CA1161541A - Method of and device for examination by means of ultrasonic beams - Google Patents
Method of and device for examination by means of ultrasonic beamsInfo
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- CA1161541A CA1161541A CA000363119A CA363119A CA1161541A CA 1161541 A CA1161541 A CA 1161541A CA 000363119 A CA000363119 A CA 000363119A CA 363119 A CA363119 A CA 363119A CA 1161541 A CA1161541 A CA 1161541A
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- weighting factors
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
"Method of and device for examination by means of ultrasonic beams."
A method of and a device for ultrasonic examination of an object by means of a row of N electroacoustic transducers. Each time a group of M transducers (M ? N) thereof is selected by means of a switching member. These M transducers are first included in transmission networks, transmission signals then being applied to the converters;
subsequently, they are included in receive networks, receive signals then being applied to a display device. The transmission and/or receive signals are multiplied by weighting factors between 0 and 1.
The sum of the weighting factors during transmisison may deviate from that during reception. During transmisison and/or reception, at least two different combinations of weighting factors are used, the sum thereof being each time the samR. The scanning line density can thus be substantially increased.
"Method of and device for examination by means of ultrasonic beams."
A method of and a device for ultrasonic examination of an object by means of a row of N electroacoustic transducers. Each time a group of M transducers (M ? N) thereof is selected by means of a switching member. These M transducers are first included in transmission networks, transmission signals then being applied to the converters;
subsequently, they are included in receive networks, receive signals then being applied to a display device. The transmission and/or receive signals are multiplied by weighting factors between 0 and 1.
The sum of the weighting factors during transmisison may deviate from that during reception. During transmisison and/or reception, at least two different combinations of weighting factors are used, the sum thereof being each time the samR. The scanning line density can thus be substantially increased.
Description
N.V~ Philips' Gloeilampenfabrieken te Eindhoven "Method of and device for examination by means of ultrasonic beams."
The invention relates to a method of examining an object by means of a row of N electroacoustic transduc~rs, comprising the steps of selecting a group of M ad~acently arranged transducers (M ~N) for the transmission of an ultrasonic beam and for receiving a part of this beam which is reflected by acous-tic discontinuities in the object, and successively applying a transmission signal to at least a part of the group of M transducers and including at least a part of the M
transducers in receive networks, the transmission signal intended for each transducer or the receive signal produced by each transducer being multiplied by a weighting factor between 0 and 1. The invention also relates to a device for perf~rmung this method, comprising a scanning head with a row of N elec~roacoustic transd~cers and a switching member for the selective connection of a group of M adjacently arranged transducers to a transmission device or to a receive device in order to form transmission and/or receive networks, each transmission and/or receive network comprising means for multiplying the passing signals by a weighting factor between 0 and 1.
A method and a device of this kind are known from Netherlands Patent Application 76 12 852 laid open to public inspection.
It is also known therefrom that the numker of different combinations of transmitted and received ultrasonic beams (scanning lines) should be increased in order to enable more detailed imaging of the object.
Because the number of transducers per unit of length of the scanning head cannot be increased indefinitely, other methods are required.
One of these methods is described in said Patent Application. According to -this method, alternately even and odd numbers of transducers are activated, so that the transmitted and received beams are shifted each time over half the centre-to-centre distance between -two transducers.
The numker of scanning lines is thus doubled.
It is an object of the invention to achieve a substantial further increase of the number of scanning lines, without making the device essentially more complex.
To this end, the method in accordance with the invention is characteriæd in that for each group of M transducers the transmission with a given combination of weight.ing factors is combined with the reception with at least two different combinations of weighting factors or vice versa, the sum of the weighting factors in the different combinations during transmission always being equal to a first value, wnilst the sum of the weighting factors in the different combinations during reception always being equal to a second value, the first and the second value possibly being unequal.
The fact that the weighting factors are between 0 and 1 means that the signal which is least attenuated or most ampli.fied is per definition multiplied by a weighting factor 1. An interrupted transmission or receive network implies a multiplication of the relevant signal by a weighting factor 0.
A further elaboration of the method in accord~lce with the invention, where the examination time required is substantially reduced, is characterized in that after the transmission of an ultrasonic beam by a group of transducers, reception takes place with at least two different combinations of weighting factors simultaneously.
The device in accordance with the invention is characterized ~ in that there are provided means for realizing, per group of M converters and for one combination of weighting factors in the transmission net-works, different combinations of weighting factors in the receive net--works or vice versa, the sum of the weighting factors of the different combinations in the transmission networks being equal to a first value, whilst that in the receive networks is equal to a second value, said values possibly being unequal.
