Ultrasonic phased array system based on intelligent target parameter planning method

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention is an ultrasonic phased array system based on an intelligent target parameter planning method. The ultrasonic phased array system comprises: a central control unit, an ultrasound imaging unit, a phased array transmission unit, a mechanical movement unit, a degassed water treatment unit, and a combined probe. The central control unit is configured to control each unit and plan target coordinates and transmission parameters in a target region; the ultrasound imaging unit is configured to acquire image data of the target region; the phased array transmission unit generates one or more focal points in the target region and can control a focusing position of the focal points; the mechanical movement unit is configured to move the combined probe; and the degassed water treatment unit is configured to produce degassed water and control the circulation of degassed water. The present invention can improve the focal region planning precision of the system, achieve a consistent spatial peak temporal average intensity of the focal region even at different focal region sizes, and can also achieve acoustic power calibration and improve the precise control of ultrasonic irradiation energy.

Description

An ultrasonic phased array system based on intelligent target parameter planning method Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic phased array system, in particular to an ultrasonic phased array system based on a target parameter intelligent planning method, and belongs to the field of biomedical instruments and equipment. Background Art

[0002] High-intensity focused ultrasound technology is a new technology that achieves non-invasive treatment effects by emitting high-power ultrasound from outside the body into the body and converging it on a specific target area, thereby producing certain biological effects on the human body.

[0003] Existing high-intensity focused ultrasound devices can be mainly divided into single-element and multi-element phased array devices. In this type of phased array focused ultrasound device, the focal zone size of the geometric focus position is usually used as a universal standard for all spatial positions, and the focus sequence within the treatment target is planned based on this. However, the actual situation is that the focal zone size of the phased array focused ultrasound device at different spatial positions is different. Although the planning method of setting the focal zone size as a static value is simple to design, it leads to inconsistent focal zone distribution at different positions within the treatment target. Especially in new indication application scenarios, such as visceral fat modification and renal sympathetic nerve ablation, due to the presence of important organs and tissues near the target area, higher requirements are placed on the target area planning accuracy of the phased array focused ultrasound system. Therefore, in the focus sequence planning, it is necessary to fully consider the changes in the focal zone size at different spatial positions.

[0004] Furthermore, ultrasound phased array systems lack the ability to track focal position changes in real time. Current systems lack an effective mechanism to dynamically track and monitor focal position changes, which impacts treatment accuracy and safety. To address this shortcoming, technologies that enable real-time focal position tracking are needed.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to propose an ultrasonic phased array system based on an intelligent planning method of target parameters.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an ultrasonic phased array system based on a target parameter intelligent planning method, comprising a central control unit, an ultrasonic imaging unit, a phased array transmitting unit, a mechanical motion unit, a degassed water treatment unit, and a combined probe, wherein:

[0008] The central control unit includes one or more processors, which are used to control the ultrasonic imaging unit, the phased array transmitting unit, the mechanical motion unit, the degassed water treatment unit, and the combined probe, and the central control unit plans the target coordinates and transmission parameters in the target area;

[0009] The ultrasonic imaging unit acquires image data of the target area through the ultrasonic imaging probe in the combined probe;

[0010] The phased array transmitting unit generates one or more focal points in the target area by independently controlling the transmitting phases of different array elements of the phased array transducer, and is capable of controlling the focusing position of the one or more focal points;

[0011] The mechanical motion unit includes a mechanical motion driver and a multi-dimensional motion mechanical structure, which is used to move the combined probe;

[0012] The degassed water treatment unit is used to generate degassed water, transfer the degassed water to the water tank of the combined probe, and control the degassed water to circulate between the water tank and the degassed water treatment unit;

[0013] The combined probe comprises a phased array transducer, an ultrasonic imaging probe and an information storage device.

[0014] Furthermore, the central control unit receives the following information set by the user: the spatial peak time average sound intensity I of the focal area spta , ultrasonic irradiation time t, temperature threshold T p .

[0015] Furthermore, the image data acquired by the ultrasonic imaging unit includes grayscale image data and color image data; at the same time, ultrasonic RF data of the target area is also acquired, and the ultrasonic RF data is the original ultrasonic echo signal after beamforming; the ultrasonic imaging unit sends a frame pulse signal to the phased array transmitting unit when the first line of each frame of ultrasonic image starts scanning, and sends a line pulse signal to the phased array transmitting unit when each line of each frame of ultrasonic image except the first line starts scanning.

[0016] Furthermore, when the phased array transmitting unit receives the frame pulse signal sent by the ultrasonic imaging unit, it controls the phased array transducer to transmit ultrasonic waves and counts the line pulse signals sent by the ultrasonic imaging unit. When the count reaches a first set threshold value A, the phased array transducer stops transmitting ultrasonic waves and the line pulse signals are counted again. When the count reaches a second set threshold value B, the phased array transducer continues to be controlled to transmit ultrasonic waves until the frame pulse signal sent by the ultrasonic imaging unit is received again, and the process is repeated. By controlling the size of the first set threshold value and the second set threshold value, the phased array transducer stops transmitting ultrasonic waves when the ultrasonic imaging unit performs ultrasonic image scanning on the target area, thereby avoiding interference of high-intensity ultrasonic waves on weak ultrasonic echo signals of the target area.

