (S + 2P1)×(H b + 2P2) image array. The dimensions H b (1508), P!(1510), and P2(1512) are variable parameters of the reconstruction algorithm in one embodiment of the present disclosure. For the purposes of the present disclosure, the block contained in the macroblock is called the "core" of that macroblock. Note that the macroblock defined herein should not be confused with the macroblock used in MPEG video compression.

[0151] Review of General Block Matching Methods

[0152] In a preferred embodiment, a customized version of an established method called block matching forms the basis for estimating the motion of images between frames. To provide a background for the discussion of specific algorithm components of the present disclosure, the general concept of block matching is examined herein.

[0153] It should be noted that in the above translation, there may be some inaccuracies in the translation of specific terms due to the lack of specific context. It is recommended to further adjust according to the actual technical content.Block matching is typically used to estimate inter-frame motion between two image frames in a video. Global block matching uses a search strategy to determine the offset between two frames, obtaining the best match between frames, thereby defining a single motion vector representing the overall motion that occurred from one frame to the other. Local block matching compares sub-regions of an image to determine local inter-frame motion at various points within the image. Mathematically, this is the estimated motion vector between any two images or image sub-regions g1(x) and g2(x). * This is the solution to the following optimization problem.

number

[0154] When performing global block matching, g1(x) and g2(x) represent the entire image; however, in the local adaptive block matching operation described below, macroblocks take the place of g1(x) and g2(x).

[0155] Operation of the reconstruction algorithm (preferred embodiment of linear mode imaging) 1. Obtain a low-power image frame h[n]. Using 2.3-order spline in-frame interpolation, we obtain the complete image frame f from h[n]. intra Calculate [n]. 3. Use only horizontal search, f intraPerform global block matching on [n] and the previous frame f[n-1], i.e., image frame f intra The entire [n] function as g2(x) in equation (1). 4. The global block matching error (sum of equation (1)) is equal to the threshold T. f If it exceeds this value, the estimated value of f[n] is f s [n] interpolates within the frame f intra Set to [n] and skip steps 5-8 below. 5. Otherwise, estimate f in space only as follows: s Construct [n]. a. In a low-power frame h[n], each Rx scan line group R is S × H in the vertical direction. b Segment into sets of block b (1502). (See Figure 15). For each block b and Rx scan line group in bh[n], i. The current block b is the region f corresponding to the macroblock region within h[n] whose core is its core. intra Defines a temporary macroblock array mb(1504) containing the pixel values ​​within [n]. ii. Perform local adaptive block matching (LABM, see below for details) between mb and f[n-1] to find the best match and local motion vector between them. mb match However, this represents the region of f[n-1] (which has the same pixel dimensions as mb), where mb is the best match for f[n-1] (measured by the summation term in equation (1)). iii. Assignment f s [n]←h[n]. iv.f s For each block b within [n], substitute the pixel values ​​of b as follows: 1.mb match The pixel values ​​from the core are assigned to b. 2.R repeated For the column of b corresponding to the repeated Rx scan lines, f s [n] Pixel values ​​of block b and f intra Substitute the weighted average of the corresponding pixel counts for [n]. 6. Construct the reconstructed image via alpha blending, i.e., f[n]←αf s [n]+(1-α)f[n-1], where α∈[0,1]. 7. Display or save f[n]. 8. Assignment f[n-1]←f[n]. 9. Repeat steps 1-8.

[0156] Details of Locally-Adaptive Block Matching (LABM) operation (preferred embodiment for linear mode imaging)

[0157] The LABM operation in step 5.b.ii above determines the local motion between consecutive image frames n and n-1 based on the matching of macroblocks (1504) as described in Figure 15. The LABM proceeds sequentially, starting with the macroblock closest to the upper left corner of the image, and analyzing the motion of the macroblocks in a raster scanning manner.

[0158] Notation

[0159] mb k Let v represent the k-th macroblock of image frame n, * k Let v represent the motion vector estimated in the macroblock k within frame n, k Let this represent the true value of the motion vector.

[0160] LABM algorithm for linear mode imaging

[0161] As previously explained, the LABM algorithm uses the form of equation (1) in which macroblocks play the role of blocks in block matching. Therefore, the governing equations are as follows:

number

[0162] In the LABM algorithm, the search window W is adaptively selected. The local interframe image motion vectors of adjacent macroblocks are typically similar (i.e.,

number

[0163] The following pseudocode illustrates the details of the local adaptive block matching in step 5.b.2 above in this disclosure. Execute every n image frames Macroblock mb within image frame n (analyzed in raster scan order) k Execute each time Total intensity I is mb k-1 Calculate using I>T a katsumb k If it is not the first macroblock of the given row Assignment W←W1 Other than that Assignment W←W0 end Using equation (2), v * k to decide The matching error ε (sum of equation (2)) is set to the threshold T. b Compare ε>T b And I > T a in the case of f intra [n] Pixel values ​​from mb k Substitute this into the corresponding number of pixels within the core. Other than that mb k-1 (xv * k The core value of ) in mb k Substitute into the core end end end

[0164] Algorithm parameters for linear mode imaging

[0165] The reconstruction algorithm parameters disclosed in this description should be selected to obtain the highest image quality in a given application. The values ​​depend on the ultrasound probe, scanning configuration, the organ or tissue being imaged, and other details. The following are notes regarding parameter selection. 1. Parameter T f , T a , and T b The value of depends on the noise level of the acquired scan line. Any appropriate value can be substituted for the parameter, such as any value between 0 and 50% of the maximum noise value on which the parameter is compared. For example, T f , T a , and T b The maximum noise value being compared may be the maximum value of a pixel multiplied by the number of pixels in the block. The maximum value of a pixel may depend on the bit depth of the pixel. For example, the maximum value of an 8-bit pixel may be 255. In an exemplary embodiment, T f , T a , and T b For example, this could be 5%. 2. The selection of α is based on the spatial resolution and noise level of the acquired image data. The value of a can be any appropriate value, such as any value between 0.2 and 1. In an exemplary embodiment, a may be, for example, 0.8. 3. Typically, W0 is a larger window (e.g., 5x5) than W1 (e.g., 3x3). In general, W0 and W1 can each be any suitable size, such as 2x2 to 10x10. In some embodiments, W0 and / or W1 may be non-square, such as rectangular, elliptical, or circular. 4. For imaging at a depth of 3.5 cm and 450 samples per Rx scan line, the following macroblock parameter values ​​are P1=2, P2=6, H b =6 has been proven to be useful. In other embodiments, P1, P2, H b This can be any appropriate value, such as any value between 1 and 10.

