Ultrasound RF Sample Compression Before Beamforming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical ultrasound systems face challenges in efficiently processing and transferring ultrasound signal data, leading to increased bandwidth and memory requirements, which can limit the diagnostic capabilities of both high-end console systems and portable devices, particularly in terms of battery life and system complexity.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves compressing ultrasound signal samples after analog-to-digital conversion but before beamforming, using a compressor integrated with the ADCs to reduce data transfer bandwidth and storage needs, and decompressing the samples prior to processing for image formation, allowing for efficient data transfer and storage while maintaining image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of transducer elements is increased to produce higher resolution and 3-D images, then diagnostic capability is improved, but data transfer bandwidth and memory capacity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the ultrasound signal processing into two distinct stages: compression is performed on individual channel data segments (raw RF data from each transducer element) before beamforming, rather than compressing the complete beamformed image data. This segment-level compression reduces the data volume that must be transferred and stored while preserving the resolution information needed for high-quality imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by performing data compression before beamforming and image formation. The compression is applied to the raw RF data from each transducer element channel in advance, reducing the data quantity that needs to be transferred to the console and stored in memory. This preliminary compression maintains diagnostic capability while significantly reducing bandwidth and memory requirements.
2Measurement precision
If the number of transducer elements is increased to produce higher resolution and 3-D images, then diagnostic capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the compression operation across multiple independent channels, where each channel's raw RF data is compressed separately before being combined during beamforming. This segmentation approach distributes the processing complexity across parallel operations rather than requiring a single complex compression step, making the system more manageable while supporting high-resolution imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of data representation by compressing the raw RF data from each channel into a reduced representation that maintains the essential diagnostic information. This parameter transformation reduces the amount of data that must be processed and stored, thereby reducing overall system complexity while preserving image quality.
3Use of energy by moving object
If data compression is applied to reduce bandwidth and memory requirements, then power consumption is reduced, but processing time may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs compression as a preliminary action on the raw RF data from each channel before beamforming. By compressing the data early in the processing chain, the system reduces the amount of data that requires subsequent processing, storage, and transmission. This timing optimization minimizes the impact on overall processing time while achieving significant power and bandwidth savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the data parameters by converting raw RF data into a compressed representation that requires fewer bits for storage and transmission. This parameter change reduces the data volume handled throughout the processing pipeline, thereby reducing power consumption and memory requirements without significantly increasing processing time, as the compression operates on smaller data units.
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 reduces data transfer bandwidth and storage requirements, conserves power, and minimizes system complexity, thereby enhancing the diagnostic capabilities of both high-end and portable ultrasound systems without compromising image quality.
Implementation Method 1
A conventional medical ultrasound transducer includes an array of piezoelectric elements that transmit ultrasound waves when driven by electrical signals, receive the returning echoes and convert the received echoes to a plurality of analog signals
Data Source
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for an ultrasound system provide compression of ultrasound signal samples after analog to digital conversion and before beamforming. The analog ultrasound signals received from an array of ultrasound transducer elements are digitally sampled by a plurality of analog to digital converters (ADCs) to produce a plurality of sequences of signal samples. Each sequence of signal samples is compressed to form a corresponding sequence of compressed samples. The resulting sequences of compressed samples are transferred via a digital interface to an ultrasound signal processor. At the ultrasound signal processor, the received sequences of compressed samples are decompressed. The typical processing operations, such as beamforming, downconversion and detection, are applied to decompressed samples. This abstract does not limit the scope of the invention as described in the claims.