On-Chip Ultrasonic Imaging Compression for Lower Data Bandwidth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasonic scanners lack integration of transducers and control electronics, resulting in large data volumes that necessitate separate cabling for data transfer, which is inefficient and limits the compactness and functionality of ultrasound imaging systems.
Innovation Solution
An integrated 'ultrasound system on a chip' architecture that includes ultrasonic transducers and control circuitry on a single semiconductor substrate, employing on-chip data compression and signal processing to reduce data bandwidth and facilitate transfer using consumer-grade interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If discrete transducers and control electronics are used separately, then the system can be manufactured with conventional processes, but the device size and data transfer complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines ultrasonic transducers and control electronics into a single integrated chip, merging previously separate components (transducers, signal processing circuitry, compression algorithms) into one unified device. This integration reduces the need for external cabling and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining manufacturability through standard semiconductor fabrication processes.
2Measurement precision
If high-quality ultrasound images are produced, then diagnostic accuracy improves, but data bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies data compression algorithms directly on the chip during signal acquisition, performing preliminary data reduction before transmission. This preliminary compression action reduces the bandwidth requirements for transmitting high-quality ultrasound images while maintaining diagnostic accuracy, as the compression occurs at the source rather than during post-processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms raw ultrasound signal data into compressed representations by changing data parameters (e.g., from full-resolution time-domain signals to compressed frequency-domain representations or encoded bitstreams). This parameter transformation maintains essential image quality information while significantly reducing the quantity of data that needs to be transmitted.
3Reliability
If data is transferred using cabling to separate control electronics, then data transfer is reliable, but the system size and portability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating control electronics directly onto the transducer chip, the patent eliminates the need for external cabling and separate control units. This merging of components creates a self-contained, portable device that maintains reliable data transfer through direct on-chip processing and wireless transmission capabilities, significantly improving system portability.
Data Source
AI summary
To implement a single-chip ultrasonic imaging solution, on-chip signal processing may be employed in the receive signal path to reduce data bandwidth and an output data module may be used to move data for all received channels off-chip as a digital data stream. The digitization of received signals on-chip allows advanced digital signal processing to be performed on-chip, and thus permits the full integration of an entire ultrasonic imaging system on a single semiconductor substrate. The on-chip digitization of received signals also enables the on-chip integration of ultrasound processing and/or pre-processing to reduce the burden on off-chip computing. Data compression architectures are disclosed to facilitate the transfer of data off-chip as a digital data stream in accordance with the bandwidth requirements of standard commercially-available output interfaces.