Phase Rotation Processor for Ultrasound Beamforming Complexity

Solution Overview

Problem

Current ultrasound imaging systems face challenges in processing high-resolution, real-time 3D imaging with large transducer element counts, leading to increased computational complexity and hardware demands, which affect image quality and processing strategies.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a phase rotation processor that focuses N-bit digital representations of analog RF signals through phase additions or subtractions, generating quantized values, and a phase coherent processor that determines phase coherency information without multiplications, reducing computational complexity and enhancing image processing capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a large number of transducer elements (greater than 1000) are used in a 2D phased array for real-time 3D imaging, then image resolution and quality are improved, but processing demands and hardware complexities increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage resolutionVSAvoidprocessing demands

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the complex beamforming process into two separate stages: a first beamformer that performs initial signal processing and a second beamformer that performs additional beamforming operations. This segmentation allows each beamformer to be optimized independently, reducing the overall processing burden while maintaining image quality from large transducer arrays

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first beamformer performs preliminary beamforming operations on the raw signals from transducer elements before the second beamformer processes the intermediate results. This preliminary action reduces the dimensionality and complexity of data that the second beamformer must handle, enabling practical implementation with large transducer element counts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If conventional beamforming techniques are used with large transducer element counts, then image quality is improved, but computational complexity and hardware requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage qualityVSAvoidhardware complexities

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the complex beamforming process into two separate stages: a first beamformer that performs initial signal processing and a second beamformer that performs additional beamforming operations. This segmentation allows each beamformer to be optimized independently, reducing the overall processing burden while maintaining image quality from large transducer arrays

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first beamformer performs preliminary beamforming operations on the raw signals from transducer elements before the second beamformer processes the intermediate results. This preliminary action reduces the dimensionality and complexity of data that the second beamformer must handle, enabling practical implementation with large transducer element counts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10107901B2Acoustic signal phase rotation processor

Publication Date: 2018.10.23 SOUNDTECH INC

AI summary

An ultrasound imaging system includes a plurality of processing chains (2061, . . . , 206K) for a plurality of transducer element channels (1081, . . . , 108K). A processing chain of the plurality of processing chains, includes: a phase rotation processor (1141, . . . , 114K) that focuses an N-bit digital representation, of an analog RF signal received on the corresponding transducer element channel, through phase rotation through phase additions or subtractions, and outputs a focused N-bit quantized value, where N is a predetermined positive integer.