Ultrasound system, method and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11744553-B2
Application number	US-201716336496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

An ultrasound system is disclosed comprising an ultrasound transducer array (100) comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducer cells (130), each of said cell having an independently adjustable position and/or orientation such as to conform an ultrasound transmitting surface of the cell to a region of a body and a controller (140). The controller is configured to register the respective ultrasound transducer cells by simultaneously operating at least two ultrasound transducer cells in a transmit mode in which the cells transmit distinguishable ultrasound signals and operating the remaining ultrasound transducer cells in a receive mode. The controller extracts time-of-flight information of the respective ultrasound signals between transmitter and receiver and by systematically selecting different ultrasound transducer cells as transmitters, the controller collects sufficient time-of-flight information from which the respective position and/or relative orientation of the ultrasound transducer cells within the ultrasound transducer array may be derived. A method for operating the ultrasound system in this manner as well as a computer program product is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ultrasound system comprising:
an ultrasound transducer array comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, and a flexible mounting region defining a plurality of receiving portions, wherein the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells are mounted to a plurality of support members, wherein the plurality of support members onto which the ultrasound transducer cells are mounted are insertable into the plurality of receiving portions, respectively, enabling each ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells to have an independently adjustable position and/or orientation such as to conform an ultrasound transmitting surface of the respective ultrasound transducer cell to a region of a body, wherein each support member comprises a mounting portion, to which one of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells is mounted, and a pillar integrated with and extending from the mounting portion for insertion into one of the plurality of receiving portions; and
a controller configured to:
select a first ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, and generate a first ultrasound signal with the first ultrasound transducer cell;
select a second ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, and generate a second ultrasound signal with the second ultrasound transducer cell simultaneously with generating the first ultrasound signal, the second ultrasound signal being distinguishable from the first ultrasound signal;
operate remaining ultrasound transducer cells of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells in a reception mode;
receive respective first indications of reception of the first ultrasound signal from first receiving ultrasound transducer cells of the remaining ultrasound transducer cells, and receive respective second indications of reception of the second ultrasound signal from second receiving ultrasound transducer cells of the remaining ultrasound transducer cells;
derive, for each of the first receiving ultrasound transducer cells, time-of-flight information of the first ultrasound signal from the first ultrasound transducer cell to each of the first receiving ultrasound transducer cells from the respective first indications;
derive, for each of the second receiving ultrasound transducer cells, time-of-flight information of the second ultrasound signal from the second ultrasound transducer cell to each of the second receiving ultrasound transducer cells from the respective second indications; and
determine relative positions and/or relative orientations of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells based at least in part on the time-of-flight information of the first ultrasound signal and the time-of-flight information of the second ultrasound signal.

2. The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the first ultrasound signal and the second ultrasound signal have different frequencies.

3. The ultrasound system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine times of arrival of the first ultrasound signal at the first receiving ultrasound transducer cells and times of arrival of the second ultrasound signal at the second receiving ultrasound transducer cells from a power spectrum of the first ultrasound signal and the second ultrasound signal received by the first receiving ultrasound transducer cells and the second receiving ultrasound transducer cells, respectively.

4. The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound system is at least one of a diagnostic imaging system or a therapy system.

5. The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound transducer array is incorporated in a garment.

6. The ultrasound system of claim 5 , wherein the garment is a brassiere comprising a pair of cups, at least one cup of the pair of cups comprising the ultrasound transducer array.

7. The ultrasound system of claim 6 , wherein each cup of the pair of cups comprises an independently operable ultrasound transducer array.

8. The ultrasound system of claim 6 , wherein each cup of the pair of cups further comprises a plurality of apertures for receiving biopsy needles.

9. The ultrasound system of claim 6 , further comprising at least one dispenser for dispensing an acoustic coupling gel between the ultrasound transducer array in the at least one cup of the pair of cups and a breast of a patient.

10. The ultrasound system of claim 1 , further comprising a transmission unit.

11. The ultrasound system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to, for each ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells:
generate a further ultrasound signal with an ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells;
receive an echo signal of the further ultrasound signal from the ultrasound transducer cell;
derive an acoustic coupling quality indication for the ultrasound transducer cell from a difference between the further ultrasound signal and the received echo signal; and
transmit the acoustic coupling quality indication to a remote device with the transmission unit.

12. The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible mounting region defines a sealed space in between the flexible mounting region and the region of the body, wherein evacuation of air from the sealed space results downward force transferred through each pillar to the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, enhancing conformal contact of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells with the region of the body.

13. The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mounting portions are interconnected by a plurality of interconnecting regions, forming a flexible mat.

14. The ultrasound system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to spatially register the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells using the time-of-flight information of the first ultrasound signal and the time-of-flight information of the second ultrasound signal.

15. A method of operating an ultrasound system comprising an ultrasound transducer array comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, the method comprising:
providing a flexible mounting region for the ultrasound transducer array defining a plurality of receiving portions, wherein the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells are mounted to a plurality of support members;
inserting the plurality of support members onto which the ultrasound transducer cells are mounted into the plurality of receiving portions, respectively, enabling each ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells to have an independently adjustable position and/or orientation such as to conform an ultrasound transmitting surface of the respective ultrasound transducer cell to a region of a body, wherein each support member comprises a mounting portion, to which one of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells is mounted, and a pillar integrated with and extending from the mounting portion for insertion into one of the plurality of receiving portions;
selecting a first ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, and generating a first ultrasound signal with the first ultrasound transducer cell;
selecting a second ultrasound transducer cell of the plurality of ultrasound transducer cells, and generating a second ultrasound signal with the second ultrasound transducer cell simultaneously with generating the first ultrasound signal, the second ultrasound signal being distinguishable from the first ultrasound signal;
operating remaining ultrasound transducer cells of th

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Stehle Thomas Heiko
• Weber Frank Michael
• Buerger Christian
• Waechter-Stehle Irina
• Sabczynski Jörg
• Grass Michael

Classifications

• A61B8/4494 Primary

  characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements · CPC title

• A61B8/0825

  for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography · CPC title

• A61B8/4209

  by using holders, e.g. positioning frames · CPC title

• A61B8/4254

  using sensors mounted on the probe · CPC title

• G01S15/8934

  using a dynamic transducer configuration · CPC title