High quality closed-loop ultrasound imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636083-B2
Application number	US-201313943649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2013
Priority date	Jul 17, 2012
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A closed-loop ultrasound system includes an ultrasound receiver, an ultrasound transmitter at least one of integral with or at a predetermined position relative to the ultrasound receiver, and a trigger circuit configured to receive detection signals from the ultrasound receiver and to provide trigger signals to the ultrasound transmitter in response to received detection signals. The ultrasound transmitter is configured to transmit ultrasound energy in response to the trigger signals.

First claim

We claim:

1. A closed-loop ultrasound system, comprising:
an ultrasound receiver configured to receive ultrasound signals from an external transmitter;
an ultrasound transmitter at least one of integral with or at a predetermined position relative to said ultrasound receiver; and
a trigger circuit configured to receive detection signals from said ultrasound receiver and to provide trigger signals to said ultrasound transmitter in response to received detection signals,
wherein said ultrasound transmitter is configured to transmit ultrasound energy to be received by an external receiver in response to said trigger signals.

2. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said trigger circuit or said ultrasound transmitter is configured to provide a predetermined delay between an ultrasound signal detected by said ultrasound receiver and transmitting ultrasound energy in response to said trigger signals.

3. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said ultrasound receiver and said ultrasound transmitter comprises a piezoelectric element.

4. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 1 , wherein each of said ultrasound receiver and said ultrasound transmitter comprises a piezoelectric element.

5. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 1 , wherein said ultrasound receiver and said ultrasound transmitter comprise a piezoelectric element for both reception and transmission modes.

6. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 1 , wherein said ultrasound transmitter is a photoacoustic transmitter.

7. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 6 , wherein said photoacoustic transmitter comprises a photoacoustic element that converts absorbed optical energy into acoustic energy.

8. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 6 , wherein said ultrasound receiver comprises a piezoelectric element.

9. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 6 , wherein said ultrasound receiver comprises an optical ultrasound detector.

10. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 9 , wherein said optical ultrasound detector comprises an optical fiber having a Fabry-Perot element.

11. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 10 , wherein said photoacoustic transmitter comprises a second optical fiber.

12. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 10 , wherein said optical fiber provides a common optical waveguide for both said photoacoustic transmitter and said optical ultrasound detector.

13. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 1 , wherein said ultrasound receiver comprises an optical ultrasound detector.

14. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 13 , wherein said optical ultrasound detector comprises an optical fiber having a Fabry-Perot element.

15. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 14 , wherein said ultrasound transmitter comprises a piezoelectric element.

16. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 14 , wherein said ultrasound transmitter comprises a thermoacoustic element and a microwave transmitter.

17. A closed-loop ultrasound system according to claim 1 , wherein said ultrasound transmitter comprises a thermoacoustic element and a microwave transmitter.

18. An ultrasound-active tool for use with an ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
a tool;
an ultrasound receiver at least one of attached to or integral with said tool and configured to receive ultrasound signals from an external transmitter;
an ultrasound transmitter at least one of attached to or integral with said tool, said ultrasound transmitter being at least one of integral with or at a predetermined position relative to said ultrasound receiver; and
a trigger circuit configured to receive detection signals from said ultrasound receiver and to provide trigger signals to said ultrasound transmitter in response to received detection signals,
wherein said ultrasound transmitter is configured to transmit ultrasound energy to be received by an external receiver in response to said trigger signals.

19. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 18 , wherein at least one of said trigger circuit or said ultrasound transmitter is configured to provide a predetermined delay between an ultrasound signal detected by said ultrasound receiver and transmitting ultrasound energy in response to said trigger signals.

20. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 18 , wherein at least one of said ultrasound receiver and said ultrasound transmitter comprises a piezoelectric element.

21. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 18 , wherein each of said ultrasound receiver and said ultrasound transmitter comprises a piezoelectric element.

22. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 18 , wherein said ultrasound receiver and said ultrasound transmitter comprise a piezoelectric element for both reception and transmission modes.

23. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 18 , wherein said ultrasound transmitter is a photoacoustic transmitter.

24. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 23 , wherein said photoacoustic transmitter comprises a photoacoustic element that converts absorbed optical energy into acoustic energy.

25. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 23 , wherein said ultrasound receiver comprises a piezoelectric element.

26. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 23 , wherein said ultrasound receiver comprises an optical ultrasound detector.

27. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 26 , wherein said optical ultrasound detector comprises an optical fiber having a Fabry-Perot element.

28. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 27 , wherein said photoacoustic transmitter comprises a second optical fiber.

29. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 27 , wherein said optical fiber provides a common optical waveguide for both said photoacoustic transmitter and said optical ultrasound detector.

30. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 18 , wherein said ultrasound receiver comprises an optical ultrasound detector.

31. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 30 , wherein said optical ultrasound detector comprises an optical fiber having a Fabry-Perot element.

32. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 30 , wherein said ultrasound transmitter comprises a piezoelectric element.

33. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 30 , wherein said ultrasound transmitter comprises a thermoacoustic element and a microwave transmitter.

34. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 18 , wherein said ultrasound transmitter comprises a thermoacoustic element and a microwave transmitter.

35. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 18 , wherein said tool is a surgical tool.

36. An ultrasound-active tool according to claim 35 , wherein said surgical tool is one of a needle, a surgical cannula, an endoscope, a trocar, a catheter, an ablation tool, or a grasping tool.

Assignees

• Univ Johns Hopkins

Inventors

• Boctor Emad M
• Guo Xiaoyu
• Etienne-Cummings Ralph
• Forought Pezhman

Classifications

• A61B2090/378

  using ultrasound · CPC title

• A61B8/15

  Transmission-tomography · CPC title

• A61N7/022

  intracavitary · CPC title

• A61B5/0095

  by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements · CPC title

• A61B18/1492

  having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation (A61B18/1477 takes precedence) · CPC title