EP0000068A1 - Dispositif pour la representation par ultrasons utilisant la focalisation dynamique - Google Patents

Dispositif pour la representation par ultrasons utilisant la focalisation dynamique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0000068A1
EP0000068A1 EP78100126A EP78100126A EP0000068A1 EP 0000068 A1 EP0000068 A1 EP 0000068A1 EP 78100126 A EP78100126 A EP 78100126A EP 78100126 A EP78100126 A EP 78100126A EP 0000068 A1 EP0000068 A1 EP 0000068A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pulses
memories
signals
memory
reading
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Granted
Application number
EP78100126A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP0000068B1 (fr
Inventor
William E. Dr. Glenn
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New York Institute of Technology
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New York Institute of Technology
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G10K11/00—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
    • G10K11/18—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound
    • G10K11/26—Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning
    • G10K11/34—Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning using electrical steering of transducer arrays, e.g. beam steering
    • G10K11/341—Circuits therefor
    • G10K11/346—Circuits therefor using phase variation
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/08—Clinical applications
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S15/89—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
    • G01S15/8906—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
    • G01S15/8909—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration
    • G01S15/8915—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration using a transducer array
    • G01S15/8922—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration using a transducer array the array being concentric or annular
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S15/89—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
    • G01S15/8906—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
    • G01S15/8909—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration
    • G01S15/8931—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration co-operating with moving reflectors

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device for displaying a body on a television picture and in particular to the use of dynamic focusing that can be applied to ultrasound imaging systems.
  • Ultrasound technology has become increasingly important in clinical diagnostics.
  • Ultrasound technology has already been used in the fields of gynecology, neurology and cardiology, among other things, e.g. was successfully used to visualize subcutaneous blood vessels (including smaller ones).
  • Ultrasound differs from other types of radiation due to its harmless effect on living systems because it is purely mechanical wave nature.
  • the ultrasound technology makes it possible to obtain information that cannot be obtained by other methods, for example by examining with ⁇ and X-rays. Above all, the risk of injury when using ultrasound is much less than e.g. B. when using ionizing rays (y or x-rays).
  • Ultrasound is mainly used as a pulse echo method in diagnostic technology, which involves pulses of ultrasound energy periodically from a piezoelectric transducer; e.g. B. lead-zirconate-titanate ceramic-based.
  • Every small pulse of ultrasonic energy is directed as a sound wave at the patient's body, penetrating through various surface structures, if necessary. If an interface of the body has an irregularity at which the phase of the ultrasonic wave changes, part of the ultrasonic energy becomes thrown back again.
  • the ultrasound device After an ultrasound pulse is delivered, the ultrasound device is usually placed on reception in order to be able to convert reflected (or echo) signals from the body back into electrical signals.
  • the time after which these echo signals return to the receiver is directly dependent on the distance of the reflection source and the speed of sound.
  • the strength of the sound echo is also interesting because it provides information about the type of fault.
  • the echo of sound waves can be represented in different ways.
  • the time generator is due to the horizontal deflection of the cathode ray tube.
  • a constant repetition of the impulse / echo process, synchronized with the time generator, then leads to a still picture, so-called "A-scan", in which the time is proportional to the depth of penetration and vertical deflections signal existing disorder.
  • the intensity of these vertical deflections is a measure of the intensity of the echo.
  • B-scan Another common type of pictorial representation of ultrasound waves is the so-called B-scan, in which the echo information corresponds to the usual television picture. ie the received echo signals are used to modulate the brightness of the screen per sampling point.
  • This type of screen is specifically used for sound wave viewing through the body so that each intensity information occupies multiple scan lines of the screen and the successive positions are used to display successive lines on the screen.
  • An object of the invention was to provide a device in which the ultrasound scanning through the body is carried out with a reflector which is mechanically guided over a certain angle with the same frequency as rotated for the deflection of the electron beam of a screen.
  • the reflector would have to be turned sawtooth like the line drive of the screen to avoid losses.
  • this is practically impossible. Ultrasonic waves are therefore not easily suitable for display on an electrically controlled screen.
  • the sound excitation or sensor plate of the devices described has limited dimensions, on which the limited penetration depth of the measurable ultrasonic waves depends. It is also known that ultrasonic waves can be directed with suitable lenses, as are described in US Pat. No. 3,598,559 and / or by dividing the ultrasound excitation and sensor system into different ones small parts connected by different delay lines. One type of focusing can be achieved, for example, by designing sound-absorbing components with a multiplicity of concentrically interposed disks of transmission elements which are connected via different delay lines. Because of the relatively low speed of sound, the path difference that the sound waves cross from the center of a transmitter to its edge zone on the way there and back via a theoretical focal point and back plays a major role if beam bundling is provided analogously to electromagnetic waves.