[0166] Sector mode

[0167] The aforementioned reconstruction algorithm is suitable for linear mode imaging, which is typically used when imaging features at shallower depths, such as veins. Alternatively, sector mode imaging may be used when imaging either larger anatomical features or features at deeper depths. Compared to linear mode imaging, sector mode imaging requires additional power to image larger or deeper features of interest. According to some embodiments, interlaced data acquisition schemes and computerized image reconstruction algorithms may be used in conjunction with sector mode imaging and are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0168] In sector mode, the input frame 1405, the intraframe interpolation frame 1403, the spatial-only estimation 1408, and the reconstructed frame 1410 consist of scanline data arranged in linear form, rather than an image in sector mode format. [Explanation: Should I start with "linear mode" instead of "sector mode"?] Therefore, a transformation must be applied to convert the reconstructed frame 1410 into a sector mode image suitable for display, by a process that will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0169] Operation of the reconstruction algorithm (preferred embodiment of sector-mode imaging) 1. Obtain the low-power frame h[n]. 2. Using in-frame interpolation with cubic splines, interpolate frame f from h[n] within the frame. intra Calculate [n]. 3. Use only horizontal search, f intraPerform global block matching on [n] and input frame f[n-1], i.e., interframe interpolation f intra The entire [n] function as g2(x) in equation (1). 4. The global block matching error (sum of equation (1)) is equal to the threshold T. f If it exceeds this value, the estimated value of f[n] is f s [n] interpolates within the frame f intra Set to [n] and skip steps 5-8 below. 5. Otherwise, estimate f in space only as follows: s Construct [n]. a. In a low-power frame h[n], each Rx scan line group R is set vertically (or linearly) S × H b Segment into sets of block b (1502). (See Figure 15). For each block b and Rx scan line group R within bh[n], i. The current block b is the region f corresponding to the macroblock region within h[n] whose core is its core. intra Defines a temporary macroblock array mb(1504) containing the pixel values ​​within [n]. ii.mb's average pixel value is several threshold T a If it is greater than mb, perform local adaptive block matching (LABM, see below for details) between mb and f[n-1] to find the best match and local motion vector between them. match However, this represents the region of f[n-1] (which has the same pixel dimensions as mb), where mb is the best match for f[n-1] (measured by the summation term in equation (1)). iii. Assignment f s [n]←h[n]. iv.f s For each block b within [n], substitute the pixel values ​​of b as follows: 1.mb match The pixel values ​​from the core are assigned to b. 2.R repeated For the column of b corresponding to the repeated Rx scan lines, f s [n] Pixel values ​​of block b and fintra Substitute the weighted average of the corresponding number of pixels of [n]. 6. Construct the reconstructed image through alpha blending, i.e., f[n] ← αf s [n] + (1 - α)f[n - 1], where α ∈ [0, 1]. 7. Use scan conversion to convert the linear scan line data in the reconstructed frame f[n] into sector mode format to obtain f sector [n]. 8. f sector [n] is displayed or saved. 9. Substitute f[n - 1] ← f[n] 10. Repeat operations 1 - 8.

[0170] Details of the Local Adaptive Block Matching (LABM) operation (preferred embodiment of sector mode imaging)

[0171] The LABM operation in step 5.b.ii of the above preferred embodiment of the sector mode determines the local motion between consecutive image frames n and n - 1 based on the matching of the macroblock mb(1504) described in FIG. 15. LABM starts from the macroblock closest to the upper left corner of the image and proceeds sequentially while analyzing the motion of the macroblocks in a raster scan manner.

[0172] Notation

[0173] mb k is assumed to represent the k-th macroblock of image frame n, and v * k is assumed to represent the estimated motion vector for macroblock k in frame n, and v k is assumed to represent the true value of that motion vector.

[0174] ​​​​​As described previously, the LABM algorithm uses the form of Equation (1) in which the macroblock plays the role of the block in block matching. Therefore, similar to the preferred embodiment of the linear mode, the governing equation becomes Equation (2).

[0176] In the LABM algorithm, the search window W is adaptively selected. Under the assumption that the local inter-frame image motion vectors of adjacent macroblocks are typically similar (i.e., [Number] ), the window used to find v * k can be defined as a rectangular region W1 centered on v * k-1 . However, if the intensity value of mb k-1 is small, the estimated motion vector v * k-1 may not be reliable, and in that case, the search for v * k should be performed on the predefined window W1.

[0177] The following pseudo-code describes the details of the local adaptive block matching in step 5.b.2 of the above (preferred embodiment of the sector mode). Execute for each image frame n For each macroblock mb k in the image frame n (analyzed in raster scan order) Calculate the total intensity I at mb k-1 I>T a and mb k is not the first macroblock in a given row Assign W←W1 Otherwise Assign W←W0 End Determine v * k using Equation (2) ​The matching error ε (sum of equation (2)) is set to the threshold T. b Compare ε>T b In the case of f intra [n] Pixel values ​​from mb k Substitute this into the corresponding number of pixels within the core. Other than that Measure the matching error ε for four values ​​of v that are offset by half a pixel either horizontally or vertically, namely v±(0.5,0) and v±(0,0.5). v ** k However, let's say we find the value of v that yields the minimum value of ε among these four values. mb k-1 (xv ** k The core value of ) in mb k Substitute into the core end end end

[0178] Algorithm parameters for sector-mode imaging

[0179] The reconstruction algorithm parameters disclosed in this description should be selected to obtain the highest image quality in a given application. The values ​​depend on the ultrasound probe, scanning configuration, the organ or tissue being imaged, and other details. The following are notes regarding parameter selection. 1. Parameter T f , T a , and T b The value of depends on the noise level of the acquired scan line. The parameter is T, which was discussed above for linear mode imaging. f , T a , and T b Similarly, any appropriate value can be substituted. 2. In a preferred embodiment, α = 1, which indicates that the blending step is effectively omitted; however, other values ​​of α may lead to situations where they are beneficial. 3. Typically, W0 is a window (e.g., 3x3) larger than W1 (e.g., 3x1). The windows W0 and W1 are typically smaller than linear mode imaging. In some embodiments, W0 and W1 can each be of any suitable size, such as from 2x1 to 10x10. 4. For imaging at a depth of 3.5 cm and 450 samples per Rx scan line, the following parameter values of the macroblock P1 = 2, P2 = 6, H b = 6 have been proven useful. 5. To reduce the computational complexity, the half-pixel matching step of v described above ** k is omitted when processing heart images and in a predetermined upper (closest to the probe) portion (e.g., 30%) of the scan lines of stationary tissue.

[0180] Low power mode

[0181] In a preferred embodiment, the operation of the imaging device can be provided to the user as a user-selectable low power mode, and by a function that can be switched on or off as desired by the user, the user can ensure optimal image quality as desired. Also, any permanently recorded image or video will be an accurate full-power frame rather than a reconstructed frame (reconstruction of a full-power image from low-power data), so the low power mode can be automatically temporarily stopped when the user requests the capture of a still image or video clip. By adjusting the scan configuration in real time, the degree of power reduction during scanning can also be changed based on the movement of the probe and the content of the image.

[0182] In alternative embodiments, a low-power mode employing the interlaced data acquisition method and reconstruction algorithm described herein may be activated automatically in response to a battery level falling below a factory-set threshold or a user-pre-set threshold, in order to extend the remaining battery life until recharging is required while still maintaining high image quality. For example, a user may set the low-power mode to activate when the battery level falls below 25% of a full charge via the user interface. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other metrics associated with battery output may be used as a basis for setting one or more conditions under which the low-power mode is activated.

[0183] In alternative embodiments, the low-power mode employing the interlaced data acquisition method and reconstruction algorithm described herein may be automatically activated in response to the temperature of the imaging device meeting or exceeding a factory-set temperature or a user-pre-set threshold temperature, as measured by one or more device temperature sensors, in order to reduce heat buildup and improve the safety of both the operator and the patient, while still maintaining high image quality and extending the device's operating time (or at least reducing the device's downtime required for cooling). For example, a user may configure the low-power mode to be activated via the user interface when the internal temperature of the imaging device reaches or exceeds a specific temperature.

