EP0007308A1 - Appareil de mise en image a balayage-b electronique par ondes ultra-sonores - Google Patents

Appareil de mise en image a balayage-b electronique par ondes ultra-sonores

Info

Publication number
EP0007308A1
EP0007308A1 EP19790900065 EP79900065A EP0007308A1 EP 0007308 A1 EP0007308 A1 EP 0007308A1 EP 19790900065 EP19790900065 EP 19790900065 EP 79900065 A EP79900065 A EP 79900065A EP 0007308 A1 EP0007308 A1 EP 0007308A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
amplifier
transducer
ultrasonic frequency
electrodes
pulse
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP19790900065
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Reuben Saul Mezrich
David Herman Raphael Vilkomerson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
RCA Corp
Original Assignee
RCA Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US05/964,899 external-priority patent/US4197749A/en
Application filed by RCA Corp filed Critical RCA Corp
Publication of EP0007308A1 publication Critical patent/EP0007308A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • 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
    • G10K11/345—Circuits therefor using energy switching from one active element to another
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
    • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
    • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
    • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
    • B06B1/06—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction
    • B06B1/0607—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using multiple elements
    • B06B1/0622—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using multiple elements on one surface
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N29/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object
    • G01N29/04—Analysing solids
    • G01N29/06—Visualisation of the interior, e.g. acoustic microscopy
    • 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
    • G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
    • G01S7/52—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00
    • G01S7/52017—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00 particularly adapted to short-range imaging
    • G01S7/52053—Display arrangements
    • G01S7/52057—Cathode ray tube displays
    • G01S7/5206—Two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction; B-scan display
    • 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
    • G10K11/004—Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a high resolution pulse- echo ultrasonic imaging display system and, more particularly, to such a system employing electronic B-scan imaging apparatus.
  • Application Serial No. 766,564 discloses many embodiments of a high resolution pulse-echo ultrasonic imaging display system, including some which employ electronic C-scan imaging apparatus.
  • the B-scan imaging apparatus of the present application makes use of certain features of the electronic C-scan imaging apparatus embodi ⁇ ment shown in FIG. 6 of the aforesaid Patent Application Serial No. 766,564.
  • the B-scan imaging apparatus of the present invention also incorporates certain novel features, which make for a simpler, less expensive, but more reliable high resolution pulse-echo ultrasonic imaging B- scan display system than was heretofore available.
  • a novel fixed transducer generates a scanning beam of pulsed ultrasonic wave energy, which insonifies a structure to be imaged.
  • a single amplifier having a low- impedance input, is permanently connected to a given electrode of the transducer. This single amplifier processes all detected echoes returned to the fixed transducer from the insonified structure.
  • the novel transducer comprises a longitudinal bar of piezoelectric material having one of two opposite longitudinal faces thereof substantially covered by the aforesaid given electrode. Substantially equally spaced along the length of the other of the two longitudinal faces of the bar is each of a set of a pre ⁇ determined plural number of separate electrodes. Successive ones of a series of ultrasonic frequency pulses are applied, in turn, to each individual one of the set of separat electrodes.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a B-scan pulse-echo ultrasonic wave energy imaging system incorporating the present invention
  • FIG. 2 shows in more detail the structure of the electronically scanned transducer and imaging electronics of FIG. 1; •
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing in more detail the structural arrangement of the timing control of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing in more detail the structuralarrangement of the driving electronics of FIG. 1, and
  • FIG. 5 is a timing diagram useful in explaining the operation of the present invention.
  • transducer 102 situated within liquid-filled enclosure 100 is electronically-scanned 1 electro-acoustic transducer 102 and acoustic lens 104 having a focal length f.
  • lens 104 is situated at a distance of 2f from transducer 102. Therefore, in accordance with the principle of geometric optics, transducer 102 is imaged in image plane 106 located at the same distance 2f on the other side of lens 104. Conversely, any structure situated in image plane 106 is imaged at transducer 102.
  • an acoustic lens exhibits a depth of field proportional to the wavelength of the incident acoustic (ultrasonic) wave energy and inversely proportional to the square of the ratio of the effective aperture to the focal length of the acoustic lens.
  • the depth of field exhibited by lens 104 is at least one-half the depth d of structure 108 to be imaged.
  • the front wall 110 of enclosure 100 is composed of a material, such as rubber, which propagates therethrough ultrasonic wave energy incident thereon from the propagating liquid filling enclosure 100.
  • Structure 108 which living tissue of a human being, is non-homogeneous and, therefore, has ultrasonic propagating characteristics at different spatial locations thereof which vary in a complex 5 manner in accordance with the detailed make-up of structure 108.
  • Structure 108 is situated with one surface thereof in contact with front wall 110 of enclosure 100.
  • Transducer 102 (shown in detail in FIG. 2) is intermittently energized, under the control of timing control 0 112, by an ultrasonic frequency (UF) pulse from driving electronics 114. In response thereto electronically scanned transducer 102 launches a beam of pulsed ultrasonic wave energy, which is propagated through the liquid filling enclosure 100 and through structure 108. This ultrasonic