  • the path difference between the short path from the focal point to the center of the transmitter to the path from the focal point to the edge of the transmitter must be compensated for with delay means in accordance with a double pass of the ultrasonic waves. Electrical delay lines on the way from the electrical exciter to the sound transducer have proven their worth.
  • Non-changeable delay lines only allow an ultrasound measurement with a fixed predetermined focal point, which can be adapted to different problems for examination when the delay lines are varied.
  • ultrasound waves stay longer in the body for deeper examination. An examination requires observation of the body at different depths. In the case of a more in-depth examination, the path or difference in path between the central receiving point and peripheral zones is somewhat equalized, which must be taken into account by setting the delay lines accordingly. Because of the large number of setting options for the delay lines, the technical scope and use of such devices is very complicated.
  • the object of the invention is to create an ultrasonic echo measuring device which is constructed as economically as possible, works trouble-free and is easy to use. An object of the invention is therefore seen primarily in significantly improving known devices.
  • a device for imaging ultrasound, which is applied to a body for diagnosis and which is partially reflected back as an echo, with an electroacoustic transducer according to the invention consists of a plurality of elements of the transducer, which are arranged in concentric rings one inside the other in one plane. Such an electroacoustic transducer is advantageously used simultaneously for emitting the ultrasonic waves and for receiving the reflected ultrasonic waves.
  • the device also has a large number of register units, preferably analog counters of the so-called “CCD” type (charge transport storage register). Each register is coupled to a converter element.
  • a clock pulse generator is connected to each register and generates signals with a first clock frequency. Furthermore, a large number of further clock pulse generators are provided, which are also connected to the analog memories.
  • the second type of clock generator delivers clocks with different predetermined clock frequency.
  • time-dependent clocks are provided which control the operation of the first and second clocks, so that alternately one memory is loaded with one frequency and the other memory is read out with the other frequency at the same time.
  • an electrical connection is provided for transporting the read signals to an imaging system.
  • the delay line required for each converter element is replaced by a predetermined frequency of the second clock generator. With the respective clock frequency, a line is read into a memory with a corresponding delay. By delaying the clock frequency read frequency can be read from the memory with a common frequency for all segments.
  • Another embodiment of the invention is seen in the fact that, contrary to the reading method described so far, the memories are loaded with a common frequency and the delay required for each segment is only taken into account when reading out with a different frequency. In addition, when reading in and reading out the clock frequency, it can be matched to the respective segment.
  • Control panel 10 includes a screen 11, such as a cathode ray tube, in a suitable front panel.
  • a video tape recorder or other memory can also be used
  • the measuring head 50 (or probe) is connected to the control panel 10 with an electrical line 48.
  • the measuring head 50 of the present exemplary embodiment is essentially cylindrical in shape and has, in the vicinity of one end, a scanning window 51 which, for example, is made of resilient material such as. Silicone rubber.
  • the measuring head 50 is brought into a position to be held by the operator, so that the scanning window 51 is directed towards the object to be scanned.
  • the object shown in FIG. 1 for example, the area around the heart of a People are scanned.
  • the probe can also be used to measure other parts of the body or other objects to which it should be directed with a handle.
  • the probe 50 is shown in cross section, to which associated parts of the evaluation electronics are connected, which can be arranged partly in the probe 50 and partly in the control panel 10.
  • the housing of the measuring head 50 includes a front sound guiding chamber 52, which contains a liquid, and a rear sound measuring chamber 53; which contains part of the electronics. Both chambers 52 and 53 have a cylindrical shape with the same diameter, so that they can be assembled into a cylinder with the aid of a tube 54 which has an annular extension 55 on its outside.
  • the (inner) tube 54 carries a flat-shaped sound generator 80 and a sound collecting lens 90, of which the. the two housing parts are separated from one another (cf. US Pat. No. 3,958,559).
  • the scanning window 51 is located at the end of the chamber 52.
  • an elastically resilient membrane 56 for example silicone rubber membrane
  • the front sound chamber 52 is filled with a liquid 57, for example water.
  • the membrane 56 should be so elastic that it lies smoothly with the measuring head on the surface of the body to be measured in order to keep disturbing reflections of sound waves at a transition between the liquid of the device to the object as low as possible.