[0017] Furthermore, the information storage device is used to store various parameters of the phased array transducer;

[0018] The phased array transducer includes two or more independent array elements;

[0019] The ultrasonic imaging probe is coaxially assembled with the center of the phased array transducer, and the ultrasonic imaging probe is a 2D ultrasonic imaging probe or a 3D ultrasonic imaging probe.

[0020] Furthermore, the ultrasonic imaging probe adopts a 2D ultrasonic imaging probe, and the combined probe also includes a position control device; the position control device controls the rotation of the 2D ultrasonic imaging probe along the central axis according to the position of the focal coordinates, and makes the plane where the imaging field of view of the 2D ultrasonic imaging probe is located always pass through the focal coordinates, thereby realizing real-time display of the focal position through the ultrasonic image during the ultrasonic transmission process.

[0021] Furthermore, when the target coordinates are (x i ,y j ,z k ), the position control device controls the ultrasonic imaging probe to rotate along the central axis at an angle α, which is calculated according to the following formula:

[0022] Furthermore, the central control unit performs intelligent planning of target coordinates within the target area according to different focal area sizes when the focus is at different spatial positions; the intelligent planning method of target coordinates within the target area includes the following steps:

[0023] S001: Set the center of the top surface of the phased array transducer as the center point of the coordinate system, the axis direction of the phased array transducer as the Z axis, the imaging scanning direction of the imaging probe as the X axis, and the axis perpendicular to the imaging scanning direction of the imaging probe as the Y axis;

[0024] S002: Obtaining the coordinate set of target area boundary pixel points set by the user;

[0025] S003: Based on the pixel coordinate set and pixel spacing d pixel Calculated: The physical coordinates S of the target area boundary p =(x sp ,y sp ,z sp ),p∈1,2,...,P;

[0026] S004: Obtain the following information built into the system: Safety distance sd between the focus area boundary and the target area boundary in the X, Y, and Z axis directions x 、sd y 、sd z ;

[0027] Get the following information set by the user: the distance d between the focal area boundaries in the X, Y, and Z axis directions x d y d z ;

[0028] Get the following information set by the user: spatial peak time average sound intensity I of the focal area spta , ultrasonic irradiation time t, temperature threshold T p ;

[0029] S005: Set the target area boundary S p Expanded to rectangular area S' p ;

[0030] Wherein, the rectangular area S′ p The upper and lower surfaces are perpendicular to the Z axis, and the upper and lower surfaces pass through the points (0,0,min(z sp )) and (0,0,max(z sp )); The left and right surfaces are perpendicular to the X axis, and the left and right surfaces pass through the point (min(x sp ),0,0) and (max(x sp ),0,0); the front and back surfaces are perpendicular to the Y axis, and the front and back surfaces pass through the point (0,min(y sp ),0) and (0,max(y sp ),0);

[0031] S006: Set rectangular area S' p The internal target coordinates are:

[0032] (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ), i∈1,2,...,I; j∈1,2,...,J; k∈1,2,...,K;

[0033] Among them, the point (x′i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) is located through the point (0,0,z′ k ) and in the XY plane perpendicular to the Z axis;

[0034] S007: Calculate the target point (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the Z axis (z′ k ),k∈1,2,...,K, that is, the Z-axis coordinates of the target point in different XY planes, the target point (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the X-axis (x′ i ),i∈1,2,...,I, target(x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the Y axis (y′ j ),j∈1,2,...,J;

[0035] S008: According to the target area boundary S p =(x sp ,y sp , z sp ), p∈1,2,...,P and safety distance sd x 、sd y 、sd z , calculate the safety margin Sa p =(x sap ,y sap , z sap ), p∈1,2,…,P;

[0036] S009: For (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) in the image, calculate the new coordinates of the focal point corresponding to the extreme position of the focal area boundary on the X, Y, and Z axes as follows:

[0037] S010: Further determine whether the new coordinate point is within the safety boundary Sa by ray method p =(x sap ,y sap , z sap ), if any new coordinate point is not within the safety boundary, delete the new coordinate point in (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) corresponding to the focal coordinates;

[0038] S011: Repeat steps S009 and S010 until (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) in each focal coordinate, and obtain the final target coordinate (x i ,y j , z k ).

[0039] Furthermore, the target point (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) on the Z axis (z′ k ), k∈1,2,..,K, the steps are as follows:

[0040] a) Calculate the first coordinate z′1: z′1=min(z sp )+d z +Δz×n, where n≥1, n is an integer; n is incremented by 1 starting from 1 and the calculation is as follows:

[0041] According to the sound field focal range calculation method, the focus is located at (0, 0, min (z sp )+d z +Δz×n) at the focal length L, X-axis focal width WX, and Y-axis focal width WY until the first occurrence of the formula When min(z sp )+d z The value of +Δz×n is recorded as z′1, which is the Z-axis coordinate of the first XY plane where the target point is located. At this time, the focal length is recorded as L1, the X-axis focal width is recorded as WX1, and the Y-axis focal width is recorded as WY1;

[0042] Wherein, Δz is the step threshold when calculating the Z-axis coordinate of the target;