A preferred er.~diment of the device in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the weighting factors in the trans-mission netw~rks are all equal to 1, whilst the weighting factors in the receive networks of the first and the last transducer of the group of M
transducers equal a and 1-a, (0~ a~1), respectively, whilst those in the other receive networks equal 1.
It is to be noted that from Ger~an Auslegeschrift 26 18 178 a method is also known for substantially increasing the number of scanning lines. According to this method, ultrasonic beams are succes-sively transmitted in a direction perpendicular to the row of trans-ducers and .in a num~er of different directions which enclose a small angle with respect to the former direction. Thus, a fan-shaped beam of 5''~
scanning lines is formed frcm each transducer. The information obtained with these scanninglines is displayed on a display screen which is scanned in a pattern of parallel lines.This causes errors in the display. No such errors occu~ in the method and the device in accordance 5 with the invention beeause use is made of parallel scanning lines.
The invention will be described in detail hereina ter with reference to the accompanying diagrammatie drawin~.
Figure 1 is a block diagram of an emkodiment of a device in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 illustrates an example of the method in accordance with the invention.
Figure 3 is a more del-ailed block diagram of a part of the device shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a more detailed block diagram of a further part of the device shown in Figure 1.
m e device which is only diagrammatically show1 in Figure 1 comprises a scanning head 1 with a row of N electro-acoustic trans-ducers, T1, T2, ... TN, for example, of a piezoelectric ceramic material, each transd~cer ccmprising two electrodes, one of which is earthed whilst the other is connected to a switching member 3 which ccmprises N
electronic switches for the selective connection of a group of M
adjacently arranged transducers to a transmissicn device 5 or a receiv~ device 7. Therein, M~`.N; in the described embcdiment, M = 6 and six transmission signal lines 9 ~lre present between the transmission device 5 and the switching member 3 and six receive signal lines 11 are present between the switching member and the receive device 7. In conjunction with a transducer and a part of the transmission device 5, each transmission signal line 9 forms a transmission network and, in conjunction with a transducer and a part of the receive device 7, each receive signal line 11 forms a receive network. The receive device 7 is connecte~ to r known display device 13 which comprises a display screen on which an object to be examined is displayed. This display device may also ccmprise a memory for the temporary storage of the information produced by the receive device 7.
The cooperation between the switching member 3, the trans-mission device 5, the receive device 7 and the display device 13, required for the formation of an image, is controlled by a principal control circuit 15.
.:
;, .
The general construction of the various parts of the device shown in Figure 1 is known per se (see, for example, Netherlands Patent Application 7608280 laid open to public inspection and German Auslegeschriften 2618178 and 2628492). Therefore, they will cnly be elaborated hereinafter in as far as is necessary for a proper under-standing of the present invention.
An example oEthe method in accordance with the inventon will first be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 shows a part of the scanning head 1 with a group of six adjacently arranged transducers Ti~ Ti+1' Ti+5 (1~ i< N-5), selected by the switchi~g member 3. Via the transmission signal lines 9, each of these six trans-ducers receives a transmissicn signal, said six transmission signals all having the same amplitude in this example; in other words, all trans-mission signals are multiplied by a weighting factor 1 and the numker of transducers which effectively contribute to the transmitted ultra-sonic beam equals 6 x 1 = 6. The transmitteZ keam is an approximately parallel keam, the axis 17 of which extends perpendicularly to the row of transducers and symmetrically with respect to the selected grcup of transducers, so halfway between the converters Ti+2 and Ti+3.
The transmitted ultrasonic beam is incident on an object 19 to ke examined and is partly reflected by acc~st~c discontinuities in this object. As a result, a reflected beam is formed which is incident cn the transducers Ti to Ti+5 and which generates electrical signals thereinwhich are applied, via the receive signal lines 11, to the receive device 7. The receive networks are adapted so that only the signals are processed which originate from reflected keams whose axes extend parallel to the axis 17 of the transmitted keam. Furthermore, not all weighting factors whereby the receive signals are mul-tiplied are equal to 1, so that not all six transducers contribute equally to the reception.
The number of transducers making an effective contribution to the recep-ticn, therefore, is smaller than six. Figure 2 shows some examples where this numker equals 5.