[0184] FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a process 1600 executed by a computing device (such as any portion including one or more processors) according to some embodiments. In operation 1602, the process includes executing a round of a reconstruction algorithm during image generation by an ultrasonic imaging device, where the algorithm, for each round, in operation 1602a, receives from a control circuit of the imaging device an input frame signal corresponding to an input frame based on a first ultrasonic waveform received by a transducer of the imaging device; and a low-power partial frame signal corresponding to a low-power partial frame based on a second ultrasonic waveform received by the transducer; the low-power partial frame signal is generated from an interleaving operation of a receiving channel coupled to the transducer so as to define scan lines where the low-power partial frames are missing; in operation 1602b, processing the input frame signal and the low-power partial frame signal to generate a reconstructed frame therefrom. In operation 1604, the process includes at least one of generating a display signal for displaying each reconstructed frame on a display or storing each reconstructed frame in a memory, where an input frame after an initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm corresponds to a previous reconstructed frame of a previous round of the reconstruction algorithm.

[0185] Figure 17 is a flowchart of process 1700 performed in the control circuit of an imaging device (including any part thereof, including one or more processors) according to several embodiments. In operation 1702, the process includes selectively activating one or more of one or more Tx channels and corresponding Rx channels, which couple one or more processors of the control circuit to transducer elements of the imaging device, and selective activation includes activating in an interlaced pattern to cause corresponding interlaced activation of the transducer elements, where activation of the TX channel causes the corresponding transducer element to generate a transmit ultrasonic waveform toward the object to be imaged. In operation 1704, the process includes collecting an electrical signal from the corresponding channel of the Rx channels, which defines a low-power partial frame including missing Rx scan lines and interlaced existing Rx scan lines, and the electrical signal is generated from ultrasonic waves reflected from the object and based on the transmit ultrasonic waveform. In operation 1706, the process includes sending an electrical signal to a computing device to cause the computing device to generate a reconstructed frame from a low-power partial frame, where the image in question is based on the reconstructed frame.

[0186] While preferred embodiments of the Disclosure have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided merely as examples. Embodiments are not intended to be limited by any specific examples provided herein. While embodiments of the Disclosure are described with reference to the foregoing specification, the descriptions and examples of embodiments herein are not intended to be constrained. Those skilled in the art will readily conceive of numerous variations, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the concepts of the Disclosure. Furthermore, it should be understood that all aspects of the various embodiments are not limited to any specific descriptions, configurations, or relative proportions described herein, depending on various conditions and variables. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments described herein may be adopted. Therefore, it is considered that the Disclosure also covers any such alternatives, modifications, variations, or equivalents. Example

[0187] Exemplary examples of the technologies disclosed herein are provided below. Embodiments of these technologies may include one or more of the embodiments described below, and any combination thereof.

[0188] Example 1 includes a computing device having one or more processors for performing the following: running a round of a reconstruction algorithm during image generation by an ultrasound imaging device, the algorithm comprising processing an input frame and a low-power partial frame in each round to generate a reconstructed frame therefrom, wherein the input frame is based on a first ultrasound waveform received by a transducer of the imaging device, the low-power partial frame is based on a second ultrasound waveform that defines missing scan lines and is generated from the interlacing operation of a receiving channel received by the transducer and coupled to the transducer; and generating a display signal for displaying each reconstructed frame on a display, or storing each reconstructed frame in memory, wherein the input frame after the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm corresponds to the reconstructed frame prior to the previous round of the reconstruction algorithm.

[0189] Example 2 includes the subject matter of Example 1 and optionally includes processing low-power partial frames, performing intra-frame interpolation on the low-power partial frame to generate an intra-frame interpolated frame by filling in missing scan lines with interpolated scan lines; and processing the intra-frame interpolated frame to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0190] Example 3 includes the subject matter of Example 2, and optionally includes: a low-power subframe containing one of odd scan lines and missing even scan lines, or even scan lines and missing odd scan lines; processing the low-power subframe and input frame; performing motion compensation to estimate the motion vector between the intraframe interpolated frame and the previous reconstructed frame of the previous round and generate a motion-compensated frame; the motion-compensated frame containing even scan lines and missing odd scan lines if the low-power subframe contains odd scan lines and missing even scan lines; and processing the motion-compensated frame to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0191] Example 4 includes the subject matter of Example 3, and optionally, performing motion compensation includes performing at least one of either local adaptive block matching or global adaptive block matching.

[0192] Example 5 includes the themes of Example 4 and optionally includes processing motion-compensated frames, merging in-frame interpolated frames with motion-compensated frames to generate spatially-only estimated reconstructed frames, merging, filling in missing scan lines of the in-frame interpolated frames with corresponding scan lines of the motion-compensated frames, and processing spatially-only estimated reconstructed frames to generate reconstructed frames.

[0193] Example 6 includes the subject matter of Example 5, and optionally, processing spatially-only estimated reconstruction frames involves performing temporal smoothing by blending spatially-only estimated reconstruction frames with previous reconstruction frames to generate a reconstruction frame.

[0194] Example 7 includes the subject matter of Example 3, and optionally, the motion vector is the estimated motion vector v between the subregion g1(x) of the previous reconstructed frame and the subregion g2(x) of the in-frame interpolated frame. * Corresponds to, v * g2(x) is given by the following equation, where x represents the pixel coordinates of an image subregion, W represents the spatial window in which the solution for v is searched, B represents the set of pixel indices within the block, and p represents the error norm equal to 1 or 2; and block matching further includes performing global block matching using horizontal search only if the entire intraframe interpolation frame corresponds to g2(x).

[0195] Example 8 includes the subject matter of Example 7, and one or more processors are v * In response to the determination that the threshold is exceeded, the reconstruction frame is set to correspond to the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame.

[0196] Example 9 includes the subject matter of Example 7, wherein one or more processors merge an in-frame interpolated frame with a motion-compensated frame to generate a spatially-only estimated reconstructed frame; merging involves segmenting a group R of scan lines in a low-power subframe into a set of S × Hb blocks b; and for each block B and group R, defining a transient macroblock array mb of pixel values ​​in the in-frame interpolated frame corresponding to the region of the low-power subframe in which block B is the core; and performing local adaptive block matching between mb and the previous reconstructed frame to find the best match, where the best match is the macroblock region mb of the previous reconstructed frame having the same pixel dimensions as mb. matchThis corresponds to; setting the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame to correspond to the low-power subframe; and for each block B in the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame, mb match This includes substituting pixel values ​​of block B from the core; and for columns of B corresponding to repeated received scan lines, filling in missing scan lines in the intraframe interpolation frame with corresponding scan lines in the motion-compensated frame by substituting the weighted average of the pixel values ​​of block B in the spatially-only estimated reconstruction frame for the corresponding pixel values ​​in the intraframe interpolation frame.

[0197] Example 10 includes the subject matter of Example 6 and optionally includes performing temporal smoothing, which involves using alpha blending.

[0198] Example 11 includes the subject matter of Example 9 and optionally, in sector mode of operation of the imaging device, one or more processors perform local adaptive block matching in response to a determination that the average pixel value of mb is greater than a threshold; and use scan transformation to convert linear scan line data in the reconstructed frame to sector mode scan line data to generate the reconstructed frame.

[0199] Example 12 includes the subject of Example 9, and optionally, local adaptive block matching is performed on macroblocks within the image frame (mb). k Each time, the macroblock mb before the image frame k-1 Calculate the total intensity; if the intensity exceeds the first threshold, mb k In response to the determination that it is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image, the first spatial window W1 corresponding to the value of spatial window W is substituted and the solution for the motion vector v is searched; if the intensity does not exceed the first threshold, or mb k In response to the determination that is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image, the solution for the motion vector v is retrieved by substituting the second spatial window W2 corresponding to the value of the spatial window W;

number

Equation

[0200] Example 13 includes the subject matter of Example 1, and optionally, in the sector mode of the imaging device, one or more processors measure ε of four values of v that offset half of the pixels in either the horizontal or vertical direction in response to a determination that ε is not greater than a second threshold; and mb k-1 (x - v ** k ) within the core of mb k values are substituted into the core of mb

[0201] Example 14 includes the subject matter of Example 1 and further includes a memory, and the memory is coupled to one or more processors.

