Ultrasonic Diagnostic Apparatus Beam Profile Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses only provide information on the position of the focus, making it impossible to intuitively understand how the actual position and shape of the transmission/reception focus influence image quality, limiting the ability to visualize and adjust the sound field effectively.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and image processing system that generate and display a beam profile image, allowing direct visualization of the sound field's shape and focal position by using a control unit to manage transmission and reception delays, creating reception beams with varying focuses and displaying these images alongside standard B-mode images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus only displays focus position information, then the device complexity is reduced, but the operator cannot intuitively understand how the actual position and shape of the transmission/reception focus influence image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a beam profile image that copies and visualizes the actual sound field characteristics (shape and focal position) as a separate representation. This copy allows operators to intuitively understand focus properties without changing the core ultrasonic diagnostic functionality, resolving the contradiction by providing complete information through an additional visual layer rather than modifying the fundamental system.
2Measurement precision
If the apparatus generates and displays beam profile image showing sound field shape and focal position, then the operator can visually recognize and assess image quality, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is enhanced with multi-functionality by integrating beam profile image generation and display capabilities into the existing system. The same ultrasonic transmission and reception hardware is used to generate both conventional diagnostic images and beam profile images, allowing the system to serve multiple purposes (diagnosis and focus assessment) without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam profile image acts as an intermediary representation that translates complex focus characteristics (position and shape) into a visual format that operators can intuitively understand. This intermediary layer provides precise measurement information in an accessible visual form, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and system complexity.
3Productivity
If multiple reception beams with different reception delays are created in parallel, then diagnostic information from multiple scan lines is obtained in one transmission, but the complexity of delay management and beam control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic reception delay management where delay patterns can be changed based on the desired reception focus position. The system dynamically adjusts reception delays to create reception beams focused at different positions along the scan line, allowing flexible and adaptive beam control that maintains productivity while managing complexity through software-based dynamic adjustment rather than fixed hardware configurations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables operators to visually recognize the actual focal position and shape of the sound field, improving image quality assessment and allowing for more precise adjustments, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and operator understanding of spatial resolution.
Implementation Method 1
ultrasonic transducers, each of the ultrasonic transducers generating ultrasonic waves in response to a supplied drive signal
Implementation Method 2
generating an echo signal in response to received ultrasonic waves
Implementation Method 3
transmission unit which supplies the drive signal to each of the ultrasonic transducers with different transmission delays for each other, thereby transmitting a transmission beam based on a transmission direction and a transmission focus
Implementation Method 4
receiving unit which provides at least some of the echo signals with reception delays that vary with the ultrasonic transducers and adds each of the echo signals provided with the reception delays to acquire a reception beam
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises a receiving unit which provides at least some of echo signals with reception delays that vary with ultrasonic transducers and adds each of the echo signals provided with the reception delays to acquire a reception beam includes a predetermined receiving direction and a reception focus and a control unit, the control unit controlling the transmission unit so that a transmission beam including a transmission direction and a transmission focus that are fixed is transmitted, the control unit also controlling the receiving unit by changing patterns of the reception delays and adding the respective patterns to at least some of the echo signals based on the transmission beam including the transmission direction and the transmission focus that are fixed in order to acquire reception beams different in receiving direction and reception focus.