Microbeamformer Patch Segmentation for Ultrasound Probe Cable Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing ultrasound systems face challenges with 2D array transducers for 3D imaging due to the cumbersome and unwieldy cables required for connecting thousands of transducer elements to the beamformer, which limits the manipulation of the probe and increases complexity.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves performing partial beamforming in the probe using a microbeamformer, where signals from contiguous element groups (patches) are delayed and combined, then transmitted through a fewer number of conductors to the system mainframe for final beam formation, allowing for smaller aperture increments and operation in both linear and phased array modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of transducer elements is increased to enable 2D array transducers for 3D imaging, then the imaging capability is improved, but the cable becomes thick and unwieldy making probe manipulation cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the transducer array into multiple patches, where each patch is processed by a dedicated microbeamformer channel. This segmentation allows thousands of elements to be grouped into manageable patches (e.g., 64 patches of 64 elements each), reducing the cable conductor requirement from thousands to a manageable number (e.g., 64 conductors), thereby enabling 3D imaging capability while maintaining probe manipulability.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of transducer elements exceeds the number of beamformer channels, then element count is improved, but multiplexing is required which limits the number of elements that can be connected at any point in time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 1D array processing to 2D patch-based processing. By organizing elements into 2D patches and using 2D beamforming with microbeamformers, the system can connect all elements simultaneously without multiplexing in the time domain. The additional spatial dimension (elevation) enables direct connection of all elements through the cable without requiring temporal multiplexing.
3Device complexity
If partial beamforming is performed in the probe using a microbeamformer, then cable complexity is reduced, but the number of patches may exceed the number of cable conductors and mainframe beamformer channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple patches that share the same mainbeamformer channel by carefully controlling their activation时序. Patches connected to the same cable conductor and mainframe channel are activated sequentially rather than simultaneously, allowing the system to support more patches than conductors. This merging approach reduces cable complexity while maintaining the ability to process signals from all patches.
4Ease of operation
If the active array aperture is translated across the 2D array in patch-sized increments, then aperture translation is simplified, but translation precision is limited to patch size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic aperture translation by enabling individual element-level control within patches. While patches provide the basic translation grid, the system dynamically adjusts which specific elements within each patch are active, allowing sub-patch precision in aperture positioning. This dynamic element-level control enables finer aperture translation increments beyond the fixed patch size.
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system has a two dimensional array arranged in multiple patches of multiple transducer elements. Each patch of transducer elements is coupled to a group of microbeamformer delay lines having outputs coupled to a channel of a system beamformer, which beamforms the partially summed beams of each patch into a final beamformed signal. The outputs from multiple patches which are not simultaneously used in the active receive aperture are coupled to a common beamformer channel, enabling the number of patches of the array to exceed the number of channels of the system beamformer without the use of multiplexers.