Ultrasonic non-linear parameter measuring system

Patent 4610255 Issued on September 9, 1986. Estimated Expiration Date:

November 28, 2004. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Ultrasonic measurement system using a perturbing field, multiple sense beams and receivers
Patent #: 4431008
Issued on: 02/14/1984
Inventor: Wanner , et al.

Three-dimensional temperature probe
Patent #: 4513749
Issued on: 04/30/1985
Inventor: Kino , et al.

Method and means for determining ultrasonic wave attenuation in tissue using phase locked loop
Patent #: 4546772
Issued on: 10/15/1985
Inventor: Flax

Measuring method and apparatus for non-linear parameter of acoustic medium and its application Patent #: 4566460
Issued on: 01/28/1986
Inventor: Sato , et al.

Inventors

Application

No. 06/675612 filed on 11/28/1984

US Classes:

600/443Anatomic image produced by reflective scanning

Examiners

Primary: Howell, Kyle L.
Assistant: Jaworski, Francis J.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Staas & Halsey

International Classes

G01H 3/12 (20060101)
G01H 5/00 (20060101)
G01H 3/00 (20060101)
G01S 7/52 (20060101)

Foreign Application Priority Data

1983-12-02 JP

Abstract

This invention relates to a system for measuring the non-linear parameter B/A of an ultrasonic medium such as a living tissue, namely the value which indicates a rate of change of the sound velocity with change of pressure, utilizing reflected ultrasonic waves. In this invention, a measuring burst pulse, having a comparatively high frequency, and a pumping pulse, having a comparatively low frequency and a high sound pressure, for giving a change of pressure are transmitted in the same direction while they are superposed, the phase of the reflected waves from each region of the ultrasonic medium is detected as a function of time, and it is then differentiated. Thereby, the distribution of B/A along the transmitting direction of said pulses can be obtained.

Other References

Proceedings 1st International Symposium on Medical Imaging and Image Interpretation ISMIII '82, vol., 375, IEEE Computer Society, SPIE-The International Society for Optical Engineering, 26th-28th Oct. 1982, pp. 454-459, Berlin, DE; T. Sato et al.: "Nonlinear Parameter Tomography, Active Incoherent Imaging and Adaptive Imaging for Ultrasonic Tissue Characterization"
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Japan, vol. 39, No. 8, Aug. 1983, pp. 521-530, Acoustical Society of Japan, Tokyo, JP; N. Ichida et al. "Nonlinear Parameter Tomography"
The Journal of the Acoustic Society of America, vol. 74, No. 5, Nov. 1983, Acoustical Society of America, pp. 1518-1521, New York, US; Zheming Zhu et al.: "Determination of the Acoustic Nonlinearity Parameter B/A from Phase Measurements"
Abstract of New Technology-from the Air Force Systems Command, 10th Nov. 1981, Project No. F49620-79-C-0217, Washington, D.C., (US); G. S. Kino et al.: "Remote Three-Dimensional Temperature Probing"
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 45, No. 5, May 1969, pp. 1251-1257, New York, US; R. C. Williamson: "Echo Phase-Comparison Technique and Measurement of Sound Velocity in Water"
1972 Ultrasonics Symposium Proceedings, IEEE Group on Sonics and Ultrasonics, 4th-7th, Oct. 1972, Boston, Mass., pp. 54-58, New York, US; T. D. Sachs et al.: "Thermo-Acoustic Sensing Technique-Tast"