[0202] Example 15 includes the subject matter of any one of Example 1 and Example 14 and further includes a wireless transceiver coupled to one or more processors, and the wireless transceiver receives an input frame and a low-power partial frame from the control circuit of the imaging device.

[0203] Example 16 includes a method performed on a computing device comprising: running a round of a reconstruction algorithm during image generation by an ultrasound imaging device, the algorithm comprising, in each round, processing an input frame and a low-power partial frame from which a reconstructed frame is generated, wherein the input frame is based on a first ultrasound waveform received by a transducer of the imaging device, the low-power partial frame is based on a second ultrasound waveform that defines missing scan lines and is generated from the interlacing operation of a receiving channel received by the transducer and coupled to the transducer; and generating a display signal for displaying each reconstructed frame on a display, or storing each reconstructed frame in memory, wherein the input frame after the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm corresponds to the reconstructed frame prior to the previous round of the reconstruction algorithm.

[0204] Example 17 includes the subject matter of Example 16 and optionally includes processing low-power partial frames, performing intra-frame interpolation on the low-power partial frame to generate an intra-frame interpolated frame by filling in missing scan lines with interpolated scan lines; and processing the intra-frame interpolated frame to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0205] Example 18 includes the subject matter of Example 17, and optionally, a low-power partial frame includes one of odd scan lines and missing even scan lines, or even scan lines and missing odd scan lines; processing the low-power partial frame and input frame includes performing motion compensation to estimate the motion vector between the intraframe interpolated frame and the previous reconstructed frame of the previous round and generate a motion-compensated frame; the motion-compensated frame includes even scan lines and missing odd scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes odd scan lines and missing even scan lines, and includes odd scan lines and missing even scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes even scan lines and missing odd scan lines; and processing the motion-compensated frame to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0206] Example 19 includes the subject matter of Example 18, and optionally, performing motion compensation includes performing at least one of local adaptive block matching or global adaptive block matching.

[0207] Example 20 includes the themes of Example 19 and optionally includes processing motion-compensated frames, merging in-frame interpolated frames with motion-compensated frames to generate spatially-only estimated reconstructed frames, merging, filling in missing scan lines of the in-frame interpolated frames with corresponding scan lines of the motion-compensated frames, and processing spatially-only estimated reconstructed frames to generate reconstructed frames.

[0208] Example 21 includes the subject matter of Example 20 and, optionally, processing spatially-only estimated reconstruction frames involves performing temporal smoothing by blending spatially-only estimated reconstruction frames with previous reconstruction frames to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0209] Example 22 includes the subject matter of Example 18, and optionally, the motion vector is the estimated motion vector v between the subregion g1(x) of the previous reconstructed frame and the subregion g2(x) of the in-frame interpolated frame. * Corresponds to, v * teeth

number

[0210] Example 23 includes the subject of Example 22, and is optional, v *In response to a determination that exceeds a threshold, the reconstruction frame is further set to correspond to the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame.

[0211] Example 24 includes the subject matter of Example 22 and further includes merging an in-frame interpolated frame with a motion-compensated frame to generate a spatially-only estimated reconstructed frame, merging by segmenting a group R of scan lines of a low-power subframe linearly into a set of S × Hb blocks b; and defining a transient macroblock array mb of pixel values ​​in the in-frame interpolated frame corresponding to a region of the low-power subframe where block B is the core for each block B and group R; and performing local adaptive block matching between mb and the previous reconstructed frame to find the best match, where the best match is the macroblock region mb of the previous reconstructed frame having the same pixel dimensions as mb. match This corresponds to; setting the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame to correspond to the low-power subframe; and for each block B in the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame, mb match This includes substituting pixel values ​​of block B from the core; and for columns of B corresponding to repeated received scan lines, filling in missing scan lines in the intraframe interpolation frame with corresponding scan lines in the motion-compensated frame by substituting the weighted average of the pixel values ​​of block B in the spatially-only estimated reconstruction frame for the corresponding pixel values ​​in the intraframe interpolation frame.

[0212] Example 25 includes the subject matter of Example 21 and optionally includes performing temporal smoothing, which involves using alpha blending.

[0213] Example 26 includes the subject matter of Example 24 and optionally includes, in sector mode of operation of the imaging device, performing local adaptive block matching in response to a determination that the average pixel value of mb is greater than a threshold; and using scan transformation to convert linear scan line data in the reconstructed frame to sector mode scan line data to generate the reconstructed frame.

[0214] Example 27 includes the subject of Example 24, and optionally, local adaptive block matching is performed on macroblocks within the image frame (mb). k Each time, the macroblock mb before the image frame k-1 Calculate the total intensity; if the intensity exceeds the first threshold, mb k In response to the determination that it is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image, the first spatial window W1 corresponding to the value of spatial window W is substituted and the solution for the motion vector v is searched; if the intensity does not exceed the first threshold, or mb k In response to the determination that is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image, the solution for the motion vector v is retrieved by substituting the second spatial window W2 corresponding to the value of the spatial window W;

number

number

[0215] Example 28 includes the subject matter of Example 27, and optionally, in sector mode of the imaging device, measures ε for four values ​​of v offset by half a pixel in either the horizontal or vertical direction in response to the determination that ε is not greater than a second threshold; and mb k-1 (xv ** k ) Core MB k This further includes assigning the value to the core.

[0216] Example 29 includes the subject matter of Example 16 and optionally further includes receiving input frames and low-power partial frames from the control circuit of the imaging device via a wireless transceiver.

[0217] Example 30 includes an apparatus for the control circuit of an ultrasonic imaging device, the apparatus including one or more processors coupled to the transducer elements of the ultrasonic transducer of the imaging device, causing interlacing of the transducer elements to generate a transmitted ultrasonic waveform toward the object to be imaged, and collecting an electrical signal that defines a low-power partial frame including missing Rx scan lines and interlaced existing received (Rx) scan lines, the electrical signal is generated from ultrasonic waves reflected from the object and based on the transmitted ultrasonic waveform; and the electrical signal is transmitted to a computing device to cause the computing device to generate a reconstructed frame from the low-power partial frame, where the image of the object is based on the reconstructed frame.

[0218] Example 31 includes the subject matter of Example 30, and optionally, one or more processors are coupled to transducer elements via transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) channels of the imaging device; one or more processors cause interlacing by selectively activating one or more Tx channels and one or more corresponding Rx channels in an interlacing pattern; and at least the number of Tx channels or the number of Rx channels is less than the number of transducer elements, and one or more processors control the functional coupling of at least the number of Tx channels or the number of Rx channels to the transducer elements before selective activation.

[0219] Example 32 includes the subject matter of Example 31, and optionally, one or more processors control functional coupling by controlling at least one or more of the number of Tx channels or the number of Rx channels to address each of the transducer elements based on the interlace pattern.

[0220] Example 33 includes the subject matter of Example 31 and optionally involves selectively operating on an interlaced pattern, which includes alternating operation of odd and even channels of one or more transmit (Tx) channels of the imaging device, and corresponding alternating operation of one or more of the corresponding channels of the receive (Rx) channels of the imaging device.

[0221] Example 34 includes the subject matter of Example 31, and optionally, one or more of the corresponding channels of the Rx channels include multiple Rx channels for at least some of the Tx channels.