[0043] b) Calculate the mth coordinate z′ m : Where n≥1, n is an integer, m≥2, m is an integer; n starts at 1 and increases by 1 as follows:

[0044] According to the sound field focal range calculation method, the focal point is calculated at The focal length L, X-axis focal width WX, and Y-axis focal width WY at this time are the same until the first occurrence of the formula and. At this time, The value of z′ m , which is the Z-axis coordinate of the target point on the mth XY plane. The focal length is L m , X-axis focal width is recorded as WXm , the Y-axis focal width is recorded as WY m ;

[0045] c) Increase m by 1 and repeat step b) until the first occurrence Stop the calculation and return the result of the previous calculation to Denoted as z′ K , which is the Z-axis coordinate of the target point on the Kth XY plane. The focal length is L K , the X-axis focal width is recorded as WX K , the Y-axis focal width is recorded as WY K , where K = m-1;

[0046] d) According to the above steps, the target point (x′) can be obtained i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the Z axis (z′ k ), focal length (L k ), X-axis focal width (WX k ), Y-axis focal width (WY k ), k∈1,2,...,K.

[0047] Furthermore, the target point (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the X-axis (x′ i ),i∈1,2,...,I, the steps are as follows:

[0048] a) According to the formula min(x sp )+d x ×I′+WX0×I′+d x ≤max(x sp ) Calculate I′ and record the integer part of I′ as I;

[0049] b)x′ i The value of is calculated according to the following formula:

[0050] Furthermore, the target point (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the axis (y′ j ),j∈1,2,...,J, the steps are as follows:

[0051] a) According to the formula min(y sp )+d y ×J′+WY0×J′+d y ≤max(ysp ) Calculate J′ and record the integer part of J′ as J;

[0052] b)y′ j The value of is calculated according to the following formula:

[0053] Furthermore, the central control unit performs intelligent planning of target emission parameters within the target area according to different focal area sizes when the focus is at different spatial positions. The intelligent planning method of target emission parameters includes the following steps:

[0054] S101: Focal length L according to target coordinates k , X-axis focal width WX k , Y-axis focal width WY k , the set spatial peak time average sound intensity I spta Calculate the focal sound power P at different focal coordinates un : P un =I spta ×π×(0.25(WX k +WY k )) 2 ;

[0055] S102: Based on the power weight Q of each element of the phased array transducer m , electroacoustic conversion efficiency K m To calculate the transmission power P of each array element at different focal coordinates em,n :

[0056] S103: Based on the impedance characteristics (Z m ),m=1,2,...,M to calculate the transmission signal voltage (U m,n ):

[0057] Wherein, C is the number of scanning lines required by the ultrasonic imaging unit to scan one frame of ultrasonic image;

[0058] S104: Calculate (U m,n ), recorded as U0, and U0 is set as the power supply voltage of the power amplifier circuit in the phased array transmitting unit;

[0059] S105: According to U m,n And U0 calculate the duty cycle D of the transmitted signal of each element of the phased array transducer m,n :

[0060] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0061] 1) The intelligent planning of target coordinates within the target area is realized according to the different focal area sizes when the focus is at different spatial positions, which can significantly improve the focal area planning accuracy of the ultrasonic phased array system and enhance the accuracy and safety of the equipment during use.

[0062] 2) The intelligent planning of the target emission parameters in the target area is realized according to the different focal area sizes when the focus is at different spatial positions, and the focal area spatial peak time average sound intensity I is realized under different focal area sizes. spta Still consistent.

[0063] 3) The target emission parameters, such as focal acoustic power, emission electric power, and emission signal voltage, are calculated based on the actual impedance characteristics, electroacoustic conversion efficiency, and power weight of each element of the phased array transducer. The differences between the elements are compensated in the calculation, and the acoustic power calibration function is realized, thereby improving the precise control of the ultrasonic irradiation energy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the attraction frame of the present invention, wherein: 1 is a central control unit; 2 is an ultrasonic imaging unit; 3 is a phased array transmitting unit; 4 is a mechanical motion unit; 5 is a degassed water treatment unit; 6 is a combined probe; 61 is a position control device, 62 is an ultrasonic imaging probe, 63 is a phased array transducer, and 64 is an information storage device.

[0065] FIG2 is a diagram showing the focal area dimensions of the phased array transducer when it is focused at different spatial positions in this embodiment.

[0066] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the target coordinate intelligent planning.

[0067] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of calculating the Z-axis coordinate in the target coordinate intelligent planning.

[0068] FIG5 is a flow chart of the target coordinate intelligent planning method.

[0069] FIG6 is a flow chart of the target launch parameter intelligent planning method.

[0070] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a combined probe.

[0071] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of focus coordinate tracking, wherein 100 is a schematic diagram of the focus position of the phased array transducer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0073] As shown in FIG1 , an ultrasonic phased array system based on a target intelligent planning method includes a central control unit 1 , an ultrasonic imaging unit 2 , a phased array transmitting unit 3 , a mechanical motion unit 4 , a degassed water treatment unit 5 , and a combined probe 6 .