  • a flat, e.g. Metallic, sound-reflecting scanning device 70 is arranged in the liquid 57 between the sound lens 90 and the scanning window 51.
  • the scanning device 70 (sound mirror) is fastened to an axis 71 which is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing and which can be passed through the housing wall of the front sound guide chamber 52 in order to be operated from the outside by a small electric motor 72 which generates the reciprocating movement .
  • a torque transmitter 73 which is also fastened on the axis of rotation of the sound mirror and on the housing 52, has been particularly highlighted in FIG. 2.
  • the torque transmitter 73 shown in dashed lines can be accommodated in another housing part (not shown).
  • the sound generator (exciter) 80 is connected directly to an electrically operated sound generator or sound receiver 130, from which sound-stimulating pulses alternate and sound echo pulses coming back are received at the sound sensor 80. It is not shown that various electrical devices known per se for concentrating the ultrasound beam can be provided between the acoustic exciter 80 and the electrical exciter 130.
  • the electroacoustic transducer 80 is divided into a plurality of segments which lie in concentric rings around a central element in one plane. In the illustration, only three segments, designated 81, 82 and 83, are shown instead of a confusing variety. Of course, the electroacoustic transducer has many more segments.
  • the segments of the electroacoustic transducer 81-83 are connected to an electrical pulse generator 120, from which they can be excited in a known manner to emit ultrasound.
  • the transducer elements are also connected to the new circuit for dynamically adjusting the focus according to the invention.
  • the circuit designated 130 works only when sound waves are received and forwards electrical signals in accordance with the reflected echo signals of the ultrasound for the purpose of being displayed on a screen. Pre-amplifications and amplifiers, which are not shown in detail in the figure, may also be present in this circuit.
  • the output of the circuit 130 for the dynamic adjustment of the focal point is connected to a screen 11 and a further receiver which is used for storing the television picture by means of a video device.
  • a particularly advantageous circuit for amplifier control is described in more detail in US Pat. No. 4,043,181 (US Ser. No. 569,185). Such an amplifier control is intended to filter out echo signals which arise outside the measuring range.
  • the timing generator 170 is provided to generate pulses at equal intervals with which the system is synchronized; the pulses of the timing generator 170 become the pulse generator 120 and the dynamic pulse receiver 130 alternately and in addition from the scanning drive and the circuit for deflecting the electron beam 180, so that pulsed ultrasonic pulses are emitted and received alternately and that the movement of the mirror drive and the vertical and horizontal deflection of the electron beam of the cathode ray tube 11 are coordinated.
  • the circuit generally works as follows: A carrier signal from the time-constant clock generator 170, conducted via the connection 178, excites the pulse generator 120 to generate pulses that are transmitted to the segments of the electroacoustic transducer 80. As is known, concentric ring segments of ultrasound transducers are excited to align an ultrasound beam with a focal point via delay lines. A further beam alignment is possible through the lens 90.
  • the ultrasound beam introduced into the body to be examined via the scanning mirror 70, the area of which is shown in the figure by dotted lines, is partially recognized as an echo after the sound has been emitted by the subsequent switchover of the device to reception.
  • the electroacoustic transducer 80 now converts the echo signals reflected back via the scanning mirror into electrical impulses in the opposite direction.
  • the electrical signals are made visible on a screen 11 by the switching module 130.
  • the screen shows a section in the direction of the ultrasonic wave sent through the object, so-called B scanning direction.
  • the second dimension of the image is the swivel range of the ultrasound wave, which is obtained by slowly moving the scanning mirror 70 back in the direction of the double-sided arrow 7.
  • FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the electrical circuit for dynamic beam alignment for the switching module 130, which is connected to the segments of the ultrasonic transducer 80.
  • a memory 131-133 is connected to each segment 81-83.
  • the memories are preferably components that operate analogously as so-called CCD components.
  • the output of this memory is applied to an adder 147, the output of which is at the input of gate 148.
  • the output of gate 148 is connected to screen 11 via a filter 149, from which impressed clock pulses are probed.
  • Clock generators 141, 142 and 143 are each assigned to a sound converter 81-83, on which they generate clocks with which information is fed into the registers 131-133.
  • the clock generator 141 generates a predetermined frequency F 0
  • the clock generator 142 a predetermined frequency F 0 + A F 1
  • the clock generator 143 a predetermined frequency F 0 + ⁇ F 2 .
  • the outputs of the clock generators 141-143 are connected to the corresponding register inputs via AND gates 151, 152 and 153, through which the counting into the memories is controlled.
