Ultrasonic Tissue Harmonic Imaging via Phase Rotation Signal Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses face challenges in separating and extracting harmonic components of desired orders without increasing the number of transmission and reception cycles, which affects image quality due to overlapping frequency bands.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus employs a transmission circuitry that transmits ultrasonic waves multiple times with varying phase angles, and receiving circuitry generates corresponding reception signals, while extracting circuitry performs phase rotation processing to isolate and extract specific harmonic components by adding up reception signals, allowing for the separation of harmonic components without increasing transmission cycles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the number of transmission and reception cycles is increased to separate harmonic components, then the measurement precision of harmonic components improves, but the loss of time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveharmonic component separation precisionVSAvoidtransmission cycle time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the phase parameter of transmitted ultrasonic waves across multiple transmissions. By transmitting waves with different phase shifts (e.g., 0°, 120°, 240°) and combining the received signals accordingly, the system can mathematically separate different harmonic components from a limited number of transmissions, achieving precise harmonic extraction without increasing the total transmission cycle time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the harmonic extraction process by applying different phase modulation patterns to different transmission cycles. Each transmission cycle is designed to capture specific harmonic information, and the received signals are segmented and combined through signal processing to isolate desired harmonic components, enabling precise separation without requiring excessive transmissions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If the number of transmission and reception cycles is increased to separate harmonic components, then the manufacturing precision of harmonic extraction improves, but the productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveharmonic component extraction precisionVSAvoidimaging speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs periodic phase modulation in the ultrasonic transmission sequence, where each transmission cycle uses a specific phase pattern (e.g., cyclic phase shifts of 0°, 120°, 240°). This periodic structure allows the system to encode different harmonic information in each cycle and recover them through coherent summation, achieving precise harmonic separation while maintaining a steady imaging rate without excessive transmission cycles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

By systematically varying the phase parameter across transmission cycles in a controlled manner, the patent enables the extraction circuitry to distinguish and separate different harmonic components through signal processing. This parameter-based differentiation allows high-precision harmonic extraction to be achieved within a limited number of transmission cycles, thereby maintaining high imaging productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This approach enables the extraction of high-order harmonic components, improving image quality by reducing side lobe levels and enhancing spatial resolution without the need for additional transmission cycles, resulting in clearer ultrasonic images.

Implementation Method 1

a harmonic component generated due to a nonlinear phenomenon in ultrasonic wave propagation within the living body

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNonlinear phenomenon in ultrasonic wave propagation:

Implementation Method 2

extracts a nonlinear component included in the three or more reception signals by adding up the three or more reception signals after performing a processing including phase rotation processing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhase rotation processing:

Data Source

PatentUS11564659B2Ultrasonic diagnostic and image processing apparatus for tissue harmonic imaging by extracting nonlinear components from three signals via addition after phase rotation

Publication Date: 2023.01.31 CANON MEDICAL SYST CORP

AI summary

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes transmission circuitry, receiving circuitry and extracting circuitry. The transmission circuitry cause an ultrasonic probe to perform three or more times of ultrasonic wave transmissions, an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted including a center frequency component, a phase of the center frequency component being different in each transmission. The receiving circuitry generates three or more reception signals corresponding to a common reception scanning line based on a plurality of reflected wave signals, the plurality of reflected wave signals being obtained through the three or more times of ultrasonic wave transmissions. The extracting circuitry extracts a nonlinear component included in the three or more reception signals by adding up the three or more reception signals after performing a processing including phase rotation processing on two or more reception signals among the three or more reception signals.