[0074] The central control unit 1 includes one or more processors, which are electrically connected to the ultrasonic imaging unit 2, the phased array transmitting unit 3, the mechanical motion unit 4, the degassed water treatment unit 5, and the combined probe 6, and controls each unit.

[0075] The central control unit 1 can receive the following information set by the user: the spatial peak time average sound intensity I of the focal area spta , ultrasonic irradiation time t, temperature threshold T p The content of the present invention can achieve consistency of the spatial peak time-averaged sound intensity within the focal area when the focal area sizes are inconsistent at different spatial positions.

[0076] The ultrasonic imaging unit 2 acquires image data of the target area through the ultrasonic imaging probe 62 in the combined probe 6. The image data includes grayscale image data and color image data. Simultaneously, it acquires ultrasonic RF data of the target area. The ultrasonic RF data is the original ultrasonic echo signal after beamforming.

[0077] The ultrasonic imaging unit 2 sends a frame pulse signal to the phased array transmitting unit 3 at the start of scanning the first line of each ultrasonic image frame, and sends a line pulse signal to the phased array transmitting unit 3 at the start of scanning each line (except the first line) of each ultrasonic image frame. In this embodiment, the number of scanning lines required to scan one ultrasonic image frame is 128 lines.

[0078] The phased array transmitting unit 3 generates one or more focal points in the target area by independently controlling the transmitting phases of different array elements of the phased array transducer, and can control the focusing positions of the one or more focal points.

[0079] The phased array transmitting unit 3 controls the phased array transducer to transmit ultrasonic waves upon receiving a frame pulse signal from the ultrasonic imaging unit 2 and counts the line pulse signals sent by the ultrasonic imaging unit 2. When the count reaches a first set threshold A, the phased array transducer stops transmitting ultrasonic waves and simultaneously counts the line pulse signals again. When the count reaches a second set threshold B, the phased array transducer continues transmitting ultrasonic waves until it receives another frame pulse signal from the ultrasonic imaging unit 2, repeating this process. By controlling the values ​​of the first and second set thresholds, the phased array transducer can stop transmitting ultrasonic waves while the ultrasonic imaging unit 2 is performing an ultrasonic image scan of the target area, thereby preventing high-intensity ultrasonic waves from interfering with the weak ultrasonic echo signals in the target area. In this embodiment, to prevent interference from high-intensity ultrasonic waves in the central 50% of the ultrasonic image, the first set threshold A is set to 32 and the second set threshold B is set to 64.

[0080] The mechanical motion unit 4 includes a mechanical motion driver and a multi-dimensional motion mechanical structure, which is used to move the combined probe 6 .

[0081] The degassed water treatment unit 5 is used to generate degassed water, transfer the degassed water to the water tank of the combined probe 6, and control the degassed water to circulate between the water tank and the degassed water treatment unit.

[0082] The combined probe 6 includes a phased array transducer 63 , an ultrasonic imaging probe 62 , a position control device 61 , and an information storage device 64 .

[0083] The information storage device 64 is used to store parameters such as the impedance characteristics, power weight, and electroacoustic conversion efficiency of each element of the phased array transducer.

[0084] 7 , the phased array transducer 63 in this embodiment is a spherical cap phased array transducer with 190 array elements.

[0085] 7 and 8 , the ultrasonic imaging probe 62 is coaxially assembled with the phased array transducer 63. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic imaging probe 62 is a 2D ultrasonic imaging probe.

[0086] In conjunction with FIG7 and FIG8, in the solution where the ultrasonic imaging probe 62 is a 2D ultrasonic imaging probe, the combined probe 6 further includes a position control device 61. The position control device 61 controls the rotation of the 2D ultrasonic imaging probe along the central axis according to the position of the focal coordinates, and makes the plane where the imaging field of view of the 2D ultrasonic imaging probe is located always pass through the focal coordinates, thereby realizing the real-time display of the focal position through the ultrasonic image during the ultrasonic emission process. In conjunction with FIG8, in this embodiment, when the target coordinates are (x i ,yj ,z k ), the position control device 61 controls the ultrasonic imaging probe 62 to rotate along the central axis at an angle α, which is calculated according to the following formula:

[0087] Referring to FIG2 , the central control unit 1 intelligently plans the coordinates of the target points within the target area based on the different focal zone sizes when the focus is at different spatial positions. In a phased array focused ultrasound system, the focal zone parameters are different when the focus is at different spatial positions, such as the focal zone length, focal zone width, and focal zone deflection angle. Therefore, when calculating the coordinates of the target points within the target area, the target coordinates are calculated based on the actual focal zone parameters, which can make the distribution of the targets more accurate, effective, and safe. However, in actual engineering applications, if all focal zone parameters are taken into account in the calculation process, the design of the computing system will be overly complicated, and the required computing power will be very high, which will greatly reduce the actual usability. Figure 2 shows the focal zone size of a phased array transducer when focused at different spatial positions. It can be seen that: 1) within the same XY plane perpendicular to the Z axis, the focal zone width does not change much. Therefore, the focal zone width can be simplified to a fixed value, usually the maximum value within the zoom capability of the phased array transducer is selected; 2) the focal zone length in the Z axis direction varies significantly, and within the same XY plane perpendicular to the Z axis, the focal zone length does not change much. Therefore, the same value can be used for the focal zone length within the same XY plane perpendicular to the Z axis. Usually, the focal zone length when the focus is on the axis of the phased array transducer is selected, which will greatly reduce the complexity of the calculation.