  • the second input of each AND gate 151-153 is at the output of switch 154.
  • the output of AND gate 151 is connected, in addition to the input of memory 131, to counter 155, which counts pulses with a frequency F 0 .
  • each register 131-133 has n memory locations, accordingly the counter 155 counts up to the number n at a maximum.
  • the counter 155 When the counter 155 has counted n pulses, it resets its counter to 0 and closes the switch 154, which of the Time generator 170 is controlled.
  • the counting signal described in this way can advantageously be used to switch the device from transmission to reception.
  • the clock frequency of the time-dependent clock generator 170 is also set such that only echo waves in the intended measuring range are received.
  • a pulse generator 135 provides pulses of frequency F C which are connected to each memory 131-133 and after which the information is read from the memories. Of the. Output of generator 135 is connected to the memories via gate 139.
  • the gate 139 which is also connected to a counter 136, which counts a maximum of m digits, sets the counter 136 to 0 when the maximum permissible pulses m are reached, closes the switch 137 and exchanges the mode of operation of the device from reception to storage via the Switch 155, in which the switch 137 sets the AND gate 139 and the AND gate 148 in the shifted switching position.
  • a delay in the ultrasound pulses is therefore only simulated after receipt in that the signals supplied by the ultrasound transducer are read in with a higher clock frequency increasing towards the edge of the transducer. This compensates for the path difference from the edge visible from FIGS. 4 A and B.
  • the difference in the respective clock frequency is doubled by a corresponding readout process.
  • the delay is therefore set directly by the clock generators 141-143.
  • the difference in the delay depends on the penetration depth (cf. FIGS. 4 A and ⁇ , in which measurement at different focal points Z a to Z c'd is shown), the difference in the delay of the adjacent transducer elements must be set inversely to the penetration depth. Part of the delay is taken over by the focusing lens 90 (FIG. 2), which, however, should not be greater than the minimum delay at the maximum penetration depth.
  • the known ultrasound devices were not suitable for penetration depths beyond this. If measuring devices with an arbitrarily large penetration depth are to be developed, then the focusing lens 90 would first have to be dispensed with.
  • FIG. 4 A shows an arrangement approximately in the order of magnitude of a device to be built, from which it can be seen that sound waves from the intended focal point Z a to the first ring take 2.5 msec and to the second receiver ring 5.0 msec longer than to the center . If the depth of penetration is greater, the difference is that the ultrasonic waves from the focal point to the outer receiver zones require correspondingly less.
  • the clock generators 141 - 143 deliver pulses with a frequency of 20 megahertz, 21.5 megahertz and 22.22 megahertz.
  • the device is set as follows:
  • the timing generator 170 is set to a signal which is recorded in the shortest time from point Z a in segment 81.
  • the clock-wise storage of the signals in the memories 131-133 now lasts 50 ⁇ sec., Which corresponds to exactly 1000 clocks at a 20 megahertz frequency.
  • the counter. 155 counts these 1000 clocks exactly until the memory is completely filled, so that echo information from the focal point Z a is available in the last filled-up memory location.
  • the clock periods of the clock generators 142 and 143 last 47.5 and 45 microseconds.
  • the external ultrasound transducers are thus divided into smaller storage locations, so they receive more timing pulses after the same reception time, so that the information from the focal point is also stored in the last storage location.
  • the smaller the storage clock frequency the greater the distance to the corresponding information of the neighboring converters. In this way, the focus is shifted electrically adjustable.
  • FIG. 4B shows the course of the ultrasound waves from focal points Z b and Z c which are further away, with a path length of 40 ⁇ sec. the difference to the outer receivers 82 and 83 on 0.5 and 1 ⁇ sec. has shrunk. This, smaller path difference is compensated for by a correspondingly smaller cycle number difference.
  • a particularly advantageous device of the invention is seen in the fact that components for setting the number of cycles of each register are operably connected by a common drive shaft in such a way that they simultaneously determine the number of cycles in proportion to the distance between the focal point and in relation to the change in the number of cycles of the adjacent memories. Such an adjustment can also be done in stages.
  • FIG. 5 an electrical circuit with corresponding block symbols is shown in FIG. 5, in which the corresponding components are provided with reference numerals that differ from the reference numerals in FIG. 3 by a 2 in the hundreds if they fulfill corresponding tasks.
  • the electrical circuit according to FIG. 5 differs from that described in FIG. 3 by delay elements 201 and 202 on the direct connection of the electroacoustic transducers 81-83 to the pulse generator and to the receivers.