In the first example, the weighting factor whereby the signal generated by the transducer Ti+5 is multiplied equals zero and that whereby the other signals are multiplied equals 1. Only the transducers Ti to Ti+4, therefore, effectively contribute to the reception, that is to say to the same extent. The axis 21 of the received keam is, therefore symmetrically situated wi-th respect to this 3L3L~5 ~
subgroup of five transducers i.e. it passes through the centre of the central transducer Ti+2. The axes 17 and 21 of the transmitted and the received beam, respectively, thus do not coincide, and the scanning line 23 (denoted by a broken line) is situated halfway between these two axes. The scanning line is the symmetry line of the zcne scanned by the combination of said transmitted and received beams.
In the second example, the weighting factor whereby the signal generated by the transducer Ti is multiplied equals zero ,nd that whereby the other signals are multiplied equals 1. Therefore, now only the transducers Ti+1 to Ti+5 contribute to the reception to the same extent. m e axis 25 of the beam received extends through the centre of the central converter Ti+3 of this subgroup ~ d the scanning line 27 (denoted by a broken line) is situated halfway between this axis and the axis 17 of the transmitted beam.
In the third example, the weighting factor whereby the signals generated by the transducers Ti and Ti+5 are multiplied equals 1/2 and that whereby the other signals are multiplied equals 1. The total numker of tra~ducers making an effective contribution tG the reception~ therefore, equals 4 x 1 + 2 x 1/2 = 5, and the axis of the beam received coincides with the axis 17 of the transmitted beam.
The scanning line also coincides with the axis 17.
It appears from the foregoing that cne transmitted beam (axis 17) produces three different scanning lines 23, 17, 27. Because the sum of the weighting factors is the same in all three cases, the signals received can ke readily compared and further processed in the same nE~ner.
Obviously, it is possible to transmit a keam with the axis 17 -three times in successiGn and to receive successively keams with the axes 21, 17 and 25. However, the scanning operatDn is sukstan-tially faster when, after a transmitted beam having the axis 17, thethree beams with the axes 21~ 17 and 25 are simultaneously received and processed, the information being temporarily stored, if desired, in the memory of the display device 13. As will ~e explained herein-after, this can ke realized in a suitable embodiment of the device in accordance with the inventiGn. To this end, Figure 3 shows a block diagram of ~ embodiment of the input section of the receive device 7.
- For the simplicity of the Fig~re, the receive signal lines 11 are shown to be directly cGnnected to six tr~s~cers Ti, ... Ti+5 with omission of theactually present switching member 3. Each of the receive signal lines 11 is connected to a preamplifier. These pre-amplifiers are denoted by the referencenumerals 29, 31, 33, 35, 37 and 39. The preampliEiers 29 and 39, receiving the signals originating from the extreme transducers Ti and Ti+5, respectively, are each connected to an adder 41, 43, respectively, ar.d to an attenuator 45, 47, respectively. The other amplifiers 31, 33, 35, and 37 are connected to a common adder 49, the output of which is connected on the one side to the two former adders 41 and 43, and onthe othersideto a further adder 51 which is also connected to the outputs of the two attenua-tors 45 and 47.
The described circuit forms a network of three series of six reveive networks, each series of receive networks processirg the signals originating from the six transducers. The first series li; Of receive networks terminates in the adder 41 and applies an output signal to the first outputline 53, the second series termincating in the adder 43 and applying an output signal to the output line 55, whilst the third series terminates in the adder 51 and applies an output signal to the output line 57. The receive networks in the first series multiply each of the signals of the tranducers Ti to Ti+4 by a weighting factor 1, and those of the transducer Ti+5 by a weighting factor 0, because the preamplifier~9 is not connected to the adder 41. Analogously, the receive networks in the second series multipl~7the signals of the transducers Ti+1 to Ti+5 by a weighting factor 1 and those of the transducer Ti by a weighting factor 0. The receive networks of the -thirZ series multiply the signals of the trans-ducers Ti+1 to Ti+4 by a weighting factor 1 and those of the transducers Ti and Ti+5 by a weighting factor 1/2.
Therefore, in all cases the sum of the weighting factor equals 5. The output signals simultaneously appearing on the three output lines 53, 55 and 57 corresF~ndto the three beams, having the axis 21, 25 and 17, respectively, described with reference t:o ~`igure 2.
In the des~cribed em~odiment, the weightingfactors of the two a-ttenuators 45 and ~ are constant and equal to 1/2. It is alternatively possible for these weighting factors to be variable, their sum always being equal to 1. The weighting factorsare then a and 1 a, respectively, it being possible to vary a between 0 and 1 1~15~
by means of a control member (not shown). If this variation takes place continuously, the axis of the received beam can be continuously displaced from the axis 21 to the axis 25 (Figure 2). The number of scanning lines is then unlimited. The adders 41 and 43 and the associated output lines 53 and 55 can then be dispensed with.