[0088] In this embodiment, referring to FIG5 , the intelligent planning method for target point coordinates within the target area includes the following steps:

[0089] S001: With reference to FIG3 , set the top center of the phased array transducer as the dot of the coordinate system, the axis direction of the phased array transducer as the Z axis, the imaging scanning direction of the imaging probe as the X axis, and the axis perpendicular to the imaging scanning direction of the imaging probe as the Y axis.

[0090] S002 : With reference to FIG3 , a coordinate set of target area boundary pixel points set by the user is obtained, where the pixel points refer to the pixel points of the grayscale image data or color image data obtained by the ultrasonic imaging unit 2 .

[0091] In this embodiment, the size of each frame of ultrasound image data is 640 (W) * 680 (H), so the pixel spacing d pixel Equal to the current ultrasound imaging depth divided by 680.

[0092] S003: Based on the pixel coordinate set and pixel spacing d pixel Calculated: The physical coordinates S of the target area boundary p =(xsp ,y sp ,z sp ),p∈1,2,...,P.

[0093] S004: Further, obtain the following information built into the system: the safety distance sd between the focus area boundary and the target area boundary in the X, Y, and Z axis directions x 、sd y 、sd z .

[0094] In actual applications, the distribution of the focal point and focal zone within tissue may deviate from the positions measured in acoustic field simulation and acoustic field testing systems. Therefore, for safety reasons, a safety distance is typically set inward from the target area boundary to ensure that the focal zone does not deviate beyond the target area boundary when located at the edge of the target area. This safety distance is an empirical value and will vary when the focal point is focused on different biological tissues. It is usually simulated using fresh ex vivo animal tissue.

[0095] Furthermore, the following information set by the user is obtained: the distance d between the focal area boundaries in the X, Y, and Z axis directions x d y d z .

[0096] Furthermore, the following information set by the user is obtained: the spatial peak time average sound intensity I of the focal area spta , ultrasonic irradiation time t, temperature threshold T p .

[0097] S005: Combined with Figure 3, the target area boundary S p Expanded to rectangular area S' p .

[0098] Wherein, the rectangular area S′ p The upper and lower surfaces are perpendicular to the Z axis, and the upper and lower surfaces pass through the points (0,0,min(z sp )) and (0,0,max(z sp )); The left and right surfaces are perpendicular to the X axis, and the left and right surfaces pass through the point (min(x sp ),0,0) and (max(x sp ),0,0); the front and back surfaces are perpendicular to the Y axis, and the front and back surfaces pass through the point (0,min(y sp ),0) and (0,max(y sp ),0).

[0099] S006: Set rectangular area S' p The internal target coordinates are:

[0100] (x′i ,y′ j ,z′ k ), i∈1,2,...,I; j∈1,2,...,J; k∈1,2,...,K.

[0101] Among them, the point (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) is located through the point (0,0,z′ k ) and in the XY plane perpendicular to the Z axis.

[0102] S007: Combine Figure 1 and Figure 4 to calculate the target point (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the Z axis (z′ k ),k∈1,2,...,K, which is the Z-axis coordinate of the target point in different XY planes.

[0103] a) Calculate the first coordinate z′1: z′1=min(z sp )+d z +Δz×η, where n≥1 and n is an integer.

[0104] n starts from 1 and increases by 1 successively to perform the following calculation: According to the sound field focal range calculation method, the focus is calculated at (0, 0, min (z sp )+d z +Δz×n) at the focal length L, X-axis focal width WX, and Y-axis focal width WY until the first occurrence of the formula When min(z sp )+d z The value of +Δz×n is recorded as z′1, which is the Z-axis coordinate of the first XY plane where the target is located. At this time, the focal length is recorded as L1, the X-axis focal width is recorded as WX1, and the Y-axis focal width is recorded as WY1.

[0105] Wherein, Δz is the step threshold when calculating the Z-axis coordinate of the target point. This value is determined by the calculation accuracy of different focal lengths that are expected to be achieved in the specific embodiment. In this embodiment, Δz=0.1 mm.

[0106] In this embodiment, the sound field focal range calculation method uses the Rayleigh integration method.

[0107] b) Calculate the mth coordinate z′ m : Wherein n≥1, n is an integer, m≥2, m is an integer.

[0108] n starts from 1 and increases by 1 successively to perform the following calculation: According to the sound field focal range calculation method, the focal point is calculated at The focal length L, X-axis focal width WX, and Y-axis focal width WY at this time are the same until the first occurrence of the formula and At this time, The value of z′ m , which is the Z-axis coordinate of the target point on the mth XY plane. The focal length is L m , X-axis focal width is recorded as WX m , the Y-axis focal width is recorded as WY m .

[0109] c) Increase m by 1 and repeat step b) until the first occurrence Stop the calculation and return the result of the previous calculation to Denoted as z′ K , which is the Z-axis coordinate of the target point on the Kth XY plane. The focal length is L K , X-axis focal width is recorded as WX K , the Y-axis focal width is recorded as WY K , where K = m-1.