  • These delay elements 201 and 202 (D 1 , D 2 ) the variable focal point is set without much change in the clock numbers of the clock generators 241-243. This is particularly advantageous when an ultrasound device with variable focal point setting, which also has problems with aspherical optics such as electromagnetic waves, is given a further possibility of variation.
  • FIG. 6A shows a cross section of a measurement with a relatively close focal point Zq, while in FIG. 6B one further away lying focus Zr is shown.
  • the delay elements 201 and 202 (or D 1 and D 2 ) electrically compensate the specification with which the ultrasound waves arrive in the central segment 81 rather than in the outer segment 83.
  • FIG. 7 shows how the progressive change in the clock frequency of elements of the sound transducer from the inside out can be used simultaneously for the input and removal of the memories. Since errors in the own system could have a particularly unpleasant effect in this case because they double, the delay elements D and D 2 , with which the variable focus can also be corrected, are particularly important.
  • a counter 336 is used in common, which is always in operation and always counts the number of cycles of the information read.
  • the present circuit differs from that described above by a component 355, a so-called flip-flop, which, depending on the excitation, jumps from one stable position to another stable position.
  • Such and similar simplifications of the electrical circuit are particularly important for a device when the receiver alone consists of many individual parts, so that the evaluation electronics shown, for example, only on three receiving parts does not become complicated and uneconomical to produce.
  • the drive for the scanning mirror 70 is also controlled by such a circuit. This is to ensure that a swept scanning area is sonicated and searched evenly. A compromise must be found between the natural frequency that is naturally permissible in the water for the recording frequency of the memories.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Biophysics (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Medical Informatics (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Surgery (AREA)
  • Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Ultra Sonic Daignosis Equipment (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Transforming Light Signals Into Electric Signals (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
EP78100126A 1977-06-13 1978-06-12 Dispositif pour la representation par ultrasons utilisant la focalisation dynamique Expired EP0000068B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US05/806,005 US4227417A (en) 1977-06-13 1977-06-13 Dynamic focusing apparatus and method
US806005 1977-06-13

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0000068A1 true EP0000068A1 (fr) 1978-12-20
EP0000068B1 EP0000068B1 (fr) 1982-04-07

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EP78100126A Expired EP0000068B1 (fr) 1977-06-13 1978-06-12 Dispositif pour la representation par ultrasons utilisant la focalisation dynamique

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US (1) US4227417A (fr)
EP (1) EP0000068B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPS5418180A (fr)
AT (1) ATA430478A (fr)
AU (1) AU520174B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA1116741A (fr)
DE (1) DE2861715D1 (fr)
DK (1) DK261578A (fr)
FI (1) FI781828A7 (fr)
IL (1) IL54883A (fr)
IT (1) IT1105498B (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0007310A4 (fr) * 1977-12-12 1980-08-13 Rca Corp Assemblage de lentilles a distance focale acoustique variable.
FR2477723A1 (fr) * 1980-03-07 1981-09-11 Cgr Ultrasonic Sonde d'echographie ultrasonore a lentille acoustique et echographe comportant une telle sonde
FR2482732A1 (fr) * 1980-05-19 1981-11-20 Commissariat Energie Atomique Dispositif d'echographie a focalisation dynamique et a balayage sectoriel
US5080101A (en) * 1983-12-14 1992-01-14 Edap International, S.A. Method for examining and aiming treatment with untrasound
AU2009222540B2 (en) * 2009-03-31 2012-08-23 Woongjin Coway Co., Ltd. Sterilizing water dispensing apparatus, and bidet and toilet seat having the same

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US4290310A (en) * 1979-07-09 1981-09-22 Varian Associates, Inc. Ultrasonic imaging system using digital control