For the embcdiments described thus fæ it has been assumed that the transmitted and received ultrasonic beams have flat wave fronts parallel to the row of transducers. However, it is known to use beams with curved wave fronts for transmission as well as reception in order to focus the beams onto a selected area. This can be achieved, for example, as described in detail in United States Patent Specification 3,919,~83, by the selective delay of the electrical signals applied to the transducers (during transmission) or produced by the transducers (during recepticn). To this end, variable delay members must be included 3 in the transmission and/or receive networks. These mem~ers may be inserted in the circuit shown in Figure 3, for example, in front of the pre-amplifiers 29 to 39 in the receive signal line 1'1 by interrupting these receive signals lines at the area of the broken line 59.
Figure 4 diagrammatically shows an embodiment of the transmission device 5 in which a switching member 3 between the transmission signal lines 9 and the transducers Ti ... Ti+5 has been omitted for the sake of simplicity. The transmission device comprises a transmission signal generator 61, the output of which is connected to six delay elements 63, 65, 67, 69, 71 and 73. Each of these delay - 25 elements is connected to one of the six transmission signal lines 9.
When thede]a~l elements are suitably adjusted by ~e principal control circuit 15, the transducers Ti to Ti+5 transmit a focussed ultrasonic beam.
For the embodiments described above, it has always been assumed that a transmitted beam (axis 17, Figure 2) is combined with ; more than one received beam (axes 21, 17, 25). Obviously, it is alter-natively possible to combine more than one transmitted beam with one or more received beams. For example, by suitable control of the switching member 3, first the transducers Ti to Ti+4 and subseq~lently the trans-ducers Ti+4 to Ti+5 can be connected to the transmission device 5, whilst reception takes place by means of the transducers Ti to Ti+5.
Thus, transmission first takes place with the weighting factors 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0 and subsequently with the weighting factors, 0, 1, 1, 1, ~, 1.
In the case of transmission or reception with focussed beams, the axis of the beams enclose an angle other than 90 with respect to the row of trans-ducers when the distribution of the weighting factors is not symmetrical with respect to the centre of the group of M transducers. Therefore, the control of the delay elements must be adapted to the distribution of the weighting factors. For example, when the transmission device shown in Figure 4 applies transmission signals with the same weighting factor to all transducers Ti to Ti+5, the axis of the emitted beam passes centrally between the transducers Ti~2 and Ti~3 and the delay times of the delay elements 67 and 69 must be mutually equal, like those of the delay elements 65 and 71 and those of the delay ele-ments 63 and 73. ~owever, when the signal to the firsttransducer is multiplied by a weighting factor 0 and the signals to the other transducers are multiplied by a weighting factor 1, the axis of the transmitted beam extends through the centre of the converter Ti+3 and for the focussing the delay elements 67 and 71 must have the same delay time as the delay elements 65 and 73. The delay element 69 then has its own delay time.
It will be clear that the embodiments des-cribed abo~e can be further supplemented. For example, the number M which indicates the number of transducers of the selected group may be other than six. Moreover, more complex distributions of the weighting factors over the M transducers can be used for transmission as well as for reception. The method in accordance with the invention is also particularly suitable for the display at an enlarged s~ale of a part of an original image with the same line density.
The invention relates to a method of examining an object by means of a row of N electroacoustic transduc~rs, comprising the steps of selecting a group of M ad~acently arranged transducers (M ~N) for the transmission of an ultrasonic beam and for receiving a part of this beam which is reflected by acous-tic discontinuities in the object, and successively applying a transmission signal to at least a part of the group of M transducers and including at least a part of the M
transducers in receive networks, the transmission signal intended for each transducer or the receive signal produced by each transducer being multiplied by a weighting factor between 0 and 1. The invention also relates to a device for perf~rmung this method, comprising a scanning head with a row of N elec~roacoustic transd~cers and a switching member for the selective connection of a group of M adjacently arranged transducers to a transmission device or to a receive device in order to form transmission and/or receive networks, each transmission and/or receive network comprising means for multiplying the passing signals by a weighting factor between 0 and 1.
A method and a device of this kind are known from Netherlands Patent Application 76 12 852 laid open to public inspection.
It is also known therefrom that the numker of different combinations of transmitted and received ultrasonic beams (scanning lines) should be increased in order to enable more detailed imaging of the object.