[0110] d) According to the above steps, the target point (x′) can be obtained i , y′ j , z′ k ) on the Z axis (z′ k ), focal length (L k ), X-axis focal width (WX k ), Y-axis focal width (WY k ), k∈1, 2, ..., K.

[0111] Calculate the X-axis focal width (WX k ) is recorded as WX0, and WX0 is set as the focal area width of all focus coordinates.

[0112] Calculate the Y-axis focal width (WY k ) is recorded as WY0, and WY0 is set as the focal area width of all focus coordinates.

[0113] S008: Calculate target point (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the X-axis (x′ i ),i∈1,2,...,I.

[0114] a) According to the formula min(x sp )+d x ×I′+W0×I′+d x≤max(x sp ) Calculate I′. Let the integer part of I′ be I.

[0115] b)x′ i The value of is calculated according to the following formula:

[0116] S009: Calculate target point (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the Y axis (y′ j ),j∈1,2,...,J.

[0117] a) According to the formula min(y sp )+d y ×J′+W0×J′+d y ≤max(y sp ) Calculate J′. Let the integer part of J′ be J.

[0118] b)y′ j The value of is calculated according to the following formula:

[0119] S010: According to the target area boundary S p =(x sp ,y sp ,z sp ),p∈1,2,...,P and safety distance sd x 、sd y 、sd z , calculate the safety margin Sa p =(x sap ,y sap ,z sap ),p∈1,2,...,P.

[0120] S011: For (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) in the image, calculate the new coordinates of the focal point corresponding to the extreme position of the focal area boundary on the X, Y, and Z axes as follows:

[0121] S012: Further determine whether the new coordinate point is within the safety boundary Sa by using the ray method p =(x sap ,y sap ,z sap ), if any new coordinate point is not within the safety boundary, delete the new coordinate point in (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k) corresponds to the focal coordinates in .

[0122] S013: Repeat steps S010 and S011 until (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) in each focal coordinate, and obtain the final target coordinate (x i ,y j ,z k ).

[0123] In this embodiment, the central control unit 1 performs intelligent planning of the target emission parameters in the target area according to the different focal area sizes when the focus is at different spatial positions. The target emission parameters include the focal area sound power P un ,n=1,2,...,N, N is the number of final target coordinates, and each array element transmits electrical power P em,n , Transmitted signal voltage U m,n , the duty cycle of the transmitted signal D m,n , m=1,2,...,M, where M is the number of array elements of the phased array transducer.

[0124] 6 , the intelligent planning method for target launch parameters includes the following steps:

[0125] S101: Focal length L according to target coordinates k , X-axis focal width WX k , Y-axis focal width WY k , the set spatial peak time average sound intensity I spta Calculate the focal sound power P at different focal coordinates un : P un =I spta ×π×(0.25(WX k +WY k )) 2 ;

[0126] By setting different sound powers according to the actual focal area when the focus is at different spatial positions, it is possible to achieve the following: when the focal area is different, the emitted focal area spatial peak time average sound intensity I spta They are all consistent.

[0127] S102: Based on the power weight Q of each element of the phased array transducer m , electroacoustic conversion efficiency K m To calculate the transmission power P of each array element at different focal coordinates em,n :

[0128] For phased array transducers, the directivity angles of each element are different at different focus positions. Therefore, when calculating the required electrical power for each element of the phased array transducer, considering the power weights of different elements facilitates higher focusing efficiency and precise control of ultrasonic irradiation energy. Furthermore, the electroacoustic conversion efficiency of different elements varies, and calculating the electrical power setting based on the varying electroacoustic conversion efficiencies of each element also facilitates precise control of ultrasonic irradiation energy.

[0129] In this embodiment, the power weight Q m , electroacoustic conversion efficiency K m It is obtained by measuring each element of the phased array transducer using a sound power meter and a sound field test system.

[0130] S103: Based on the impedance characteristics (Z m ), m=1,2,...,M to calculate the transmission signal voltage (U m,n ):

[0131] Wherein, C is the number of scanning lines required by the ultrasonic imaging unit to scan one frame of ultrasonic image. In this embodiment, C is 128 and B is 64.

[0132] In this embodiment, the impedance characteristic (Z m ),m=1,2,...,M is obtained by measuring each element of the phased array transducer using an impedance analyzer.

[0133] S104: Calculate (U m,n ) is recorded as U0, and U0 is set as the power supply voltage of the power amplifier circuit in the phased array transmitting unit 3.

[0134] S105: According to U m,n And U0 calculate the duty cycle D of the transmitted signal of each element of the phased array transducer m,n :

[0135] Furthermore, the central control unit 1 is internally programmed with a temperature measurement algorithm based on ultrasonic radio frequency data, capable of calculating the temperature rise within the focal zone based on the image data and application data. When the temperature rise within the focal zone exceeds a safe temperature threshold, the central control unit 1 stops ultrasonic transmission and sends a warning signal to the operator.