DE3023386C2 (de) * 1980-06-23 1983-10-27 Koch & Sterzel Gmbh & Co, 4300 Essen Schaltungsanordnung für eine Ultraschall-Untersuchungseinrichtung
US4512196A (en) * 1983-09-30 1985-04-23 North American Philips Corporation Ultrasound imaging with FM detection
US4669314A (en) * 1985-10-31 1987-06-02 General Electric Company Variable focusing in ultrasound imaging using non-uniform sampling
DE3612151A1 (de) * 1986-04-10 1987-12-23 Wolf Gmbh Richard Peilsystem zur positionsbestimmung von reflexionsverursachenden grenzschichten im menschlichen koerper
US4815047A (en) * 1986-06-20 1989-03-21 Hewlett-Packard Company Synthetic focus annular array transducer
JPH01153145A (ja) * 1987-12-11 1989-06-15 Toshiba Corp アニュラアレイ超音波探触子
JPH01280496A (ja) * 1988-05-06 1989-11-10 Watanabe Sewing Mach Shokai:Kk 二重環縫ミシンにおける針受装置
US4974211A (en) * 1989-03-17 1990-11-27 Hewlett-Packard Company Digital ultrasound system with dynamic focus
US5113706A (en) * 1990-07-03 1992-05-19 Hewlett-Packard Company Ultrasound system with dynamic transmit focus
WO1995015521A2 (fr) * 1993-11-29 1995-06-08 Perception, Inc. Dispositif a ultrasons sur pc avec interface utilisateur a commande virtuelle
US5522391A (en) * 1994-08-09 1996-06-04 Hewlett-Packard Company Delay generator for phased array ultrasound beamformer
US5535751A (en) * 1994-12-22 1996-07-16 Morphometrix Technologies Inc. Confocal ultrasonic imaging system
DE69631957T2 (de) 1995-04-17 2006-01-05 Chernoff, W. Gregory, Indianapolis Chirurgische Vorrichtung
EP0835458A2 (fr) * 1995-06-29 1998-04-15 Teratech Corporation Systeme d'imagerie ultrasonique portatif
US6248073B1 (en) * 1995-06-29 2001-06-19 Teratech Corporation Ultrasound scan conversion with spatial dithering
US5957846A (en) * 1995-06-29 1999-09-28 Teratech Corporation Portable ultrasound imaging system
US7500952B1 (en) 1995-06-29 2009-03-10 Teratech Corporation Portable ultrasound imaging system
US5590658A (en) * 1995-06-29 1997-01-07 Teratech Corporation Portable ultrasound imaging system
US8241217B2 (en) 1995-06-29 2012-08-14 Teratech Corporation Portable ultrasound imaging data
US5839442A (en) * 1995-06-29 1998-11-24 Teratech Corporation Portable ultrasound imaging system
US5964709A (en) * 1995-06-29 1999-10-12 Teratech Corporation Portable ultrasound imaging system
US6111816A (en) * 1997-02-03 2000-08-29 Teratech Corporation Multi-dimensional beamforming device
US6292433B1 (en) 1997-02-03 2001-09-18 Teratech Corporation Multi-dimensional beamforming device
US6721235B2 (en) 1997-02-03 2004-04-13 Teratech Corporation Steerable beamforming system
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EP0007310A4 (fr) * 1977-12-12 1980-08-13 Rca Corp Assemblage de lentilles a distance focale acoustique variable.
FR2477723A1 (fr) * 1980-03-07 1981-09-11 Cgr Ultrasonic Sonde d'echographie ultrasonore a lentille acoustique et echographe comportant une telle sonde
EP0036353B1 (fr) * 1980-03-07 1984-05-09 Cgr Ultrasonic Sonde d'échographie ultrasonore à lentille acoustique, et échographe comportant une telle sonde
FR2482732A1 (fr) * 1980-05-19 1981-11-20 Commissariat Energie Atomique Dispositif d'echographie a focalisation dynamique et a balayage sectoriel
EP0040566A1 (fr) * 1980-05-19 1981-11-25 COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE Etablissement de Caractère Scientifique Technique et Industriel Dispositif d'échographie à focalisation dynamique et à balayage sectoriel
US4422332A (en) * 1980-05-19 1983-12-27 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Dynamic focusing and sectorial scanning echography device
US5080101A (en) * 1983-12-14 1992-01-14 Edap International, S.A. Method for examining and aiming treatment with untrasound
AU2009222540B2 (en) * 2009-03-31 2012-08-23 Woongjin Coway Co., Ltd. Sterilizing water dispensing apparatus, and bidet and toilet seat having the same

Also Published As

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AU520174B2 (en) 1982-01-21
US4227417A (en) 1980-10-14
AU3668478A (en) 1979-12-06
DE2861715D1 (en) 1982-05-19
DK261578A (da) 1979-01-16
JPS5418180A (en) 1979-02-09
CA1116741A (fr) 1982-01-19
IL54883A (en) 1981-06-29
FI781828A7 (fi) 1978-12-14
ATA430478A (de) 1986-04-15
IT7849824A0 (it) 1978-06-12
IL54883A0 (en) 1978-08-31
IT1105498B (it) 1985-11-04
EP0000068B1 (fr) 1982-04-07

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