Because the number of transducers per unit of length of the scanning head cannot be increased indefinitely, other methods are required.
One of these methods is described in said Patent Application. According to -this method, alternately even and odd numbers of transducers are activated, so that the transmitted and received beams are shifted each time over half the centre-to-centre distance between -two transducers.
The numker of scanning lines is thus doubled.
It is an object of the invention to achieve a substantial further increase of the number of scanning lines, without making the device essentially more complex.
To this end, the method in accordance with the invention is characteriæd in that for each group of M transducers the transmission with a given combination of weight.ing factors is combined with the reception with at least two different combinations of weighting factors or vice versa, the sum of the weighting factors in the different combinations during transmission always being equal to a first value, wnilst the sum of the weighting factors in the different combinations during reception always being equal to a second value, the first and the second value possibly being unequal.
The fact that the weighting factors are between 0 and 1 means that the signal which is least attenuated or most ampli.fied is per definition multiplied by a weighting factor 1. An interrupted transmission or receive network implies a multiplication of the relevant signal by a weighting factor 0.
A further elaboration of the method in accord~lce with the invention, where the examination time required is substantially reduced, is characterized in that after the transmission of an ultrasonic beam by a group of transducers, reception takes place with at least two different combinations of weighting factors simultaneously.
The device in accordance with the invention is characterized ~ in that there are provided means for realizing, per group of M converters and for one combination of weighting factors in the transmission net-works, different combinations of weighting factors in the receive net--works or vice versa, the sum of the weighting factors of the different combinations in the transmission networks being equal to a first value, whilst that in the receive networks is equal to a second value, said values possibly being unequal.
A preferred er.~diment of the device in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the weighting factors in the trans-mission netw~rks are all equal to 1, whilst the weighting factors in the receive networks of the first and the last transducer of the group of M
transducers equal a and 1-a, (0~ a~1), respectively, whilst those in the other receive networks equal 1.
It is to be noted that from Ger~an Auslegeschrift 26 18 178 a method is also known for substantially increasing the number of scanning lines. According to this method, ultrasonic beams are succes-sively transmitted in a direction perpendicular to the row of trans-ducers and .in a num~er of different directions which enclose a small angle with respect to the former direction. Thus, a fan-shaped beam of 5''~
scanning lines is formed frcm each transducer. The information obtained with these scanninglines is displayed on a display screen which is scanned in a pattern of parallel lines.This causes errors in the display. No such errors occu~ in the method and the device in accordance 5 with the invention beeause use is made of parallel scanning lines.
The invention will be described in detail hereina ter with reference to the accompanying diagrammatie drawin~.
Figure 1 is a block diagram of an emkodiment of a device in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 illustrates an example of the method in accordance with the invention.
Figure 3 is a more del-ailed block diagram of a part of the device shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a more detailed block diagram of a further part of the device shown in Figure 1.
m e device which is only diagrammatically show1 in Figure 1 comprises a scanning head 1 with a row of N electro-acoustic trans-ducers, T1, T2, ... TN, for example, of a piezoelectric ceramic material, each transd~cer ccmprising two electrodes, one of which is earthed whilst the other is connected to a switching member 3 which ccmprises N
electronic switches for the selective connection of a group of M
adjacently arranged transducers to a transmissicn device 5 or a receiv~ device 7. Therein, M~`.N; in the described embcdiment, M = 6 and six transmission signal lines 9 ~lre present between the transmission device 5 and the switching member 3 and six receive signal lines 11 are present between the switching member and the receive device 7. In conjunction with a transducer and a part of the transmission device 5, each transmission signal line 9 forms a transmission network and, in conjunction with a transducer and a part of the receive device 7, each receive signal line 11 forms a receive network. The receive device 7 is connecte~ to r known display device 13 which comprises a display screen on which an object to be examined is displayed. This display device may also ccmprise a memory for the temporary storage of the information produced by the receive device 7.
The cooperation between the switching member 3, the trans-mission device 5, the receive device 7 and the display device 13, required for the formation of an image, is controlled by a principal control circuit 15.
.:
;, .
The general construction of the various parts of the device shown in Figure 1 is known per se (see, for example, Netherlands Patent Application 7608280 laid open to public inspection and German Auslegeschriften 2618178 and 2628492). Therefore, they will cnly be elaborated hereinafter in as far as is necessary for a proper under-standing of the present invention.