[0136] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention in any form, and all technical solutions obtained by equivalent replacement and other methods fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0137] The parts not involved in the present invention are the same as the existing technology or can be implemented by using the existing technology.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic phased array system based on an intelligent target parameter planning method, comprising a central control unit, an ultrasonic imaging unit, a phased array transmitting unit, a mechanical motion unit, a degassed water treatment unit, and a combined probe, characterized in that: The central control unit includes one or more processors, which are used to control the ultrasonic imaging unit, the phased array transmitting unit, the mechanical motion unit, the degassed water treatment unit, and the combined probe, and the central control unit plans the target coordinates and transmission parameters in the target area; The ultrasonic imaging unit acquires image data of the target area through the ultrasonic imaging probe in the combined probe; The phased array transmitting unit generates one or more focal points in the target area by independently controlling the transmitting phases of different array elements of the phased array transducer, and is capable of controlling the focusing position of the one or more focal points; The mechanical motion unit includes a mechanical motion driver and a multi-dimensional motion mechanical structure, which is used to move the combined probe; The degassed water treatment unit is used to generate degassed water, transfer the degassed water to the water tank of the combined probe, and control the degassed water to circulate between the water tank and the degassed water treatment unit; The combined probe comprises a phased array transducer, an ultrasonic imaging probe and an information storage device.

2. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central control unit receives the following information set by the user: the spatial peak time average sound intensity I of the focal area spta , ultrasonic irradiation time t, temperature threshold T p .

3. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image data acquired by the ultrasonic imaging unit includes grayscale image data and color image data; at the same time, ultrasonic RF data of the target area is also acquired, and the ultrasonic RF data is the original ultrasonic echo signal after beamforming; the ultrasonic imaging unit sends a frame pulse signal to the phased array transmitting unit when the first line of each frame of ultrasonic image starts scanning, and sends a line pulse signal to the phased array transmitting unit when each line of each frame of ultrasonic image except the first line starts scanning.

4. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the phased array transmitting unit receives the frame pulse signal sent by the ultrasonic imaging unit, it controls the phased array transducer to transmit ultrasonic waves and counts the line pulse signals sent by the ultrasonic imaging unit. When the count reaches a first set threshold value A, the phased array transducer stops transmitting ultrasonic waves and counts the line pulse signals again. When the count reaches a second set threshold value B, the phased array transducer continues to transmit ultrasonic waves until the frame pulse signal sent by the ultrasonic imaging unit is received again, and the process is repeated. By controlling the values ​​of the first set threshold value and the second set threshold value, the phased array transducer stops transmitting ultrasonic waves when the ultrasonic imaging unit performs ultrasonic image scanning on the target area, thereby avoiding interference of high-intensity ultrasonic waves on weak ultrasonic echo signals of the target area.

5. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The information storage device is used to store various parameters of the phased array transducer; The phased array transducer includes two or more independent array elements; The ultrasonic imaging probe is coaxially assembled with the center of the phased array transducer, and the ultrasonic imaging probe is a 2D ultrasonic imaging probe or a 3D ultrasonic imaging probe.

6. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic imaging probe adopts a 2D ultrasonic imaging probe, and the combined probe also includes a position control device; the position control device controls the rotation of the 2D ultrasonic imaging probe along the central axis according to the position of the focal coordinate, and ensures that the plane where the imaging field of view of the 2D ultrasonic imaging probe is located always passes through the focal coordinate, thereby realizing real-time display of the focal position through the ultrasonic image during the ultrasonic transmission process.

7. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the target coordinates are (x i ,y j ,z k ), the position control device controls the ultrasonic imaging probe to rotate along the central axis at an angle α, which is calculated according to the following formula:

8. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central control unit performs intelligent planning of target coordinates within the target area according to different focal area sizes when the focus is at different spatial positions; the intelligent planning method of target coordinates within the target area includes the following steps: S001: Set the center of the top surface of the phased array transducer as the center point of the coordinate system, the axis direction of the phased array transducer as the Z axis, the imaging scanning direction of the imaging probe as the X axis, and the axis perpendicular to the imaging scanning direction of the imaging probe as the Y axis; S002: Obtaining the coordinate set of target area boundary pixel points set by the user; S003: Based on the pixel coordinate set and pixel spacing d pixel Calculated: The physical coordinates S of the target area boundary p =(x sp ,y sp ,z sp ),p∈1,2,...,P; S004: Obtain the following information built into the system: Safety distance sd between the focus area boundary and the target area boundary in the X, Y, and Z axis directions x 、sd y 、sd z ; Get the following information set by the user: the distance d between the focal area boundaries in the X, Y, and Z axis directions x d y d z ; Get the following information set by the user: spatial peak time average sound intensity I of the focal area spta , ultrasonic irradiation time t, temperature threshold T p ; S005: Set the target area boundary S p Expanded to rectangular area S' p ; Wherein, the rectangular area S′ p The upper and lower surfaces are perpendicular to the Z axis, and the upper and lower surfaces pass through the points (0, 0, min (z sp )) and (0, 0, max(z sp )); The left and right surfaces are perpendicular to the X axis, and the left and right surfaces pass through the point (min(x sp ), 0, 0) and (max(x sp ), 0, 0); the front and back surfaces are perpendicular to the Y axis, and the front and back surfaces pass through the point (0, min(y sp ), 0) and (0, max(y sp ), 0); S006: Set rectangular area S' p The internal target coordinates are: (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ),i∈1,2,...,I;j∈1,2,…,J;k∈1,2,…,K; Among them, the point (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) is located through the point (0, 0, z′ k ) and in the XY plane perpendicular to the Z axis; S007: Calculate the target point (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) on the Z axis (z′ k ), k∈1, 2, ..., K, that is, the Z-axis coordinates of the target point in different XY planes, the target point (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) on the X-axis (x′ i ), i∈1,2,..,I, target(x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) on the Y axis (y′ j ), j∈1,2,...,J; S008: According to the target area boundary S p =(x sp ,y sp , z sp ), p∈1,2,...,P and safety distance sd x 、sd y 、sd z : Calculate the safety margin Sa p =(x sap ,y sap , z sap ), p∈1,2,…,P; S009: For (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) in the image, calculate the new coordinates of the focal point corresponding to the extreme position of the focal area boundary on the X, Y, and Z axes as follows: S010: Further determine whether the new coordinate point is within the safety boundary Sa by ray method p =(x sap ,y sap , z sap ), if any new coordinate point is not within the safety boundary, delete the new coordinate point in (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) corresponding to the focal coordinates; S011: Repeat steps S009 and S010 until (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) in each focal coordinate, and obtain the final target coordinate (x i ,y j , z k ).

9. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Calculate the target point (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) on the Z axis (z′ k ), k∈1,2,...,K, the steps are as follows: a) Calculate the first coordinate z′1: z′1=min(z sp )+d z +Δz×n, where n≥1, n is an integer; n is incremented by 1 starting from 1 and the calculation is as follows: According to the sound field focal range calculation method, the focus is located at (0, 0, min (z sp )+d z +Δz×n) at the focal length L, X-axis focal width WX, and Y-axis focal width WY until the first occurrence of the formula When min(z sp )+d z The value of +Δz×n is recorded as z′1, which is the Z-axis coordinate of the first XY plane where the target point is located. At this time, the focal length is recorded as L1, the X-axis focal width is recorded as WX1, and the Y-axis focal width is recorded as WY1; Wherein, Δz is the step threshold when calculating the Z-axis coordinate of the target; b) Calculate the mth coordinate z′ m : Where n≥1, n is an integer, m≥2, m is an integer; n starts at 1 and increases by 1 as follows: According to the sound field focal range calculation method, the focal point is calculated at The focal length L, X-axis focal width WX, and Y-axis focal width WY at this time are the same until the first occurrence of the formula and At this time, The value of z′ m , which is the Z-axis coordinate of the target point on the mth XY plane. The focal length is L m , X-axis focal width is recorded as WX m , the Y-axis focal width is recorded as WY m ; c) Increase m by 1 and repeat step b) until the first occurrence Stop the calculation and return the result of the previous calculation to Denoted as z′ K , which is the Z-axis coordinate of the target point on the Kth XY plane. The focal length is L K , the X-axis focal width is recorded as WX K , the Y-axis focal width is recorded as WY K , where K = m-1; d) According to the above steps, the target point (x′) can be obtained i , y′ j , z′ k ) on the Z axis (z′ k ), focal length (L k ), X-axis focal width (WX k ), Y-axis focal width (WY k ), k∈1, 2,…, K.

10. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Calculate the target point (x′ i , y′ j , z′ k ) on the X-axis (x′ i ), i∈1,2,…,I, the steps are as follows: a) According to the formula min(x sp )+d x ×I′+WX o ×I′+d x ≤max(x sp ) Calculate I′ and record the integer part of I′ as I; b)x′ i The value of is calculated according to the following formula:

11. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Calculate the target point (x′ i ,y′ j ,z′ k ) on the axis (y′ j ),j∈1,2,...,J, the steps are as follows: a) According to the formula min(y sp )+d y ×J′+WY0×J′+d y ≤max(y sp ) Calculate J′ and record the integer part of J′ as J; b)y′ j The value of is calculated according to the following formula:

12. The ultrasonic phased array system based on the target parameter intelligent planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central control unit performs intelligent planning of target emission parameters within the target area according to different focal area sizes when the focus is at different spatial positions. The intelligent planning method of the target emission parameters includes the following steps: S101: Focal length L according to target coordinates k , X-axis focal width WX k , Y-axis focal width WY k , the set spatial peak time average sound intensity I spta Calculate the focal sound power P at different focal coordinates un : P un =I spta ×π×(0.25(WX k +WY k )) 2 ; S102: Based on the power weight Q of each element of the phased array transducer m , electroacoustic conversion efficiency K m To calculate the transmission power P of each array element at different focal coordinates em,n : S103: Based on the impedance characteristics (Z m ),m=1,2,...,M to calculate the transmission signal voltage (U m,n ): Wherein, C is the number of scanning lines required by the ultrasonic imaging unit to scan one frame of ultrasonic image; S104: Calculate (U m,n ), recorded as U0, and U0 is set as the power supply voltage of the power amplifier circuit in the phased array transmitting unit; S105: According to U m,n And U0 calculate the duty cycle D of the transmitted signal of each element of the phased array transducer m,n :

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