  • Transducer 102 in response to receiving an ultra ⁇ sonic echo, derives a detected electrical signal, which is applied as an input to imaging electronics 116.
  • Imaging electronics 116 under the control of a signal from timing
  • control 112 applies a range-gated video signal to the intensity-control electrode of the cathode-ray-tube (CRT) of B-scan display 118.
  • imaging electronics 116 derives a range sweep sync in time-synchronous relation ⁇ ship with the generation of each UF pulse for initiating
  • the electron beam of the CRT of B-scan display 118 is deflected the other of the two orthogonal direction (e.g. vertical) in accordance
  • transducer 102 comprises longitudinal bar 200 of piezoelectric material.
  • the back face of bar 200 is substantially covered by electrode 202.
  • a set of n separate electrodes 204-1 . . . 204-n are in contact with the front face of piezoelectric bar 200.
  • n 10 predetermined number n is equal to the number of scans per frame (i.e. scan position resolution) required. The greate the value n, the greater the number of range sweeps in each displayed frame. In practice, the value of n is usually in the range of one-hundred to several hundred.
  • Both applied UF pulses and detected echo signals are supplied by electrode 202 to the input of amplifier
  • Amplifier 206 should have a sufficiently low input impedance so that it provides a ground return for the driving pulse. Also such low input impedance insures that each relatively high amplitude applied UF pulse has substantially completely decayed
  • Range gate 208 is normally closed, but is maintained
  • each range gate control pulse which occurs in time-synchronous relationship with the application of a UF pulse to trans ⁇ ducer 102, maintains range gate 208 open during the entire 0 time interval during which echoes within all of the structure 108 are being received by transducer 102. This results in range gate 208 forwarding all the detected signals from structure 108 as a range-gated video to B-scan display 118.
  • the range sweep sync is derived by leading edge differentiating circuit 210 of imaging electronics 116 in time coincidence with the leading edge of each range gate control pulse from timing control 112.
  • timing control 112 includes clock 300 for periodically generating clocks at a repetition period at least slightly greater than the maximum round trip travel time of ultrasonic wave energy to any point within structure 108.
  • Each clock is applied as a trigger to driving electronics 114.
  • each clock is applied as a trigger input to adjustable time delay 302, which may comprise a onostable multivibrator.
  • Adjustable time delay 302 is adjusted to provide a delay corresponding to the desired time of occurrence of the leading edge of a range gate control pulse.
  • the output from adjustable time delay 302 is a delayed trigger which is applied as an input to range gate control pulse circuit 304.
  • the range gate control pulse circuit produces a pulse having a duration equal to the entire period during which it is desired that range gate 208 be open, so as to pass all detected signals from structure 108.
  • the output from circuit 304 is applied as a control input to range gate 208 of imaging electronics 116, as described above.
  • Driving electronics 114 may include UF pulse source 400 (FIG. 4), that produces a UF pulse in response to each clock from timing means 112 applied as a trigger thereto.
  • Each UF pulse from source ' 400 is applied in parallel to every one of a set of n normally disabled amplifiers 402-1 . . . 402-n.
  • An enabling bias 404 for any one of amplifiers 402-1. . . 402-n is forwarded, in turn, through different selected ones of the first set of n outputs 406-1 . . . 406-n of enabling bias steering circuit 408.
  • enabling bias steering circuit 408 may comprise a digital counter having a count capacity of n. The counter counts the clock triggers applied from timing means 112 to source 400.
  • enabling bias steering circuit 408 may comprise a digital counter having a count capacity of n. The counter counts the clock triggers applied from timing means 112 to source 400.
  • steering circuit 408 may include a corresponding set of n normally opened electronic switches, each of which connect enabling bias 404 to a different one of outputs 406-1 . . . 406-n. Each of these n switches is closed, one at .a time, in accordance with the count then registered in the counter.
  • the order of closing these n switches of enabling bias steering circuit 408 may or may not, as desired, correspond with the order of the set of amplifiers 402-1 . . . 402-n. In particular, if the order of closing of the set of n switches of enabling bias steering circuit 408 is such as to enable, in order, each of normally disable amplifiers 402-1 . . .
  • the range sweep raster of B-scan display 118 will be non-interlaced. However, if the order of enabling amplifiers 402-1 . . . 402-n is to first enable, in turn, all the odd amplifiers and then, in turn, enable all the even amplifiers, the range sweep raster of B-scan display 118 is interlaced, in a manner similar that of a television raster. If the frame rate is very low, it may be desirable to provide interlacing with a higher degree than two (i.e. more than two fields per frame) to reduce flickering. In any case, each of the n switches of enabling bias steering circuit 408 can be associated individually in any selected order with outputs 406-1 . . .
  • Scan position circuit 410 may comprise a digital- to-analog converter, responsive to the count then registered in the counter of enabling biased steering circuit 408, which is applied thereto, through a second set of n outputs 412-1 . . . 412-n from circuit 408.
  • scan position circuit 410 derives a staircase- wave vertical deflection signal for B-scan display 118, which at any time exhibits a level that corresponds to the spatial position of the then-energized one of the set of electrodes 204-1 . . . 204-n.
  • Graph 500 of FIG. 5 shows the relative time ° ⁇ ⁇ > V si i occurrence of successive clocks generated by clock 300 of timing means 112.
  • Graph 504 shows the relative time of occurrence of a range gate control pulse 506 derived by range gate control pulse circuit 304 of timing control 112.
  • Graph 507 shows the time of enablement 508 of solely normally disabled amplifier 402-1. As indicated by graph 507 normally disabled amplifier 402-1 is enabled for substantially one entire clock period. However, if there are possible.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Immunology (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Ultra Sonic Daignosis Equipment (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)