[0222] Example 35 includes the subject matter of Example 31, and optionally, one or more processors selectively activate one or more Tx channels in an interlaced pattern in linear mode, such that the one or more Tx channels activated in this way generate ultrasound in the same direction as the ultrasound generated by the one or more previously activated Tx channels; and in sector mode, selectively activate one or more Tx channels in an interlaced pattern, such that the one or more Tx channels activated in this way generate ultrasound in a different direction than the ultrasound generated by the one or more previously activated Tx channels.

[0223] Example 36 includes the subject matter of Example 30, and optionally, the transducer element includes a micromachine ultrasonic transducer element.

[0224] Example 37 includes the subject matter of Example 36, and optionally, the micromachine ultrasonic transducer element includes either a capacitive micromachine ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) element or a piezoelectric micromachine ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) element.

[0225] Example 38 includes the subject matter of Example 30, optionally further including a computing device, which runs a round of a reconstruction algorithm during image generation by an ultrasound imaging device, wherein, for each round, the algorithm includes receiving from a control circuit, an input frame corresponding to an input frame based on a first ultrasound waveform received by the transducer of the imaging device; and a low-power partial frame corresponding to a low-power partial frame based on a second ultrasound waveform received by the transducer; processing the input frame and the low-power partial frame to generate a reconstructed frame therefrom; and generating a display signal for displaying each reconstructed frame on a display, or storing each reconstructed frame in memory, wherein the input frame after the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm corresponds to the reconstructed frame prior to the previous round of the reconstruction algorithm.

[0226] Example 39 includes a method performed in an apparatus of control circuitry for an ultrasonic imaging device, the apparatus including one or more processors coupled to the transducer elements of an ultrasonic transducer of the imaging device, the method including causing interlacing operation of the transducer elements to generate a transmitted ultrasonic waveform toward an object to be imaged, collecting an electrical signal defining a low-power partial frame including missing Rx scan lines and existing interlaced received (Rx) scan lines, the electrical signal being generated from ultrasonic waves reflected from the object and based on the transmitted ultrasonic waveform; and transmitting the electrical signal to a computing device to cause the computing device to generate a reconstructed frame from the low-power partial frame, wherein the image of the object is based on the reconstructed frame.

[0227] Example 40 includes the subject matter of Example 39, and optionally, one or more processors are coupled to transducer elements via transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) channels of an imaging device; causing interlacing operation includes selectively activating one or more Tx channels and one or more corresponding channels of Rx channels in an interlacing pattern; and at least the number of Tx channels or Rx channels is less than the number of transducer elements, and the method further includes controlling the functional coupling of at least the number of Tx channels or Rx channels to the transducer elements before selective activation.

[0228] Example 41 includes the subject matter of Example 40 and optionally includes controlling functional coupling by controlling at least one or more of the number of Tx channels or Rx channels to address each of the transducer elements based on the interlace pattern.

[0229] Example 42 includes the subject matter of Example 40, and optionally, selectively operating on an interlaced pattern includes performing alternating operation of odd and even channels of one or more Tx channels, and corresponding alternating operation of one or more of the corresponding Rx channels.

[0230] Example 43 includes the subject matter of Example 40, and optionally, one or more of the corresponding channels of the Rx channels include multiple Rx channels for at least some of the Tx channels.

[0231] Example 44 includes the subject matter of Example 40, and further includes, in linear mode, selectively activating one or more Tx channels in an interlaced pattern, such that the one or more Tx channels thus activated generate ultrasound in the same direction as the ultrasound generated by the one or more Tx channels previously activated; and in sector mode, selectively activating one or more Tx channels in an interlaced pattern, such that the one or more Tx channels thus activated generate ultrasound in a different direction than the ultrasound generated by the one or more Tx channels previously activated.

[0232] Example 45 includes the subject matter of Example 40, and optionally, the transducer element includes a micromachine ultrasonic transducer element.

[0233] Example 46 includes the subject matter of Example 45, and optionally, the micromachine ultrasonic transducer element includes either a capacitive micromachine ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) element or a piezoelectric micromachine ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) element.

[0234] Example 47 includes the subject matter of Example 40 and further includes performing a round of a reconstruction algorithm during image generation by an ultrasound imaging device, wherein, for each round, the algorithm includes receiving from a control circuit, an input frame corresponding to an input frame based on a first ultrasound waveform received by a transducer of the imaging device, and a low-power partial frame corresponding to a low-power partial frame based on a second ultrasound waveform received by the transducer; processing the input frame and the low-power partial frame to generate a reconstructed frame therefrom; and generating a display signal for displaying each reconstructed frame on a display, or storing each reconstructed frame in memory, wherein the input frame after the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm corresponds to the reconstructed frame prior to the previous round of the reconstruction algorithm.

[0235] Example 48 includes an apparatus for an ultrasonic imaging device, the apparatus including one or more processors coupled to the transducer elements of the ultrasonic transducer of the imaging device, the one or more processors performing rounds of image generation for the ultrasonic imaging device, each round including causing interlacing of the transducer elements to generate a transmitted ultrasonic waveform toward the object to be imaged, collecting an electrical signal defining a low-power subframe including missing Rx scan lines and existing interlaced received (Rx) scan lines, the electrical signal being generated from ultrasonic waves reflected from the object and based on the transmitted ultrasonic waveform; processing the low-power subframe together with the input frame to generate a reconstructed frame therefrom; and generating a display signal for displaying each reconstructed frame on a display, or storing each reconstructed frame in memory, wherein the input frame after the initialization round of the rounds of image generation corresponds to the reconstructed frame before the round before the round of image generation.

[0236] Example 49 includes the subject matter of Example 48, and optionally, one or more processors are coupled to a transducer element via transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) channels of an imaging device; one or more processors induce interlacing by selectively activating one or more of the Tx channels and one or more of the corresponding Rx channels in an interlacing pattern; and selective activation includes alternating activation of odd and even channels among one or more of the Tx channels and corresponding alternating activation of one or more of the corresponding channels of the Rx channels.

[0237] Example 50 includes the subject matter of Example 49, and optionally, one or more of the corresponding channels of the Rx channels include multiple Rx channels for at least some of the Tx channels.

[0238] Example 51 includes the subject matter of Example 49, and optionally, one or more processors selectively activate one or more Tx channels in an interlaced pattern in linear mode, such that the one or more Tx channels activated in this way generate ultrasound in the same direction as the ultrasound generated by the one or more previously activated Tx channels; and in sector mode, selectively activate one or more Tx channels in an interlaced pattern, such that the one or more Tx channels activated in this way generate ultrasound in a different direction than the ultrasound generated by the one or more previously activated Tx channels.

[0239] Example 52 includes the subject matter of Example 48 and optionally includes processing low-power partial frames, performing intraframe interpolation on the low-power partial frame to generate an intraframe interpolated frame by filling in missing Rx scan lines with interpolated scan lines; and processing the intraframe interpolated frame to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0240] Example 53 includes the subject matter of Example 52, and optionally, a low-power partial frame includes one of odd scan lines and missing even Rx scan lines, or even scan lines and missing odd Rx scan lines; processing the low-power partial frame and input frame includes performing motion compensation to estimate the motion vector between the intraframe interpolated frame and the previous reconstructed frame of the previous round and generate a motion-compensated frame; the motion-compensated frame includes even scan lines and missing odd Rx scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes odd scan lines and missing even Rx scan lines; and processing the motion-compensated frame to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0241] Example 54 includes the subject matter of Example 53, and optionally, performing motion compensation includes performing at least one of either local adaptive block matching or global adaptive block matching.