An example oEthe method in accordance with the inventon will first be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 shows a part of the scanning head 1 with a group of six adjacently arranged transducers Ti~ Ti+1' Ti+5 (1~ i< N-5), selected by the switchi~g member 3. Via the transmission signal lines 9, each of these six trans-ducers receives a transmissicn signal, said six transmission signals all having the same amplitude in this example; in other words, all trans-mission signals are multiplied by a weighting factor 1 and the numker of transducers which effectively contribute to the transmitted ultra-sonic beam equals 6 x 1 = 6. The transmitteZ keam is an approximately parallel keam, the axis 17 of which extends perpendicularly to the row of transducers and symmetrically with respect to the selected grcup of transducers, so halfway between the converters Ti+2 and Ti+3.
The transmitted ultrasonic beam is incident on an object 19 to ke examined and is partly reflected by acc~st~c discontinuities in this object. As a result, a reflected beam is formed which is incident cn the transducers Ti to Ti+5 and which generates electrical signals thereinwhich are applied, via the receive signal lines 11, to the receive device 7. The receive networks are adapted so that only the signals are processed which originate from reflected keams whose axes extend parallel to the axis 17 of the transmitted keam. Furthermore, not all weighting factors whereby the receive signals are mul-tiplied are equal to 1, so that not all six transducers contribute equally to the reception.
The number of transducers making an effective contribution to the recep-ticn, therefore, is smaller than six. Figure 2 shows some examples where this numker equals 5.
In the first example, the weighting factor whereby the signal generated by the transducer Ti+5 is multiplied equals zero and that whereby the other signals are multiplied equals 1. Only the transducers Ti to Ti+4, therefore, effectively contribute to the reception, that is to say to the same extent. The axis 21 of the received keam is, therefore symmetrically situated wi-th respect to this 3L3L~5 ~
subgroup of five transducers i.e. it passes through the centre of the central transducer Ti+2. The axes 17 and 21 of the transmitted and the received beam, respectively, thus do not coincide, and the scanning line 23 (denoted by a broken line) is situated halfway between these two axes. The scanning line is the symmetry line of the zcne scanned by the combination of said transmitted and received beams.
In the second example, the weighting factor whereby the signal generated by the transducer Ti is multiplied equals zero ,nd that whereby the other signals are multiplied equals 1. Therefore, now only the transducers Ti+1 to Ti+5 contribute to the reception to the same extent. m e axis 25 of the beam received extends through the centre of the central converter Ti+3 of this subgroup ~ d the scanning line 27 (denoted by a broken line) is situated halfway between this axis and the axis 17 of the transmitted beam.
In the third example, the weighting factor whereby the signals generated by the transducers Ti and Ti+5 are multiplied equals 1/2 and that whereby the other signals are multiplied equals 1. The total numker of tra~ducers making an effective contribution tG the reception~ therefore, equals 4 x 1 + 2 x 1/2 = 5, and the axis of the beam received coincides with the axis 17 of the transmitted beam.
The scanning line also coincides with the axis 17.
It appears from the foregoing that cne transmitted beam (axis 17) produces three different scanning lines 23, 17, 27. Because the sum of the weighting factors is the same in all three cases, the signals received can ke readily compared and further processed in the same nE~ner.
Obviously, it is possible to transmit a keam with the axis 17 -three times in successiGn and to receive successively keams with the axes 21, 17 and 25. However, the scanning operatDn is sukstan-tially faster when, after a transmitted beam having the axis 17, thethree beams with the axes 21~ 17 and 25 are simultaneously received and processed, the information being temporarily stored, if desired, in the memory of the display device 13. As will ~e explained herein-after, this can ke realized in a suitable embodiment of the device in accordance with the inventiGn. To this end, Figure 3 shows a block diagram of ~ embodiment of the input section of the receive device 7.
- For the simplicity of the Fig~re, the receive signal lines 11 are shown to be directly cGnnected to six tr~s~cers Ti, ... Ti+5 with omission of theactually present switching member 3. Each of the receive signal lines 11 is connected to a preamplifier. These pre-amplifiers are denoted by the referencenumerals 29, 31, 33, 35, 37 and 39. The preampliEiers 29 and 39, receiving the signals originating from the extreme transducers Ti and Ti+5, respectively, are each connected to an adder 41, 43, respectively, ar.d to an attenuator 45, 47, respectively. The other amplifiers 31, 33, 35, and 37 are connected to a common adder 49, the output of which is connected on the one side to the two former adders 41 and 43, and onthe othersideto a further adder 51 which is also connected to the outputs of the two attenua-tors 45 and 47.