Abstract

Un transducteur (102) comprenant une barre longitudinale en materiau piezoelectrique (200) ayant une face longitudinale substantiellement recouverte par une premiere electrode (202) et la face longitudinale opposee en contact avec une pluralite predeterminee d'electrodes separees (204-1, 204-2 ... 204-n) espacees sur sa longueur, permet a tous les echos detectes d'etre traites par un seul amplificateur a faible impedance d'entree (206) couple en permanence a la premiere electrode.
EP19790900065 1977-12-12 1979-07-03 Appareil de mise en image a balayage-b electronique par ondes ultra-sonores Withdrawn EP0007308A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB5168477 1977-12-12
GB5168677 1977-12-12
GB5168677 1977-12-12
GB5168477 1977-12-12
US964899 1978-12-05
US05/964,899 US4197749A (en) 1977-12-12 1978-12-05 Ultrasonic wave energy electronic B-scan imaging apparatus

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0007308A1 true EP0007308A1 (fr) 1980-01-23

Family

ID=27260219

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19790900065 Withdrawn EP0007308A1 (fr) 1977-12-12 1979-07-03 Appareil de mise en image a balayage-b electronique par ondes ultra-sonores

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0007308A1 (fr)
JP (1) JPS55500005A (fr)
FR (1) FR2476867B1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1979000372A1 (fr)

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2700895A (en) * 1949-04-06 1955-02-01 Babcock & Wilcox Co Apparatus for ultrasonic examination of bodies
FR2252580B1 (fr) * 1973-11-22 1980-02-22 Realisations Ultrasoniques Sa
US3979711A (en) * 1974-06-17 1976-09-07 The Board Of Trustees Of Leland Stanford Junior University Ultrasonic transducer array and imaging system
US4131024A (en) * 1976-03-04 1978-12-26 Rca Corporation Pulse-echo ultrasonic-imaging display system

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO7900372A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1979000372A1 (fr) 1979-06-28
FR2476867A1 (fr) 1981-08-28
JPS55500005A (fr) 1980-01-10
FR2476867B1 (fr) 1985-06-28

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Legal Events

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PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): FR

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

110E Request filed for conversion into a national patent application [according to art. 135 epc]
18D Application deemed to be withdrawn
RIN1 Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected)

Inventor name: MEZRICH, REUBEN SAUL

Inventor name: VILKOMERSON, DAVID HERMAN RAPHAEL