[0242] Example 55 includes the themes of Example 53 and optionally includes processing motion-compensated frames, merging in-frame interpolated frames with motion-compensated frames to generate spatially-only estimated reconstructed frames, merging, filling in missing Rx scan lines of the in-frame interpolated frames with corresponding scan lines of the motion-compensated frames, and processing spatially-only estimated reconstructed frames to generate reconstructed frames.

[0243] Example 56 includes the subject matter of Example 55 and, optionally, processing spatially-only estimated reconstruction frames involves performing temporal smoothing by blending spatially-only estimated reconstruction frames with previous reconstruction frames to generate a reconstruction frame.

[0244] Example 57 includes the subject matter of Example 54, and optionally, the motion vector is the estimated motion vector v between the subregion g1(x) of the previous reconstructed frame and the subregion g2(x) of the in-frame interpolated frame. * Corresponds to, v* teeth

number

[0245] Example 58 includes the subject matter of Example 57, and one or more processors are v * In response to the determination that the threshold is exceeded, the reconstruction frame is set to correspond to the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame.

[0246] Example 59 includes the subject matter of Example 57, wherein one or more processors merge an in-frame interpolated frame with a motion-compensated frame to generate a spatially-only estimated reconstructed frame; merging involves segmenting a group R of scan lines in a low-power subframe linearly into a set of S × Hb blocks b; and for each block B and group R, defining a transient macroblock array mb of pixel values ​​in the in-frame interpolated frame corresponding to the region of the low-power subframe in which block B is the core; and performing local adaptive block matching between mb and the previous reconstructed frame to find the best match, where the best match is the macroblock region mb of the previous reconstructed frame having the same pixel dimensions as mb. match To address; to configure the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame to correspond to the low-power subframe; and for each block B in the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame, mb matchThis includes substituting pixel values ​​of block B from the core; and for columns of B corresponding to repeated received scan lines, filling in missing Rx scan lines in the intraframe interpolation frame with corresponding scan lines in the motion-compensated frame by substituting the weighted average of the pixel values ​​of block B in the spatially-only estimated reconstruction frame for the corresponding pixel values ​​in the intraframe interpolation frame.

[0247] Example 60 includes the subject matter of Example 56 and optionally includes performing temporal smoothing, which involves using alpha blending.

[0248] Example 61 includes the subject matter of Example 59, and optionally, in sector mode of imaging device operation, one or more processors perform local adaptive block matching in response to a determination that the average pixel value of mb is greater than a threshold; and use scan transformation to convert linear scan line data in the reconstructed frame to sector mode scan line data to generate the reconstructed frame.

[0249] Example 62 includes the subject of Example 59, and optionally, local adaptive block matching is performed on macroblocks within the image frame (mb). k Each time, the macroblock mb before the image frame k-1 Calculate the total intensity; if the intensity exceeds the first threshold, mb k In response to the determination that it is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image, the first spatial window W1 corresponding to the value of spatial window W is substituted and the solution for the motion vector v is searched; if the intensity does not exceed the first threshold, or mb k In response to the determination that is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image, a second spatial window W2 corresponding to the value of spatial window W is substituted, and the solution for the motion vector v is retrieved;

number

number

[0250] Example 63 includes the subject matter of Example 62, and optionally, in sector mode of the imaging device, one or more processors measure four values ​​of v offset by half of the pixel horizontally or vertically in response to the determination that ε is not greater than a second threshold; and mb k-1 (xv ** k ) Core MB k Assign the value to the core.

[0251] Example 64 includes the apparatus of Example 48, further including memory, the memory being coupled to one or more processors.

[0252] Example 65 includes one of the devices from Example 48 and Example 64, further including a wireless transceiver coupled to one or more processors, the wireless transceiver transmitting a reconstructed frame to a display.

[0253] Example 66 includes a method performed in an apparatus of an ultrasonic imaging device, the apparatus including one or more processors coupled to the transducer elements of the ultrasonic transducer of the imaging device, the method including a step of performing an image generation round of the ultrasonic imaging device, each round including causing interlacing operation of the transducer elements to generate a transmit ultrasonic waveform toward the object to be imaged, collecting an electrical signal defining a low-power partial frame including missing Rx scan lines and existing interlaced receive (Rx) scan lines, the electrical signal being generated from ultrasonic waves reflected from the object and based on the transmit ultrasonic waveform; processing the low-power partial frame together with an input frame to generate a reconstructed frame therefrom; and generating a display signal for displaying each reconstructed frame on a display, or storing each reconstructed frame in memory, wherein the input frame after the initialization round of the image generation round corresponds to the reconstructed frame before the round of image generation.

[0254] Example 67 includes the subject matter of Example 66, and optionally, one or more processors are coupled to transducer elements via transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) channels of an imaging device; causing interlacing operation includes selectively operating one or more Tx channels and one or more corresponding channels of the Rx channels in an interlacing pattern; and selective operation includes performing alternating operation of odd and even channels of one or more Tx channels and corresponding alternating operation of one or more corresponding channels of the Rx channels.

[0255] Example 68 includes the subject matter of Example 67, and optionally, one or more of the corresponding channels of the Rx channels include multiple Rx channels for at least some of the Tx channels.

[0256] Example 69 includes the subject matter of Example 67 and optionally further includes, in linear mode, selectively activating one or more Tx channels in an interlaced pattern, such that the one or more Tx channels thus activated generate ultrasound in the same direction as the ultrasound generated by the one or more Tx channels previously activated; and in sector mode, selectively activating one or more Tx channels in an interlaced pattern, such that the one or more Tx channels thus activated generate ultrasound in a different direction than the ultrasound generated by the one or more Tx channels previously activated.

[0257] Example 70 includes the subject matter of Example 67 and optionally includes processing low-power partial frames, performing intra-frame interpolation on the low-power partial frame to generate an intra-frame interpolated frame by filling in missing Rx scan lines with interpolated scan lines; and processing the intra-frame interpolated frame to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0258] Example 71 includes the subject matter of Example 70, and optionally, a low-power partial frame includes one of odd scan lines and missing even Rx scan lines, or even scan lines and missing odd Rx scan lines; processing the low-power partial frame and input frame includes performing motion compensation to estimate the motion vector between the intraframe interpolated frame and the previous reconstructed frame of the previous round and generate a motion-compensated frame; the motion-compensated frame includes even scan lines and missing odd Rx scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes odd scan lines and missing even Rx scan lines; and processing the motion-compensated frame to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0259] Example 72 includes the subject matter of Example 71, and optionally, performing motion compensation includes performing at least one of local adaptive block matching or global adaptive block matching.

[0260] Example 73 includes the themes of Example 72 and optionally includes processing motion-compensated frames, merging in-frame interpolated frames with motion-compensated frames to generate spatially-only estimated reconstructed frames, merging, filling in missing Rx scan lines of the in-frame interpolated frames with corresponding scan lines of the motion-compensated frames, and processing spatially-only estimated reconstructed frames to generate reconstructed frames.

[0261] Example 74 includes the subject matter of Example 73 and, optionally, processing spatially-only estimated reconstruction frames involves performing temporal smoothing by blending spatially-only estimated reconstruction frames with previous reconstruction frames to generate a reconstructed frame.