The described circuit forms a network of three series of six reveive networks, each series of receive networks processirg the signals originating from the six transducers. The first series li; Of receive networks terminates in the adder 41 and applies an output signal to the first outputline 53, the second series termincating in the adder 43 and applying an output signal to the output line 55, whilst the third series terminates in the adder 51 and applies an output signal to the output line 57. The receive networks in the first series multiply each of the signals of the tranducers Ti to Ti+4 by a weighting factor 1, and those of the transducer Ti+5 by a weighting factor 0, because the preamplifier~9 is not connected to the adder 41. Analogously, the receive networks in the second series multipl~7the signals of the transducers Ti+1 to Ti+5 by a weighting factor 1 and those of the transducer Ti by a weighting factor 0. The receive networks of the -thirZ series multiply the signals of the trans-ducers Ti+1 to Ti+4 by a weighting factor 1 and those of the transducers Ti and Ti+5 by a weighting factor 1/2.
Therefore, in all cases the sum of the weighting factor equals 5. The output signals simultaneously appearing on the three output lines 53, 55 and 57 corresF~ndto the three beams, having the axis 21, 25 and 17, respectively, described with reference t:o ~`igure 2.
In the des~cribed em~odiment, the weightingfactors of the two a-ttenuators 45 and ~ are constant and equal to 1/2. It is alternatively possible for these weighting factors to be variable, their sum always being equal to 1. The weighting factorsare then a and 1 a, respectively, it being possible to vary a between 0 and 1 1~15~
by means of a control member (not shown). If this variation takes place continuously, the axis of the received beam can be continuously displaced from the axis 21 to the axis 25 (Figure 2). The number of scanning lines is then unlimited. The adders 41 and 43 and the associated output lines 53 and 55 can then be dispensed with.
For the embcdiments described thus fæ it has been assumed that the transmitted and received ultrasonic beams have flat wave fronts parallel to the row of transducers. However, it is known to use beams with curved wave fronts for transmission as well as reception in order to focus the beams onto a selected area. This can be achieved, for example, as described in detail in United States Patent Specification 3,919,~83, by the selective delay of the electrical signals applied to the transducers (during transmission) or produced by the transducers (during recepticn). To this end, variable delay members must be included 3 in the transmission and/or receive networks. These mem~ers may be inserted in the circuit shown in Figure 3, for example, in front of the pre-amplifiers 29 to 39 in the receive signal line 1'1 by interrupting these receive signals lines at the area of the broken line 59.
Figure 4 diagrammatically shows an embodiment of the transmission device 5 in which a switching member 3 between the transmission signal lines 9 and the transducers Ti ... Ti+5 has been omitted for the sake of simplicity. The transmission device comprises a transmission signal generator 61, the output of which is connected to six delay elements 63, 65, 67, 69, 71 and 73. Each of these delay - 25 elements is connected to one of the six transmission signal lines 9.
When thede]a~l elements are suitably adjusted by ~e principal control circuit 15, the transducers Ti to Ti+5 transmit a focussed ultrasonic beam.
For the embodiments described above, it has always been assumed that a transmitted beam (axis 17, Figure 2) is combined with ; more than one received beam (axes 21, 17, 25). Obviously, it is alter-natively possible to combine more than one transmitted beam with one or more received beams. For example, by suitable control of the switching member 3, first the transducers Ti to Ti+4 and subseq~lently the trans-ducers Ti+4 to Ti+5 can be connected to the transmission device 5, whilst reception takes place by means of the transducers Ti to Ti+5.
Thus, transmission first takes place with the weighting factors 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0 and subsequently with the weighting factors, 0, 1, 1, 1, ~, 1.
In the case of transmission or reception with focussed beams, the axis of the beams enclose an angle other than 90 with respect to the row of trans-ducers when the distribution of the weighting factors is not symmetrical with respect to the centre of the group of M transducers. Therefore, the control of the delay elements must be adapted to the distribution of the weighting factors. For example, when the transmission device shown in Figure 4 applies transmission signals with the same weighting factor to all transducers Ti to Ti+5, the axis of the emitted beam passes centrally between the transducers Ti~2 and Ti~3 and the delay times of the delay elements 67 and 69 must be mutually equal, like those of the delay elements 65 and 71 and those of the delay ele-ments 63 and 73. ~owever, when the signal to the firsttransducer is multiplied by a weighting factor 0 and the signals to the other transducers are multiplied by a weighting factor 1, the axis of the transmitted beam extends through the centre of the converter Ti+3 and for the focussing the delay elements 67 and 71 must have the same delay time as the delay elements 65 and 73. The delay element 69 then has its own delay time.
