U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
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Ultrasonic harmonic imaging system and method

Patent 5740128 Issued on April 14, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date: Icon_subject May 3, 2016. 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.

Patent References

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Diversified transmission multichannel detection system
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Inventors

Application

No. 642528 filed on 05/03/1996

US Classes:

367/138, With beam forming, shaping, steering, or scanning367/7, ACOUSTIC IMAGE CONVERSION367/11With memory means

Examiners

Primary: Pihulic, Daniel T.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

H04B 001/02

Abstract

A method for imaging a target including a nonlinear contrast agent includes the steps of transmitting ultrasonic energy at a fundamental frequency and receiving reflected ultrasonic energy at a harmonic of the fundamental frequency. The ultrasonic energy is transmitted in power bursts, each having a respective envelope shape, wherein the envelope shapes rise gradually to a respective maximum value and fall gradually from the respective maximum value. Ultrasonic energy in the transmit beam is focused in an elongated high power region, as for example by means of a line focus.

Other References

  • Transmit Aperture Processing for Nonlinear Contrast Agent Imaging, Ultrasonic Imaging 18, 77-105 (1996), Article No. 0005, pp. 77-105, 1996
  • Peter N. Burns, PH.D., "Harmonic imaging adds to ultrasound capabilities", Echo Enhancement, pp. AU7-AU10
  • P. N. Burns, et al., "Harmonic Power Mode Doppler Using Microbubble Contrast Agents", 1994 Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 1547-1550 (1994)
  • P.H. Chang, et al., "Second Harmonic Imaging and Harmonic Doppler Measurements with Albunex.RTM.", 1994 Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 1551-1554 (1994)
  • V. Uhlendorf, et al., "Nonlinear Acoustical Response of Coated Microbubbles in Diagnostic Ultrasound", 1994 Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 1559-1562 (1994)
  • C.B. Buckhardt et al.; "Ultrasound Axicon: a device for focusing over a large depth", Ultrasound Axicon, vol. 54, No. 6, 1973, pp. 1628-1630
  • Pi Hsien Chang, et al., "Second Harmonic Imaging and Harmonic Doppler Measurements with Albunex.RTM.", IEEE Transactions on Ultrasoncis, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control., vol. 42, No. 6, Nov. 1995, pp. 1020-1027
  • Synchronous Dynamic Focusing for Ultrasound Imaging; G. Manes, et al.; IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol. 35, No. 1, Jan. 1988; pp. 14-21
  • Properties of Swept FM Waveforms in Medical Ultrasound Imaging; C.R. Cole; 1991 Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 1243-1248
  • Frequency Synthesis by Phase Lock; William F. Egan, Ph.D., Senior Engineering Specialist GTE Products Corporation; Lecturer in Electrical Engineering University Santa Clara, Robert E. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida 1990; pp. 14-29
  • Stanford Research Systems; Synthesized Function Generator; Model DS345-30 MHz Function & Arbitrary Waveform Generator; 1994; pp. 8-13
  • Stanford Research Systems; Scientific and Engineering Instruments 1994-1995; pp. 171-176
  • IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol. 37, No. 5, Sep. 1990, Ultrasonic Nondiffracting Transducer for Medical Imaging, Jian-Yu Lue et al., pp. 438-447
  • IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol. 39, No. 3, May 1992, "Experimental Verification of Nondiffracting X Waves", Jian-yu Lu et al., pp. 441-446
  • IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol. 39, No. 1, Jan. 1992, "Non-diffracting X Waves-Exact Solutions to Free-Space Scalar Wave Equation and Their Finite Aperture Realizations", Jian-yu Lu et al., pp. 19-31
  • "Synthesis of the driving functions of an array for propagating localized wave energy", J.E. Hernandez et al, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 92 (1), Jul. 1992, pp. 550-562
  • "Simulated Capillary Blood Flow Measurement Using a Nonlinear Ultrasonic Contrast Agent", B. Schrope et al., Ultrasonic Imaging 14, pp. 134-158 (1992)
  • P. Tournois; "Acoustical Imaging Via Coherent Reception of Spatially Coloured Transmissions"; 1980 Ultrasonics Symposium; pp. 747-75
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