[0262] Example 75 includes the subject matter of Example 71, and optionally, the motion vector is the estimated motion vector v between the subregion g1(x) of the previous reconstructed frame and the subregion g2(x) of the in-frame interpolated frame. * Corresponds to, v * teeth

number

[0263] Example 76 includes the subject of Example 75, and is optional, v * In response to the determination that the threshold is exceeded, the reconstruction frame is set to correspond to the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame.

[0264] Example 77 includes the subject matter of Example 75 and further includes merging an in-frame interpolated frame with a motion-compensated frame to generate a spatially-only estimated reconstructed frame, merging by segmenting a group R of scan lines of a low-power subframe linearly into a set of S × Hb blocks b; and for each block B and group R, defining a transient macroblock array mb of pixel values ​​in the in-frame interpolated frame corresponding to the region of the low-power subframe in which block B is the core; and performing local adaptive block matching between mb and the previous reconstructed frame to find the best match, where the best match is the macroblock region mb of the previous reconstructed frame having the same pixel dimensions as mb. match To address; to configure the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame to correspond to the low-power subframe; and for each block B in the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame, mb match This includes substituting pixel values ​​of block B from the core; and for columns of B corresponding to repeated received scan lines, filling in missing Rx scan lines in the intraframe interpolation frame with corresponding scan lines in the motion-compensated frame by substituting the weighted average of the pixel values ​​of block B in the spatially-only estimated reconstruction frame for the corresponding pixel values ​​in the intraframe interpolation frame.

[0265] Example 78 includes the subject matter of Example 74 and optionally includes performing temporal smoothing, which involves using alpha blending.

[0266] Example 79 includes the subject matter of Example 77 and further includes, in sector mode of operation of the imaging device, performing local adaptive block matching in response to a determination that the average pixel value of mb is greater than a threshold; and using scan transformation to convert linear scan line data in the reconstructed frame into sector mode scan line data to generate the reconstructed frame.

[0267] Example 80 includes the subject of Example 77, and optionally, local adaptive block matching is performed on macroblocks within the image frame. kEach time, the macroblock mb before the image frame k-1 Calculate the total intensity; if the intensity exceeds the first threshold, mb k In response to the determination that it is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image, the first spatial window W1 corresponding to the value of spatial window W is substituted and the solution for the motion vector v is searched; if the intensity does not exceed the first threshold, or mb k In response to the determination that is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image, a second spatial window W2 corresponding to the value of spatial window W is substituted, and the solution for the motion vector v is retrieved;

number

number

[0268] Example 81 includes the subject matter of Example 80, and optionally, in sector mode of the imaging device, measures ε for four values ​​of v offset by half a pixel in either the horizontal or vertical direction in response to the determination that ε is not greater than a second threshold; and mb k-1 (xv ** k ) Core MB kThis further includes assigning the value to the core.

[0269] Example 82 includes the subject matter of Example 66 and optionally further includes causing the reconstructed frame to be sent to the display.

[0270] Example 83 includes an apparatus comprising means for performing any one of the methods of Examples 16-29, 39-47, and 66-82.

[0271] Example 84 includes one or more computer-readable media containing, which store a number of instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform one of the methods of Examples 16-29, 39-47, and 66-82.

[0272] Example 85 includes an imaging device comprising one of the devices from Examples 1-15, 30-38, and 48-65, and an ultrasonic transducer coupled to the device.

[0273] Example 86 includes the imaging device of Example 85, further including a housing, where the device is located within the housing.

[0274] Example 87 further includes a display, which includes the imaging device of Example 85.

Claims

1. The reconstruction algorithm is performed rounds during image generation by an ultrasonic imaging device, the reconstruction algorithm comprising processing input frames and low-power partial frames in each round to generate a reconstructed frame therefrom, wherein the input frames of the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm are an image formed based on a first ultrasonic waveform received by the transducer of the ultrasonic imaging device, the reconstructed frames of the previous round of the reconstruction algorithm are used as the input frames of rounds after the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm, the low-power partial frames are an image formed based on a second ultrasonic waveform that defines missing scan lines and is received by the transducer and generated from the interlacing operation of the receiving channel coupled to the transducer; and At least one of the following: generating a display signal to display each reconstructed frame on a display, or storing each reconstructed frame in memory. A computing device equipped with one or more processors for performing the following tasks.

2. Processing the aforementioned low-power partial frames is Performing intraframe interpolation on the low-power partial frame in order to fill the missing scan lines with interpolated scan lines and generate an intraframe interpolated frame; and The computing device according to claim 1, comprising processing the intraframe interpolation frames in order to generate the reconstructed frame.

3. The low-power subframe includes one of the following: an odd scan line and a missing even scan line, or an even scan line and a missing odd scan line. Processing the low-power subframe and the input frame is: Perform motion compensation to estimate the motion vector between the interpolated frame within the frame and the previous reconstructed frame of the previous round and generate a motion-compensated frame, the motion-compensated frame including even scan lines and missing odd scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes odd scan lines and missing even scan lines, and including odd scan lines and missing even scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes even scan lines and missing odd scan lines; and The computing device according to claim 2, comprising processing the motion compensation frame in order to generate the reconstructed frame.

4. The computing device according to claim 3, wherein performing motion compensation includes performing at least one of local adaptive block matching or global adaptive block matching.

5. Processing the aforementioned motion compensation frame is To generate a spatially-only estimated reconstruction frame, the in-frame interpolation frame is merged with the motion-compensated frame, the merging of which includes filling in the missing scan lines of the in-frame interpolation frame with the corresponding scan lines of the motion-compensated frame; and The computing device according to claim 4, comprising processing an estimated reconstruction frame of space only in order to generate the reconstruction frame.

6. The computing device according to claim 5, wherein processing the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame includes performing temporal smoothing by blending the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame with the previous reconstruction frame to generate the reconstruction frame.

7. The motion vector is a subregion g of the previous reconstructed frame. １ (x) and the sub-region g of the interpolated frame within the frame. ２ Estimated motion vector v between (x) ＊ Corresponding to v ＊ teeth [Number 16] Given by, where x represents the pixel coordinates of an image subregion, W represents the spatial window in which the solution for v is searched, B represents the set of pixel indices within the block, and p represents the error norm equal to 1 or 2; and Block matching is performed when the entire interpolated frame within the frame is g ２ The computing device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, further comprising performing global block matching using horizontal search only when corresponding to (x).

8. The aforementioned one or more processors are v ＊ The computing device according to claim 7, wherein, in response to a determination that exceeds a threshold, the reconstruction frame is set to correspond to an estimated reconstruction frame of space only.

9. The one or more processors merge the in-frame interpolation frames with the motion compensation frames in order to generate a spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame, and merging is The scan line group R of the low-power subframe is linearly S × H ｂ Segmenting into a set of block b; and For each block b and group R, Define a temporary macroblock array mb of pixel values ​​in the intraframe interpolated frame, where block b is the core of the low-power subframe region; and To find the best match, perform local adaptive block matching between mb and the previous reconstructed frame, the best match being the macroblock region mb of the previous reconstructed frame having the same pixel dimensions as mb. ｍａｔｃｈ It corresponds to; Setting the estimated reconstruction frame for the space only to correspond to the low-power subframe; and For each block b in the estimated reconstruction frame of the aforementioned space only, mb ｍａｔｃｈ substituting the pixel value of block b from the core of; and For each column of b corresponding to a repeated received scan line, the weighted average of the pixel values ​​of block b of the spatially-only estimated reconstruction frame is substituted for the corresponding pixel values ​​in the in-frame interpolation frame. The computing device according to claim 7 or 8, comprising filling in the missing scan lines of the in-frame interpolation frame with the corresponding scan lines of the motion compensation frame.