It will be clear that the embodiments des-cribed abo~e can be further supplemented. For example, the number M which indicates the number of transducers of the selected group may be other than six. Moreover, more complex distributions of the weighting factors over the M transducers can be used for transmission as well as for reception. The method in accordance with the invention is also particularly suitable for the display at an enlarged s~ale of a part of an original image with the same line density.
Claims (4)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOILOWS:
1. A method of examing an cbject by means of a row of N
electroacousic transducers, comprising the steps of selecting a group of M adjacently arranged transducers (M?N) for the transmission of an ultrasonic beam and for receiving a part of this beam which is reflected by acoustic discontinuities in the object, and successively applying a transmission signal to at least a part of the group of M transducers and including at least a part of the M transducers in receive networks, the transmission signal intended for each transducer or the receive signal produced by each transducer being multiplied by a weighting factor between 0 and 1, characterized in that for each group of M trans-ducers the transmission with a given combination of weighting factors is combined with the reception with at leact two different combinations of weighting factors or vice versa, the sum of the weighting factors in the different combinations during transmicsion always being equal to a first value, whilst the sum ofthe weighting factors in the different combinations during reception always being equal to a second value, the first and the second value possibly being unequal.
electroacousic transducers, comprising the steps of selecting a group of M adjacently arranged transducers (M?N) for the transmission of an ultrasonic beam and for receiving a part of this beam which is reflected by acoustic discontinuities in the object, and successively applying a transmission signal to at least a part of the group of M transducers and including at least a part of the M transducers in receive networks, the transmission signal intended for each transducer or the receive signal produced by each transducer being multiplied by a weighting factor between 0 and 1, characterized in that for each group of M trans-ducers the transmission with a given combination of weighting factors is combined with the reception with at leact two different combinations of weighting factors or vice versa, the sum of the weighting factors in the different combinations during transmicsion always being equal to a first value, whilst the sum ofthe weighting factors in the different combinations during reception always being equal to a second value, the first and the second value possibly being unequal.
2, A method as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that after the transmission of an ultrasonic beam by a group of transducers, reception takes place with at least two different combinations of weighting factors simultaneously.
3. A device for examinating an object by means of the method claimed in Claim 1, or 2, comprising a scanning head with a row of N
electroacoustic transducers and a switching member for the selective connection of a grOup of M adjacently arranged transducers to a trans-mission device or to a receive device in order to form transmission and/
or receive networks, each transmission and/or receive network comprising means (54, 47) for multiplying the passing signals by a weighting factor between 0 and 1, characterized in that there are provided means for realizing, per group of M converters and for one combination of weighting factors in the transmission networks, different ccmbinations of weighting factors in the receive networks or vice versa, the sum of the weighting factors of the different combinations in the transmission networks being equal to a first value, whilst that in the receive networks is equal to a second value, said values possibly being unequal.
electroacoustic transducers and a switching member for the selective connection of a grOup of M adjacently arranged transducers to a trans-mission device or to a receive device in order to form transmission and/
or receive networks, each transmission and/or receive network comprising means (54, 47) for multiplying the passing signals by a weighting factor between 0 and 1, characterized in that there are provided means for realizing, per group of M converters and for one combination of weighting factors in the transmission networks, different ccmbinations of weighting factors in the receive networks or vice versa, the sum of the weighting factors of the different combinations in the transmission networks being equal to a first value, whilst that in the receive networks is equal to a second value, said values possibly being unequal.
4. A device as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that the weighting factors in the transmission networks are all equal to 1, whilst the weighting factors in the receive networks of the first transducer (Ti) and the last transducer (Ti+5) of the group of M
transducers (TiTi+5) equal a and 1-a (0 ? a ? 1), respectively, whilst those in the other receive networks equal 1.
transducers (TiTi+5) equal a and 1-a (0 ? a ? 1), respectively, whilst those in the other receive networks equal 1.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000363119A CA1161541A (en) | 1980-10-23 | 1980-10-23 | Method of and device for examination by means of ultrasonic beams |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000363119A CA1161541A (en) | 1980-10-23 | 1980-10-23 | Method of and device for examination by means of ultrasonic beams |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1161541A true CA1161541A (en) | 1984-01-31 |
Family
ID=4118236
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000363119A Expired CA1161541A (en) | 1980-10-23 | 1980-10-23 | Method of and device for examination by means of ultrasonic beams |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1161541A (en) |
-
1980
- 1980-10-23 CA CA000363119A patent/CA1161541A/en not_active Expired
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| MKEX | Expiry |