10. The apparatus of the computing device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein performing temporal smoothing includes using alpha blending.

11. In the sector mode of operation of the ultrasonic imaging device, the one or more processors are: In response to the determination that the average pixel value of mb is greater than the threshold, the local adaptive block matching is performed; and The computing device according to claim 9, wherein a scan conversion is used to convert linear scan line data in the reconstructed frame into sector-mode scan line data to generate the reconstructed frame.

12. Performing local adaptive block matching involves macroblocks (mb) within an image frame. ｋ Each, The macroblock mb preceding the aforementioned image frame ｋ－１ Calculate the total intensity; The total intensity exceeds the first threshold, mb ｋ In response to the determination that is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image frame, the first spatial window W corresponding to the value of spatial window W １ Substituting this value, the solution for the motion vector v is searched; The total intensity does not exceed the first threshold, or mb ｋ In response to the determination that it is not the first macroblock of a given row in the image frame, a second spatial window W corresponding to the value of spatial window W is determined. ２ Substituting this value, the solution for the motion vector v is searched; [Number 17] The motion vector vk was estimated using ＊ Determine the following, where x represents the pixel coordinates of the image subregion, W represents the spatial window in which the solution for v is searched, Bk represents the index set of pixels in macroblock k, and p represents the error norm equal to 1 or 2, where the matching error [Number 18] and In response to the determination that ε is greater than the second threshold, the pixel value from the interpolated frame within the frame is determined by mb ｋ Substitute this into the corresponding number of pixels in the core; and In response to the decision that ε is not greater than the second threshold, mb ｋ－１ (x - v ＊ ｋ The value within the core of ) is mb ｋ A computing device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, comprising substituting into the core, where k is a number specifying each macroblock.

13. In the sector mode of the ultrasonic imaging device, the one or more processors respond to the determination that ε is not greater than a second threshold, Measure the four values ​​of v with half a pixel offset in either the horizontal or vertical direction; and mb ｋ－１ (x - v ＊＊ ｋ ) MB within the core ｋ A computing device according to claim 12, wherein a value is assigned to the core.

14. The computing device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising the memory, wherein the memory is coupled to the one or more processors.

15. The computing device according to claim 14, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to one or more processors, wherein the wireless transceiver receives the input frame and the low-power partial frame from the control circuit of the ultrasonic imaging device.

16. The steps include: executing rounds of a reconstruction algorithm during image generation by an ultrasonic imaging device, wherein the reconstruction algorithm, in each round, processes input frames and low-power partial frames to generate a reconstructed frame therefrom, wherein the input frames of the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm are an image formed based on a first ultrasonic waveform received by the transducer of the ultrasonic imaging device, the reconstructed frames of the previous round of the reconstruction algorithm are used as input frames for rounds after the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm, the low-power partial frames are an image formed based on a second ultrasonic waveform that defines missing scan lines and is received by the transducer and generated from the interlacing operation of the receiving channel coupled to the transducer; and At least one of the following steps: generating a display signal to display each reconstructed frame on a display, or storing each reconstructed frame in memory. A method that is executed on a computing device equipped with [a specific feature].

17. The step of processing the low-power partial frame is: The step of performing intra-frame interpolation on the low-power partial frame in order to fill the missing scan lines with interpolated scan lines to generate an intra-frame interpolated frame; and The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of processing the intraframe interpolation frames in order to generate the reconstructed frame.

18. The low-power partial frame includes one of odd scan lines and missing even scan lines, or even scan lines and missing odd scan lines, and the step of processing the low-power partial frame and the input frame is: A step of performing motion compensation to estimate the motion vector between the interpolated frame within the frame and the previous reconstructed frame of the previous round and generate a motion-compensated frame, wherein the motion-compensated frame includes even scan lines and missing odd scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes odd scan lines and missing even scan lines, and includes odd scan lines and missing even scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes even scan lines and missing odd scan lines; and The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of processing the motion compensation frame in order to generate the reconstructed frame.

19. The motion vector corresponds to the estimated motion vector v* between the subregion g1(x) of the previous reconstructed frame and the subregion g2(x) of the in-frame interpolation frame, where v* is [Number 16] Given by, where x represents the pixel coordinates of an image subregion, W represents the spatial window in which the solution for v is searched, B represents the set of pixel indices within the block, and p represents the error norm equal to 1 or 2; and The method according to claim 18, further comprising performing global block matching using horizontal search only if the entirety of the intraframe interpolation frames corresponds to g2(x).

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of performing motion compensation includes the step of performing at least one of local adaptive block matching or global adaptive block matching.

21. It comprises multiple instructions, and when these multiple instructions are executed, one or more processors The reconstruction algorithm is performed rounds during image generation by an ultrasonic imaging device, the reconstruction algorithm comprising processing input frames and low-power partial frames in each round to generate a reconstructed frame therefrom, wherein the input frames of the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm are an image formed based on a first ultrasonic waveform received by the transducer of the ultrasonic imaging device, the reconstructed frames of the previous round of the reconstruction algorithm are used as the input frames of rounds after the initialization round of the reconstruction algorithm, the low-power partial frames are an image formed based on a second ultrasonic waveform that defines missing scan lines and is received by the transducer and generated from the interlacing operation of the receiving channel coupled to the transducer; and At least one of the following: generating a display signal to display each reconstructed frame on a display, or storing each reconstructed frame in memory. A computer program that causes an action to be performed, including the actions mentioned above.

22. Processing the aforementioned low-power partial frames is Performing intraframe interpolation on the low-power partial frame in order to fill the missing scan lines with interpolated scan lines and generate an intraframe interpolated frame; and The computer program according to claim 21, comprising processing the intraframe interpolation frames in order to generate the reconstructed frame.

23. The low-power subframe includes one of the following: an odd scan line and a missing even scan line, or an even scan line and a missing odd scan line. Processing the low-power subframe and the input frame is: Perform motion compensation to estimate the motion vector between the interpolated frame within the frame and the previous reconstructed frame of the previous round and generate a motion-compensated frame, the motion-compensated frame including even scan lines and missing odd scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes odd scan lines and missing even scan lines, and including odd scan lines and missing even scan lines if the low-power partial frame includes even scan lines and missing odd scan lines; and The computer program according to claim 22, comprising processing the motion compensation frame in order to generate the reconstructed frame.

24. The motion vector corresponds to the estimated motion vector v* between the subregion g1(x) of the previous reconstructed frame and the subregion g2(x) of the intraframe interpolation frame, where v* is [Number 16] Given by, where x represents the pixel coordinates of an image subregion, W represents the spatial window in which the solution for v is searched, B represents the set of pixel indices within the block, and p represents the error norm equal to 1 or 2; and The computer program according to claim 23, further comprising performing global block matching using a horizontal search only if the entirety of the intraframe interpolation frames corresponds to g2(x).

25. The computer program according to claim 23, wherein performing motion compensation includes performing at least one of local adaptive block matching or global adaptive block matching.

26. Processing the aforementioned motion compensation frame is To generate a spatially-only estimated reconstruction frame, the in-frame interpolation frame is merged with the motion-compensated frame, the merging of which includes filling in the missing scan lines of the in-frame interpolation frame with the corresponding scan lines of the motion-compensated frame; and The computer program according to claim 25, comprising processing an estimated reconstruction frame of the space only in order to generate the reconstruction frame.

27. The computer program according to claim 26, wherein processing the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame includes performing temporal smoothing by blending the spatial-only estimated reconstruction frame with the previous reconstruction frame to generate the reconstruction frame.

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